News: South Carolina, Mormons, Driving Test, Rafael Nadal, Atlanta

Italian man wins $157,700 in damages in driving test lawsuit: "When 26 year-old Danilo Giuffrida told doctors he was gay at his medical examination for military service, they passed the information to the transport ministry, who told him he must repeat his driving test or have his license withdrawn due to his 'sexual identity disturbance.' Giuffrida agreed to re-take his test, passed it for a second time, but the ministry renewed his license for just one year rather than the usual 10 years because of his homosexuality."

Man who created 'Men on a Mission' Mormon beefcake calendar faces excommunication from the Church of Latter Day Saints by council of elders...

Mayor of Nice, France holds press conference to show off birth certificates of the latest members of the Brangelina Bunch, Knox and Vivienne.

Carry on: The new season of Project Runway has eight out gay men.

Report: Retailers shunning Victoria Beckham's men's jeans line. "The delay comes just months after the denim range was relegated to the bargain basement bins of several US boutiques while many announced they would no longer carry it because of poor sales."

Gay Atlanta upholstery/design store owners targeted by vandals: "Beginning late last month, someone has returned to the couple's upholstery and design business in Buckhead over and over, using spray paint or permanent markers to write anti-gay messages on their windows, according to an Atlanta police report."

South Carolina has pulled a gay tourism campaign created by an overseas contractor unaware of the state government's homophobia. Agency investigating ways to discipline employees who signed off on it. Greenville County GOP State Sen. David Thomas: "From my own perspective, it's bad for the state to make such statements about the state, to assert that South Carolina has gay beaches. . "I think that sends a cross message when we're saying, 'Come to South Carolina for its family-friendly beaches.'"

The L.A. Times takes a look at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center's HIV/AIDS web soap meant to educate young men about prevention.

Apple claims sales of one million iPhone 3Gs in first weekend, 10 million downloads from App Store.

Australia: Pope to apologize for sex abuse by priests.

Rafael Nadal: buff on the beach.

HGTV Design Star host Mikey Verdugo is an out gay police officer with a gay bondage porn past. Here are the photos (very NSFW)...

Prince Harry following in the footsteps of Diana...

120,000 take to the streets for Gay Pride in Vienna: " Thirty-degree heat and sunny weather ensured record attendance for the 13th edition of the march, which like almost all other events this year in Austria had a football theme, even two weeks after the end of Euro 2008. 'No more offsides!' organisers urged, calling for legalised gay marriage and an end to discrimination, although daring high heels, rather than soccer boots, were the choice of footwear on the Ring boulevard where the Fan Mile recently stood."

Ewan McGregor out of Africa.

The world's oldest known blogger, 108-year-old Olive Riley, died on Saturday: "An Australian woman described as the world's oldest Internet blogger has died at the age of 108 after posting a final message about singing "a happy song" in her nursing home. Olive Riley 'passed away peacefully on July 12 and will be mourned by thousands of Internet friends and hundreds of descendants and other relatives,' a note on her website said. Riley had posted more than 70 entries on her blog from Woy Woy on the east coast since February last year, sharing her thoughts on modern life and her experiences living through the entire 20th century." Watch a video of Riley here.

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Pentagon and House at Odds over Tammy Baldwin Spouse Travel

The definition of the word "spouse" appears to be at the center of a tangle between House speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Pentagon over allowing Wisconsin Rep. Tammy Baldwin's partner Lauren Azar to travel with her in official situations similar to other congressional spouses.

Politico reports: "Under House guidelines, members of Congress may take their spouses with them on military flights if there is room for them and when it is 'necessary for protocol purposes.' Although Baldwin, the only openly gay woman elected to Congress, exchanged wedding vows with Lauren Azar in 1998, her home state of Wisconsin does not officially recognize same-sex marriages, and military officials were apparently unwilling to consider Azar a 'spouse' within the meaning of the House guidelines. In appealing to [Defense Secretary Robert] Gates, Pelosi aides said their boss was simply asking the defense secretary to follow a precedent established by her predecessor, former Republican Rep. Dennis Hastert of Illinois. Pelosi told Gates that Hastert had allowed Baldwin to take Azar on a previous trip abroad. Gates, who was apparently unaware of any earlier trips, told the speaker that she was responsible for the House travel rules and had the authority to make an exception, according to officials on and off the Hill. His only requirement was that Pelosi send him a letter authorizing the trip. Pelosi sent such a letter moments after the phone call ended, and Azar was allowed on the plane."

While some suggest that the military is uneasy about the use of its planes in a situation that would be legitimizing a same-sex relationship while it still treats its employees according to the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy, Rep. Barney Frank believes it has more to do with the Bush administration's policy in other areas.

Says Frank: “I think the military was following orders. I think the administration disapproves of same-sex marriage.”

