News: Honduras, Tom DeLay, Chicago, R-71, Jude Law, Saturn

Anti-gay right now targeting Chai Feldblum, President Obama's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) nominee.

Anti-gay Chicago police officer Richard Fiorito (accused in 21 federal suits of trumping up bogus charges against gay and lesbian motorists) busted by dash cam: "In dash cam video from Fiorito's squad car, he is shown conducting field sobriety tests against a driver, Michael Vaughn. In each of the tests, Vaughn performed 'perfectly...yet Fiorito noted in the official report that Vaughn had failed them."

WATCH: Tom DeLay performs the Samba with stress fractures on both feet (he says).

The Advocate talks to Rep. Patrick Murphy about gays in the military.

The fashion police are watching Jake Gyllenhaal's every move.

Jude Law takes New York stage in Hamlet. Review.

Disney gone beefcake.

Boston DJ Barry Scott wants new trial in unnecessary force case against Provincetown police.

Poll: R-71 has narrow lead in Washington state: "Among men, the measure is rejected by a 4-point margin; among women, it is approved by 12 points — a 16-point gender gap. 72% of Republicans say they will vote to reject; 72% of Democrats say they will vote to approve; independents reject by a 13-point margin. In Metro Seattle, the measure is approved by 18 points; in Eastern Washington, it is rejected by 18 points. Western Washington voters outside of Metro Seattle are more divided, with an 8-point margin voting against the referendum."

Welsh-based Muslim actor takes on gay role in new film, Colonial Gods: "I am a Muslim but I approached the project in a professional manner, as I hope most actors would."

Mad Men's Bryan Batt denies he's getting married.

More sickening speech from Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), this time on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

Elizabeth Taylor to undergo heart surgery.

UK conservative Tory party throws gay club night: "Protesters gathered outside with placards reading 'Queers against Tories', outraged that the party had crashed Manchester’s gay scene. Inside, hundreds packed two dancefloors and a roof terrace."

Turkey shuts down gay and lesbian internet communities: "The Web sites have more than 200,000 members combined. According to its administrators and members, the sites do not contain any pornographic or criminal content. The directorate blocked the sites without providing any information to the owners or issuing a demand to take down certain content, site mangers said, calling the action unlawful and arbitrary."

Massive ring discovered around Saturn.

LGBT people at greater risk in Honduras following coup: "Groups that were vulnerable to human rights abuses before the coup face even more risk now. Since the coup, for example, there have been six murders of gay men or transvestites, according to gay rights groups. Until 2008, the average number of such killings each year was three to six."

T.R. Knight receives standing O at Parade opening.

Volunteers hit Maine to campaign for marriage equality: "A No on 1 coordinator Darlene Huntress says the campaign initially was asking Mainers to take time off from their jobs to volunteer. 'Then we started getting you know hundreds of calls and e-mails from folks around the country who  also feel invested in this and we sort of folded our Maine volunteer vacation program and kind of extended it out to other folks in the country that wanted to come and help.' Huntress says that out-of-staters make up just a tiny fraction of the 1,000-plus volunteers on the ground, but that the campaign can use all the help it can."

Turkish Man Goes on Trial for 'Honor Killing' of Gay Son

In July 2008, I posted about Ahmet Yildiz (above, left, with his German-Turkish boyfriend Ibrahim Can), a gay man and also the victim of Turkey's first suspected "honor killing". His father, who is still on the run, has now gone on trial, in absentia, for the murder:

"Yahya Yildiz, 49...is accused of shooting his 26-year-old son Ahmet in June 2008 after the latter told him about his relationship with a man from Cologne in Germany. Human rights organisations were monitoring the start of the case after complaints were made that Turkish courts did not make enough effort to prosecute in cases where homosexuals were murdered. Ibrahim Can, the victim's boyfriend, demanded that those who had helped the murderer also be prosecuted. But, he said, 'my expectations from the trial are minimal'. The prosecution claims the family had not accepted the son's homosexuality. Ahmet, who was about to complete his training as a physics teacher, had been threatened as a result. The father had hired a car for the murder, which was seen at the scene of the crime. His mobile phone records showed that he was in the area where the murder took place, the prosecution said."

Previously...
Gay Man Victim of Suspected 'Honor Killing' in Turkey [tr]

Gay Turkish Football Referee Fights Back After Firing

Turkey's football federation is "backpedaling" after firing referee Halil Ibrahim Dincdag because he is gay and outing him to the press following a surge of public support in his favor. The surge was in response to the fact that instead of running and hiding,  Dincdag went on a popular sports program to discuss his sexuality.

The Independent reports: "Mr Dincdag's television appearance was an act of considerable courage. Homosexuality is not illegal in Turkey, unlike in some other Muslim countries. But homophobia is widespread, no-where more so than in the world of football. 'The crowds shout 'faggot' at referees whose decisions they don't like,' Mr Dincdag said. 'Well, here I am.' His principled stance brought him a wave of support. Three-quarters of Trabzon's 80 referees rang him up to congratulate him. Thirty thousand people signed a petition launched by Turkey's most influential newspaper backing his campaign. One columnist even compared him to Harvey Milk, America's first openly gay politician. Turkey's deputies brought his case to parliament. Most importantly for Mr Dincdag, his pious family, from whom he had kept his homosexuality secret, stood behind him.