Pentagon balked on gay partner travel [politico]

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Philadelphia Launches Tourism Campaign Featuring its Gay Citizens

Philadelphia is featuring its locals in a series of travel ads to be launched this week hoping to attract LGBT tourism. The "We Your People" campaign will target local newspapers in Chicago, Ft. Lauderdale, Pittsburgh and Columbus to be followed with national gay magazines and promotions by Southwest Airlines and The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

Pictured in the first ad (above) is Matthew Izzo, owner of Matthew Izzo Boutiques. Other Philly locals to be featured are Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran, owners of Lolita, Bindi, Grocery and Open House; Stephen Carlino and Dennis Fee, owners, Tavern on Camac; Charlie Potje, owner, Charlie Salon; Mark Segal, journalist/publisher/gay pioneer, Philadelphia Gay News; Tami Sortman, president, Philadelphia Gay Tourism; Anh Dang, president, Philadelphia GLBT Swim Club; RJ Thornburg and Warren Muller, owners, bahdeebahdu gallery; Michael Sparano and Rocco Giancaterino, owners, Salon Royale Court.

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News: Eric Bana, Puddle, Steve-O, 90210, John Gibson, Jamaica

International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association condemns Jamaica: “We call immediately on Jamaica’s community leaders to cease their oppression. We will continue to speak up and to spotlight these cruel and bigoted actions before tourism and business leaders everywhere. IGLTA is in complete solidarity with Jamaica’s own LGBT leadership, J-FLAG. Therefore, like J-flag, it is not our intention to provoke reprisals or political condemnation in Jamaica by supporting a global tourism boycott. We understand this step could be counter-productive to making true progress in that Caribbean nation, and instead we will focus on education, publicity and market competition to highlight and help curb these terrible abuses."

A sweet little blog about a puddle.

Steve-O from Jackass has really gone off the deep end.

John Gibson, the FOX radio host who mocked Heath Ledger following the actor's death, has lost his TV spot: "The network confirmed this week that 'America’s Election HQ,' a program that displaced 'The Big Story' temporarily last month, would continue indefinitely. The program’s hosts, Bill Hemmer and Megyn Kelly, also anchor the network’s mid-morning newscast and are seen as rising stars on the channel. The change was first reported by the blog TVNewser.com. John Gibson, the longtime host of 'The Big Story,' will continue to have a role on television, the network said, although it appears that his future for now lies mostly on radio. For two years Mr. Gibson, a conservative commentator, has been the host of a three-hour program for Fox News Radio immediately following his television show."

The case for another Earth-sized planet in our solar system, beyond the orbit of Neptune: "A newly released paper shows that may very well be the case. A team of scientists ran a whole mess of simulations, and found that a small planet (in this case, around half the size of the Earth) could have formed inside Neptune’s orbit (where there was plenty of material in the early solar system), gotten tossed into a bigger orbit by Neptune, and then knocked around the orbits of the iceballs, distorting their orbits and creating the Kuiper Cliff."

Noosa mayor rejects claims that his town is the "gay capital" of Australia: "Let me answer the question Joe, let me answer the question, I am not the champion of the gay capital of Australia. Noosa is not the gay capital of Australia. Noosa gets many gay visitors after the mardi gras, they are welcome like every other Australian, Joe. I am not a bigot and I am not closed of mind."

Tom Brady and Eli Manning: no hard feelings.

Obama oral sex and drugs accuser Larry Sinclair files $3 million defamation lawsuit against TubeSockTedD, mzmolly and OWNINGLIARS for calling him a liar.

Spin off of Beverly Hills 90210 in development.

A whole bunch of photography firsts.

MoveOn.org has launched Obama in 30 Seconds, a contest for supporters interested in producing their own ads for the candidate: "We're counting on you to make amazing ads in the next three weeks. Then, MoveOn members and the public will rate the ads, and a panel of top artists, netroots heroes, and filmmaking professionals will pick the winner from among top ads. We'll air the winning ad nationally, and the winner will receive a gift certificate for $20,000 in video equipment." MoveOn has collected a gaggle of celebrities to judge the spots, including Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, John Legend, Moby, James Schamus, Rory Kennedy, and Michael Franti.

Eric Bana is the king of codpieces.

The tale of Spitzer's call girl Kristen.

Northern Irish councillor calls opening of gay bar 'foolish': "A veteran Strabane councillor has said he believes there is 'not a need' for a gay bar in the town. James O'Kane, an Independent member of Strabane District Council, claimed it would be 'very foolish.' The North West gay community has widely welcomed the annoucement of Strabane's first gay bar. However, speaking to the 'Journal,' Councillor O'Kane said: 'My own assumption is that it would be very very foolish to open it, it wouldn't be welcome. I'm a pioneer myself so I would not be frequenting these places anyway but I couldn't see it operating in the town. In this day and age we are all liberal but I can't see a need for it, I suppose only time will tell,' Colr. O'Kane said."

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News: John McCain, Madonna, Knut, Colombia, Ellen Page, Ireland

California state Supreme Court to hear same-sex marriage arguments this week: "The Supreme Court's intervention has been inevitable since February 2004, when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ignited a national furor by giving same-sex couples the short-lived right to marry at City Hall. But now that the justices have the issue in their hands, the outcome is anything but predictable - and the stakes for all corners of the divisive social issue could not be higher."

Madonna/Timberlake single leaks.

PlanetOut posts loss of $51.2 million for 2007: " In 2006, the San Francisco company (NASDAQ: LGBT) lost $3.7 million. Sales fell to $53 million for 2007, down slightly from 2006 sales of $58.8 million. PlanetOut, which owns Gay.com, Advocate.com, Out.com and other web sites, as well as a book publisher, Alyson Publications, recorded a $25.9 million charge for impairment of goodwill and intangible assets in 2007, which contributed to its loss."

Venezuela and Ecuador on brink of war with Colombia? "Venezuela and Ecuador ordered troops to their borders with Colombia, sharply raising tensions after Colombia killed a top rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil. President Hugo Chavez on Sunday promised Venezuela would respond militarily if Colombia violates its border, where he ordered tanks as well as thousands of troops. He also ordered closed Venezuela's embassy in Bogota. Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said he deployed troops to the border while also withdrawing his government's ambassador from Bogota and expelling Colombia's top diplomat."

At New York's Bailey House Auction, Tim Gunn elaborates on his recent comments regarding Hillary Clinton's 'gender-confused' fashion sense: "Let me put it this way. I believe in the semiotics of fashion."

Ellen Page wants to "hug a woman with her legs in friendship."

Caged animal: Knut in captivity, one year later.

HIV/AIDS infections surge among gay men in Australia: "Based on current trends in condom use, testing for HIV and other epidemiological factors, the centre predicted new infections would increase from the 234 recorded among Victorian gay men in 2006 to 406 in 2015, an increase of 73.5%. For the same period, infections are predicted to decrease in NSW by 12% and increase in Queensland by 20%. If national trends continue, new infections among gay men in Australia overall would increase from 725 reported in 2006 to 786 in 2015, an 8.5% increase."

T.R. Knight and beau Mark Cornelsen appear at UCLA benefit to help crew members affected by the writer's strike. Previously...

John McCain asked to denounce the support of evangelical pastor John Hagee. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, Hagee said: "All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens. I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are—were recipients of the judgment of God for that. The newspaper carried the story in our local area that was not carried nationally that there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came. And the promise of that parade was that it was going to reach a level of sexuality never demonstrated before in any of the other Gay Pride parades."

Madonna and Guy Ritchie bought their neighborhood pub, The Punchbowl.

Olivia Newton-John basks in gay love at Sydney Mardi Gras...

San Francisco launches gay tourism campaign.

Weeklong documentary series on photographers begins tonight on The Sundance Channel: "The documentaries, made over the last decade by 10 independent filmmakers and assembled for the series, feature a broad range of photographers including William Eggleston, Tina Barney, Helmut Newton, and Robert Mapplethorpe and his mentor Sam Wagstaff, among other lesser-known artists."

Jason Preston engaged to Marc Jacobs?

After review of the case, cover-up of gay relationship remains at center of mystery over theft of the Irish crown jewels: "The mystery popped back into the news recently after the safe that held the jewels, known as the regalia of the Illustrious Order of St Patrick, was moved to the Irish police, or Garda, museum where it is now on public display. 'It is a never ending and continually fascinating mystery,' said Murphy. His study, which took a fresh look at all available evidence, backed up the notion that there was a whitewash over the theft to cover up a homosexual ring at the centre of the British colonial establishment in Dublin."

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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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News: Newark, Spencer Pratt, Chicago, Charlie Crist, Uruguay

Following the murders of two gay black men on Chicago's south side in the past month, authorities are wondering if a serial killer may be responsible: "On November 17, 24-year-old Larry Bland was shot to death in his Englewood home. Bland, a security guard at Northwestern Hospital was shot more than once after struggling with a man who had entered the house through an unlocked basement door. Then on December 23, 47-year-old Donald Young, the choir director at Trinity United Church of Christ, was shot multiple times in his South Side apartment. His roommate found his body."

Spencer Pratt of The Hills turns down offer from Michael Lucas to appear in gay porn movie. Lucas: "He was born to be in a gay-porn blockbuster. Lucas Entertainment would do anything to be able to center our next major all-male production on Spencer Pratt."

Will Smith apologizes for Hitler remarks.

Harassment of gay teen prompts uproar, petition, review of policies at Pennsylvania high school: "Few days went by without his being punched, kicked or tripped by classmates at Susquehanna Twp. High School in Dauphin County. The teenager, an openly gay boy described by friends as kind and compassionate, said he was constantly harassed, though he never reported it to anyone, not even his friends. Finally, when classmates told him to 'go kill himself' to "make the world a better place," the teen decided he'd had enough. He said he left school in the middle of his senior year because he could no longer bear the torment."