Said Dincdag: "They thought I was an ant that they could crush, they thought I would run away and hide in a corner. But they have destroyed my life and I will fight them to the end. The day the press started writing about me, I went into a coma, and the day I appeared on TV I died. Thirty-three years of my life had disappeared. Since then, I have been trying to resurrect myself.""

The football federation now claims that Dincdag was fired for his performance and activists are saying his case has the potential to become a landmark anti-discrimination case because of Turkey's European Union accession bid.

Said Ali Erol, a spokesman for KAOS-GL, an Ankara-based gay and lesbian rights group: "For years, the European Union has been talking about the importance of legislation on sexual discrimination in the workplace. So far Turkey has not taken one step forward."

News: Tel Aviv, John Berry, Betty White, Miami, Lobster, Mercy

Five gay couples wed in ceremony on Tel Aviv beach as Pride celebration climaxes.

Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson tape for No H8.

WATCH: Betty White plays beer pong.

City of Miami passes Domestic Partner ordinance: "The domestic partners benefits measure extends to unmarried gay and straight employees of the city who register their relationships with Miami-Dade County's domestic partner registry."

White House Office of Personnel Management head John Berry delivers impassioned speech at Justice Dept: "My family has never known divorce. Were we married? No, but I dare anyone to say that we were not in love.... Where do you stand? Honoring love as precious and true wherever you find it, or with those who would demean or deny it? I urge you: Stand where you can be proud. Stand with service and truth. Stand with love. Stand for liberty and justice for all."

San Diego County school district apologizes for refusing to let student deliver report on Harvey Milk during class time: "In a letter to Natalie and her parents, Supt. Robert Graeff and Mt. Woodson Principal Theresa Grace apologized and said they had acted out of an abundance of caution for the 'tender sensibilities' of Natalie's fellow students. 'It is our hope that -- together -- we can all view this incident as a learning experience and emerge wiser from the entire experience,' wrote Graeff and Grace, on behalf of themselves and the school board."

Bret Michaels releases lengthy statement on Tonys mishap that left him bloody.

Yellow lobster is 1 in 30 million.

On the bus to Kayseri, Turkey: "Kayseri is home to a group of gay men and lesbians who have fled Iran and are now waiting in Turkey to be resettled in a Western country. The government of Turkey does not allow non-European refugees to stay in Turkey, and it is the responsibility of UNHCR to find a host country to take them in. Currently there are over 18,000 refugees in Turkey, some of whom have been waiting for over 2 years to be resettled elsewhere. While in Turkey, the authorities insist that refugees can only stay in one of 30 designated small cities. These locations are assigned based on the asylum seeker’s nationality, gender, age, and reason for seeking asylum."

Madonna confirms Mercy adoption.

Anti-gay hate graffiti under investigation in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Hate crime charges against Staten Island man dropped: "A spokesman for District Attorney Daniel Donovan would not comment because the case is sealed, but confirmed the hate crime case against James Champagne, 24, of Stapleton, has been dismissed. Champagne had been accused of beating up another man in West Brighton July 29, and during the attack he allegedly yelled, 'we don't like faggots on Barker Street.'"

GQ interviews Barney Frank.

Beyond Hatred: PBS to air documentary about French gay man murdered by skinheads.

The Daily Beast interviews openly gay Iraq vet and candidate for Congress Anthony Woods, who was discharged under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell': “I knew getting into it that if I took a stand, it would be a costly decision and it certainly has become one. But people have to take a stand for what's right. There's a reason this policy is on the front burner now... We're a country fighting two wars, having trouble recruiting, yet we want to turn away some of our most talented, most well-trained soldiers?”

Turkish Airliner Crashs Upon Approach to Amsterdam, 9 Dead

More than 100 people survived a plane crash at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport this morning. Nine people have died:

"About 134 people, including crew members, were aboard the Boeing 737, which was bound for Amsterdam's Schiphol International but came down at least a half-mile from a runway, according to one eyewitness. A busy highway separates the crash site from the airport. Schiphol airport spokesperson Ruud de Wever told reporters that nine people were killed, and 25 were badly wounded. Another two dozen or so had lesser injuries, officials said. Airline officials initially had said everyone on board the plane had survived. 'At this moment there are nine victims to mourn and more than 50 injured,' said Michel Bezuijen, acting mayor of Haarlemmermeer, in a televised news conference. Haarlemmermeer is a suburb of Amsterdam where the airport is located. News photos from the scene showed dozens of ambulances and rescue crews gathered around the white Boeing 737, which came to rest on its belly alongside the highway.The plane broke into at least three pieces, with the worst damage at the rear of the fuselage. The wings appeared to be intact and there was no obvious evidence of explosion or fire"

The cause of the crash was not immediately apparent.

Everyone Thankful for Sarah Palin This Year

Conservative group Our Country Deserves Better released an amusingly-timed turkey day video about how thankful they are for Sarah Palin just days after Palin's now well-publicized pardon/slaughter showcase video of what Benjamin Franklin wanted as our national bird.

In the video, the group thanks Palin for her "passionate, hopeful, and articulate advocacy of common sense conservative values."

No doubt most Democrats are thanking her for exactly the same things.

What were those ingredients again for the moose chili?

Watch both clips, AFTER THE JUMP...