GREEN: Times Square New Year's Eve ball converted to energy-saving LEDs.

Thomas Morgan III, former president of the National Association of Black Journalists and reporter and editor at the New York Times, dies at 56 of AIDS-related complications.

Madonna to make directorial debut with Filth and Wisdom at the Berlin International Film Festival in February.

Southwest Airlines makes attempt to land in gay market, misses runway?

Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez signs first nationwide same-sex civil union law in Latin America.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist "not moved" to support Florida marriage amendment. Perhaps too much "moving" might rattle a few skeletons out of the closet.

"Homosexuality is a human condition": Mayor of Rome criticizes Catholic political leader Dr. Paola Binetti for resisting legislation that would bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Do you believe: Chastity Bono and Cher developing reality show to help gays come out of the closet.

Mr. Cellophane: turns out that the reason Michael Jackson was so bandaged up the other week was because his five-year-old son accidentally smacked him in the face and his (plastic) upper lip collapsed.

Newark, New Jersey gay voguing balls finding a new place in the city's culture: " The city's gay ball subculture -- in which men and women compete in rituals of posing and runway walking, sometimes as the opposite gender -- is earning a place for itself in civic life, with outreach efforts and charity drives. And nowhere is that more surprising than in Newark, a city with no openly gay nightlife, where the 4-year-old murder of 15-year-old lesbian Sakia Gunn, killed for rejecting a man's advances, is still invoked as a symbol of intolerance. The houses, which have a combined membership of more than 100, are now touted by politicians as a significant force in the fight against AIDS and discrimination."

Hilton sisters get lump of coal from grandpa.

Oregon's same-sex couples eagerly await the new year and its new benefits.

David Beckham flattered: "I'm very honoured to have the tag of gay icon. Maybe it's things like (the fact) I like to look after myself, I like to look smart and presentable most of the time."

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News: Dana Perino, Mexico City, Pedro Andrade, Hate Crimes Act

NYT nails Congress for failure to pass Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes act.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino admits she didn't know what the Cuban Missile Crisis was: "I was panicked a bit because I really don't know about . . . the Cuban Missile Crisis...It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I'm pretty sure."

Snubbed by Barbara Walters: Larry Birkhead not as fascinating as he thought.

New York City remembers pioneering gay rights activist Bob Kohler: " With candles and signs held high, and with pill bottles and ceramic pots filled with some of Mr. Kohler’s cremated remains, dozens of his friends and admirers marched through the streets, chanting to the beat of a drummer, stories of Mr. Kohler’s courage in more than six decades of activism spilling from their lips. Some cried as they stepped down West 13th Street, Seventh Avenue and Christopher Street to Sheridan Square, ending up at the Hudson River piers, a refuge for many gay youths in the area. 'Till the very end he struggled for us, all of us,' said Jennifer Flynn, 36, a friend and member of a group of mostly lesbian activists who helped to care for Mr. Kohler as he battled cancer in his final days. 'He could have lived a comfortable life somewhere. He could have ignored everyone.'"

Washington state gay rights leaders expect to see more advances in the coming legislative session: "Advocates say they'll push for expanded rights in areas such as property, retirement and pension benefits in the 2008 session."

Jude Law gets a birthday kiss from Jonny Miller.

Mexico City grants gay prisoners conjugal visits.

Missionaries shot dead at training center before gunman shoots four more at New Life Church, where Ted Haggard once preached: "A gunman in a black trench coat and a high-powered rifle entered the church's main foyer about 1 p.m. and began shooting, according to the source at the church, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the police department had asked that it release all information. The church's 11 a.m. service had recently ended, and hundreds of people were milling about when the gunman opened fire. Nearby were parents picking up their children from the nursery. The gunman was killed by a member of the church's armed security staff, the source said. Four people were shot, and the source did not know whether the shooter was one of the four. A SWAT team was searching the building for an explosive device, but the source could not confirm any details."

NYT: The 53 places to go in 2008, and the 70 best ideas of 2007.

Lance Bass' ex Pedro Andrade has a new gig as a host for LXTV: "I just found my spot, and I'll be right here if you need me."

Anti-gay Scout leader arrested for molesting young boys: "Mr. Evans sued the city in his role as a leader of the Sea Scouts, an affiliate program of the Boy Scouts. The city, after providing free berthing for a Sea Scouts boat for 60 years, said in 1998 that a Boy Scout policy barring gay scouts and atheists violated Berkeley’s rules against discrimination. The city said the Scouts would have to leave the berth or pay $500 a month rent. Mr. Evans sued for discrimination and for violating the Scouts’ First Amendment rights. The California Supreme Court ruled in favor of Berkeley."

Israel recognizes same-sex adoptions from overseas: "This is another step toward equality and the abolition of discrimination toward same-sex couples. The time has come for the state to recognize these couples, just as it recognizes the adoptions of heterosexual couples."

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Thanksgiving Travel Tips from Alan Cumming

I know many of you will be traveling over the holidays and I wish you a safe trip.

So does Alan Cumming, who offers this bit of travel advice to New York magazine's Intelligencer:

"I always think the pressure on planes gives you a hard-on. My friend I was just working with said that when he goes to sleep, he always puts the table out in case he gets a hard-on whilst he’s asleep. That’s a very good tip for your readers if they want to avoid embarrassment on a plane."

Previously

Alan Cumming Film Tortures More Than David Boreanaz [tr]
Vienna Life Ball Brings out the Glitter to Fight AIDS [tr]
Alan Cumming Weds Partner Grant Shaffer in Civil Partnership [tr]

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Eurostar Skinhead Pissing Ad a Tempest in a Teacup?

A new ad for the Eurostar train intended to lure tourists from Belgium to London is creating controversy over its rough vs. refined theme. The ad depicts a skinhead painted with the St. George's Cross pissing in a teacup.

The Guardian reports: "The ads are placed on street corners and designed so that passers by see the urinating yobbo first. As they progress around the corner, they see his chosen receptacle. London is so close - especially by Eurostar - is the rationale, and yet so full of surprises."

The ad doesn't bother me but I'm sure The Queen would likely disapprove. In any case, that's some good aim.

Related...
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News: Buenos Aires, Lance Bass, Salvador Dali, Pete Wentz, Brooklyn

Tragic rape case in Dubai raises diplomatic tensions between the United Arab Emirates and France.

Buenos Aires, Argentina gets five-star gay hotel: "The receptionists are slender young men in sleek suits, the brochure features chiselled male torsos, the rooms are soundproofed and stocked with condoms and every now and then Judy Garland croons in the bar: welcome to Latin America's first luxury gay hotel...The £3.5m five-storey complex has been conceived and designed as an out and proud celebration of gay identity and sexuality, said Nacho Rodriguez, the general manager. 'This hotel is not just gay-friendly. It is gay.'" Nacho Rodriguez has to be one of the best names ever. Website for the Axel Hotel is here.

Lance Bass reveals he was once married to a woman: "People do stupid things in the heat of the moment. I've been in Vegas where I've gotten married for like five minutes, but no one talks about it though. In fact the only reason we did it is because we wanted to get free drinks all night... and we didn't get one."

New York "Realtor to the Stars" found bludgeoned to death in her Fifth Avenue penthouse: "Linda Stein, 62, was found Tuesday night by her daughter, filmmaker Mandy Stein, lying in a pool of blood in the $2.5 million pad at 965 Fifth Ave. on the upper East Side. The city medical examiner ruled her death a homicide yesterday, determining the 5-foot-tall woman died from blunt-force trauma to the head and neck. 'It doesn't seem possible,' said one of Stein's neighbors, Seymour Holtzman, 72. 'It's probably the safest building I know. ... It's shocking.' Stein helped her ex-husband, music mogul Seymour Stein, found Sire Records in the 1970s, a label that launched the careers of Madonna, Talking Heads and Depeche Mode."

Catholic school principal caught in drag, loitering in "high drug trafficking and prostitution area."

Gay bashing south of Manchester, England has police on alert: "A man is in hospital with extensive facial injuries after being attacked in Orford Park in what police believe may be a homophobic attack. The 39-year-old was walking through the park with a friend on Monday night when a man 'violently attacked' him, detectives said. He was punched to the ground and then repeatedly punched and kicked in the face and head while his attacker told him he was going to kill him. The attack only stopped when a resident alerted by the noise came out of his home. The victim is still in Warrington Hospital with serious facial injuries."

Harry Potter actor Robert Pattinson to play Salvador Dali in new film that suggests Dali had a love affair with Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca: "Described by its producers as 'racy' and 'sexy', the film will show Dali and Lorca's feelings deepen into a love affair which the sexually repressed artist tries and fails to consummate. As a substitute, Lorca sleeps with a female friend, with Dali present as a voyeur. The interpretation, by British screenwriter Philippa Goslett, is likely to cause controversy among biographers and historians. Although a physically intimate relationship between the men has long been rumoured, Dali told interviewers more than once that he rejected the homosexual Lorca's attempts to seduce him."

Same-sex commitment ceremony announcement inspires hellstorm of hatred in Missouri town.

Pete Wentz leap of faith presents podiatric problem.

There’s Something About Miriam, the reality show about a 21-year-old transsexual model being wooed by six men who are unaware of her secret, begins airing on FOX Reality Channel tonight. Reality Blurred reports: "When the series first aired in the UK almost four years ago, Miriam said she was really looking for love. 'I did it because I wanted to know if real love exists. Can a person fall in love? I was trying to be myself and if anyone had asked me about myself I would have told them,' she said. As expected, the show was not well-received, and was criticized by many for its premise. The six men sued Sky One and the production company, a subsidiary of Big Brother producer Endemol, for what they said was public humiliation, settled for amounts that 'various reports pegged at anywhere between $150,000 and $250,000 a man.'"

What will Brooklyn, New York be like in the year 2012? Sir Ian McKellen gives a narrated tour. (more at Curbed)

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PlanetOut Sells RSVP Vacations to Atlantis Events

PlanetOut Inc. announced Thursday that Atlantis Events, known for its gay and lesbian cruise and vacation package business, would be acquiring RSVP vacations, formerly a competitor.

Said Rich Campbell, chief executive officer of Atlantis: "We're thrilled to bring Atlantis and RSVP together into the same family for the first time. The two companies are stronger together than they are apart, and taken together demonstrate the strength and vitality of the gay travel market."

Karen Magee, CEO of PlanetOut, said the move would help PlanetOut focus on its core media brands: "We are extremely pleased that RSVP will become part of the Atlantis family. Atlantis plans to preserve RSVP's distinct brand, enabling Atlantis to expand the audience it serves by taking advantage of RSVP's unique positioning within the LGBT community. We believe this combination also will be a real positive for RSVP's customers and business partners. It really is a perfect match and we're looking forward to expanding and extending our marketing relationship with Atlantis."

Atlantis noted that the acquisition would not affect those currently booked on RSVP cruises, nor its scheduled itinerary. The deal is expected to close during the final week of October.

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Gay Rights Groups Question Calgary Mayor's Tourism Comments

Some gay rights groups in Calgary are questioning remarks made by incumbent mayor Dave Bronconnier on Tuesday at a mayoral debate.

According to the Calgary Herald, "During a mayoral debate at Mount Royal College, an audience member complained that Tourism Calgary, which receives funding from the city, had earlier this year promoted Calgary as a travel destination for gays and lesbians."

Bronconnier responded: "I hear your lifestyle question and that's not something I can condone, but Tourism Calgary, they have their marketing. Would it have been my choice for an article? Probably not."

After objection from gay rights groups, Bronconnier clarified the comments: "Her question was why are my tax dollars going to market this. She actually had the ad in her hand. I defended Tourism Calgary's right to market our city to all groups, including people who are gay, so it's sort of a trumped-up matter, in my view."

Some, like Naheed Nenshi of the Better Calgary Campaign, were troubled that the mayor would not immediately embrace the idea of gay and lesbian visitors to come to the city: "If he had thought about it for three minutes, he wouldn't have said that, but because that was his knee-jerk reaction, to me, that is quite troubling."

Tamrin Hildebrand, executive director of Calgary LGBT group OutLink, had other issues with the remarks: "Our current mayor said in a public debate that he does not approve of this 'lifestyle.' To me, lifestyle implies choice and being a lesbian was not a choice - the only choice to be made was whether or not to accept it and 'come out.'"

Gay rights groups troubled by mayor's remarks [calgary herald]

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Mayor Jim Naugle Flushed from Broward County Tourism Board

As signs began to appear that Mayor Jim Naugle's disparaging remarks about gay people were having an effect on the city's tourism, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, with whom Naugle met last week, decided to strip him of his seat on the group's board, the Sun-Sentinel reports.

According to the group, "A gay-oriented convention that was to draw 200 attendees this fall is on hold. A group that plans black family reunions has voiced concern about whether the mayor was sending a message of intolerance. Bookings of college and high-school sporting events is also down compared to last year."

Naugle met with the board last week and they pleaded with him to end his hateful campaign. Said executive director Nikki Grossman: "The damage has been done to the destination. We need to get back to work fixing it. The rhetoric needs to stop and the anger, the mischaracterizations and the hurtful mean-spirited rhetoric has to stop."

Said County Commissioner Stacy Ritter following Naugle's ousting: "I had hoped that this would die on its own, but Mayor Naugle continues to push his own agenda and that is having an increasing impact on our community. He has continued to escalate his rhetoric, and we cannot be silent."

Naugle responded to the board's actions: "Sometimes the easiest thing to do when you don't want to hear something is to shoot the messenger, but that doesn't mean that there is not a problem out there that needs to be addressed."

In July, Naugle proposed installing a timed, $250,000 robotic toilet in Fort Lauderdale public restrooms. Naugle, who claims he uses the word "homosexuals" to describe gay men rather than "gay" because gay people "are unhappy," has said that an added plus to having the toilets is that they would keep gay people from using the facilities.

The Sun-Sentinel adds: "In additon to the comments on public sex, Naugle has described gays as unhappy, contended the gay Stonewall Library should not be housed in a city building because its collection contains pornography and questioned whether the county should market itself to gay tourists because of the high rate of HIV infection in the area. His comments have been reported across the nation."

How ironic that the only folks who seem to be going after gay sex in public restrooms are closeted politicians with anti-gay agendas.

Anti-gay remarks cost Naugle his seat on tourism board [sun-sentinel]
Mayor Naugle thrown off Broward tourism board [miami herald]
Naugle Stripped Of Tourism Post [cbs4]

Flush Naugle [official site]

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Defiant Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Will Risk Tourism for Anti-gay Views [tr]

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Defiant Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Will Risk Tourism for Anti-gay Views

Fort Lauderdale mayor Jim Naugle attended a meeting of the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau board on Thursday, and board members demanded Naugle stop his attacks on the gay community. Naugle was defiant, CBS4 reports:

Said executive director Nikki Grossman: "The damage has been done to the destination. We need to get back to work fixing it. The rhetoric needs to stop and the anger, the mischaracterizations and the hurtful mean-spirited rhetoric has to stop."

Oina Lee of Travel Host magazine pleaded with Naugle: "I’m asking you to stop. I’m really asking you to stop.

According to Waymon Hudson of Fightoutloud.org, "Board members said that each time the mayor speaks they receive hundreds of E-mails from potential visitors to Ft Lauderdale, saying they plan to take their money elsewhere. One board member said a 200-person group was scheduled to stay at a prominent hotel in Ft Lauderdale. In light of Naugle's comments, they have placed the reservation, along with $250,000 in revenue, on hold. These concerns have come from not only gay and lesbian travelers, but from other tourists as well. They have said they no longer see the Greater Fort Lauderdale area as a welcoming or safe place to travel."

Said Naugle to the tourism board: "I am the Mayor that’s not going to back down. One of the things that my dad taught me is that it isn't always about the money. It's about doing what's right."

Mayor Larry Gierer of Oakland Park, a city just to the north of Fort Lauderdale, spoke to the Sun-Sentinel's Michael Mayo about Naugle. Gierer is openly gay and HIV-positive.

Said Gierer: "He should think a little bit more before he speaks. But the scary part is, maybe he is thinking. Let me start by saying that I'm truly a happy homosexual. And not only that, I'm a happy homosexual who is HIV-positive. So he really slaps me upside the head. [Naugle is] a flashback to Anita Bryant. His logic, his views...it just sounds antiquated and foolish. He needs to dust the cobwebs off, because so many people have happy homosexuals in their life. I just think he's grasping at straws. It's a way for him to get the spotlight. If he wants to save lives, then promote the use of condoms."

Meanwhile, on Wednesday night Bill O'Reilly gave Naugle a good five minutes to air his fearmongering anti-gay views on national, television, unchallenged. No opposing view was offered.

Flush Naugle [official site]

Tourism Board Wants Mayor To Stop Anti-Gay Remarks [cbs4] (video)
Tourism leaders demand Naugle stop gay attacks [sun-sentinel]
Michael Mayo column: Gay mayor urges Naugle to 'dust the cobwebs off' [sun sentinel]

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British Official Warns Hotels: Don't Discriminate Against Gays

Meg Munn, a minister in the Department for Communities and Local Government has warned businesses, particularly Muslim or Christian hotels, that if they turn away gay people they face stiff penalties, reports the Telegraph:

"If gays are turned away, the only way a Christian or Muslim guest house owner can lawfully stay in business is if he or she offers single bedrooms to all guests - straight or gay. Miss Munn said a wedding photographer who refused a gay wedding booking should take up portrait photography instead, while a chauffeur who declined to work with homosexuals must specialise in corporate travel."

While the new legislation has been criticized by some because it forces Muslims and Christians with anti-gay religious beliefs to "conform to the Government's new morality," others have no sympathy and say they must obey the law.

Said Giles Fraser, the vicar of Putney and a leading Church of England liberal: "It is nonsense for the Government to allow any loopholes for religious homophobia. Bigotry is bigotry whether it's dressed up in the language of faith or not."

Warning shot for hotels over gay couples [the telegraph]

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Fort Lauderdale Gay Businesses Concerned About Naugle Effect

Hotel owners and other business in Fort Lauderdale that court gay travelers are concerned about the effect Mayor Jim Naugle's recent statements about gay people could have should the controversy be picked up by national news outlets.

The Miami Herald reports: "So far, the media coverage appears confined to Florida outlets, gay news sites and bloggers of all stripes. But as the controversy escalated, tourism officials braced for bigger fallout. Nicki Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, said staff contacted paid media watchers in New York and Europe to see how far the story had spread. She also consulted with the bureau's New York public relations firm, which advised against drawing extra attention. 'Some are urging responses,' Grossman said of local tourism-dependent businesses. 'Right now we don't think an overreaction to what's happening is necessary.' The bureau has fought hard for the increasingly competitive gay travel market, which last year accounted for about 11 percent of Broward's $8.5 billion tourism industry. Fort Lauderdale ranked No. 6 among gay travelers last year, beating out Miami, Orlando and Chicago."

Remarks by Naugle at a news conference yesterday linking the city's AIDS rate with its attraction to gay tourists only served to fuel the anger of hundreds of protestors at a demonstration later in the day:

"Answering a question at Tuesday's press conference, Naugle questioned why Broward's health department was working to reduce the county's high AIDS rate while the Visitors Bureau tried to attract more gay vacationers. Naugle sits on the Tourist Development Council, which supervises the Visitors Bureau. In a telephone interview Tuesday, he questioned whether Broward's success with gay vacationers might discourage others from visiting. 'It could be that if we had a different marketing strategy, we might have 12 million people rather than 10 million people because we [would] have more families,' he said. 'Who really knows the outcomes of decisions like that?'"

Hotels hope Naugle doesn't deter gay tourism [miami herald]

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Hundreds Rally Against Anti-Gay Fort Lauderdale Mayor Naugle [tr]

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Rugby Ad: From London to Paris, with Love

This French tourism ad meant to attract Londoners to Paris sure got my attention. The French tourism site, C'est So Paris, notesd that the "ad uses offbeat wit and the Rugby World Cup to show the world that Paris is also the capital of humour. The Paris region will be hosting several World Cup matches, including the final at the Stade de France."

I'd say there's more than offbeat wit going on here, but I like how this game is progressing. (wallpaper)

(via jockohomo and Me-Me-Me)

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Rugby Icon Ian Roberts Battled Slurs with Kisses [tr]

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News: Dublin, Hedi Slimane, Iraq Marine, L.A. Galaxy

Corporal testifies that "Marines in his unit began routinely beating Iraqis after officers ordered them to 'crank up the violence level.'"

Presidential hopeful Mike Gravel thanks the gays after HRC and LOGO decide to lift their under-funding ban and allow him to participate in the upcoming "gay debate".

Tired of the 'gay vague' look, Jesse Metcalfe channels Kevin Federline.

Proposal to offer same-sex couples the same financial benefits as straight couples to go before Australian cabinet following Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission report: "The commission found same-sex couples were discriminated against in 58 pieces of federal legislation under which they were denied basic financial and work-related entitlements, tax concessions and superannuation benefits available to heterosexual couples."

Flurry of confetti greets Beckhams at L.A. Galaxy welcome ceremony. Couple plans to open chain of exclusive international nightclubs.

SURVEY: "iPhone could emerge as the most successful product introduction of the 21st century". 1 in 3 reportedly want one.

Owner of London's popular G-A-Y bar considering buyout offer: "We consider the offer to be positive and are currently awaiting confirmation of that offer being confirmed before a final decision is to be taken. We anticipate the offer to be formalised in early August."

Indian singer Sonu Nigam accuses journalist Subhash K Jha of retaliation after the writer's sexual advances were rejected: "He used to harass me with his homosexual desires to an extent that my family was affected. We all know that the film industry consists of many gays and homosexuals. Even I have many gay friends but they have never tried to come close to me because they know that I am not interested in it. I’m not a fool that I don’t understand his intentions. I’m not a villager that I don’t know whatever is happening. I even told him about my girlfriends but slowly and slowly when he did not get any positive response from my end, he started criticising me in his articles and his feelings got bitter towards me."

Hilary Duff no "Stranger" to gay clubs.

Akron, Ohio wants in on the gay tourism dollar.

Hedi Slimane, Jeff Koons, and Dieter Rams to guest edit October issue of Wallpaper: "Each is designing his own cover for the London title, and each has been given his own 20-page section, said publishing director Andrew Black. In the Slimane segment, there's an interview with the designer by German artist Thomas Demand, and 10 collectible, poster-size photographs shot by Slimane. The photos are very personal ones, said Black: There are fashion shots, details from everyday life and abstract images. Slimane has been hands-on, in touch with the magazine's staff every day. "We're an eclectic title with so many disciplines of design — we decided to have three guest editors instead of one," said Black. He said the editors chose Slimane because "he's someone we've admired for a long time." And also, no doubt, a designer with some extra time on his hands since leaving Dior Homme."

Outhouse: Dublin, Ireland gets gay community center.

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About the Banner #19

The most recent banner was taken from a photo I shot over Memorial Day at Fire Island. I manipulated the image, bringing the planes slightly closer together and tweaking the color slightly, then reversing it altogether. I'm assuming the planes were part of some military airshow, but I really have no idea.

For more banners, click here!

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News: Gianfranco Ferre, Toronto, Alan Hays, Time Capsule

Gay groups want Florida Rep. Alan Hays out of office. They claim he said that his cousin deserved to die after contracting HIV: "Minutes after the conference, Hays released a statement denying that he told two nurses and a regional manager for a nonprofit AIDS health-care program Wednesday that his cousin was 'queer as a three-dollar bill' and 'had that homosexual lifestyle and deserved what he got.'"

Tulsa, Oklahoma time capsule built to withstand a nuclear bomb is destroyed by rust: "When civic leaders unveiled their freshly-unearthed 1957 Plymouth Belvedere last night in a gala ceremony involving plenty of colorful lights, draped curtains, and Enya-like music, they were no doubt horrified to discover that the car had been reduced to a giant, tailfinned paperweight." (videos)

Rosie O'Donnell