Lawrence Webb is Virginia’s first openly Gay Black Elected Official

The Victory Fund reports: "Last night, while most political onlookers were watching the race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in Indiana and North Carolina, a Virginia resident quietly made history as he became the state’s first openly LGBT African-American elected to public office. In his first bid for elected office, Lawrence Webb won a seat on the Falls Church City Council by a margin of 39 votes. He joins two other candidates on the City Council: Nader Baroukh and Robin S. Gardner."

Said Webb: “I am grateful that the citizens of Falls Church have entrusted me with the responsibility to help guide the direction of our city’s future, and I thank them. I look forward to working with Council to make Falls Church an even better city than it is now. I also hope my election opens the door for others to get involved in public service. It doesn’t matter if you’re gay or black or both. What matters is your dedication to building a better community, and your willingness to work hard at it. I’m glad the people of Falls Church agree. I also want to thank the Victory Fund and its staff and donors. They were dedicated to this campaign from the beginning, and they worked very hard to help us win.”

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Gay Virginia Couple Celebrates 50th Anniversary

John Cook (right) stormed Omaha Beach in the second wave of the Normandy Invasion in June of 1944. He met Waverly Cole at a cocktail party 14 years later:

"Cook, an 88-year-old retired teacher and school counselor, and Cole, a 78-year-old retired physician, are poised to celebrate their 50th anniversary April 15 with a cocktail party among friends. At last week’s Servicemembers Legal Defense Network dinner in Washington, the two were recognized on stage for reaching their Golden Anniversary. During a lengthy phone interview last week from their second home in Virginia Beach, the two recalled the fateful 1958 cocktail party where they met in Farmville, Va. 'We were introduced and we found each other attractive and pleasant and nice and so we started going together,' Cook says."

(via daily dish)

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Obama and McCain Sweep Potomac Primaries: VA, MD, DC

Barack Obama resoundingly defeated Hillary Clinton in yesterday's Potomac primary.

The WaPo reports: "On a day when there was huge turnout in the area, the senator from Illinois won Virginia with about 64 percent of the vote. In Maryland, where the polls were kept open an additional 90 minutes because of bad weather, he was winning with about 60 percent to Clinton's 37 percent. He was headed for an even bigger win in the District, where he was attracting about 75 percent of the vote. The lopsided wins mean Obama will emerge with a clear majority of the 168 pledged delegates at stake in the area, as well as a widening lead overall among the more than 65 percent of pledged delegates who have now been accounted for nationally. When superdelegates are added to the calculations, Obama and Clinton are still in a highly competitive race, but Obama has seized the overall lead."

The importance of Texas and Ohio for Clinton has become strikingly clear. The question is, can she stop the momentum?

Some are asking whether a pledged delegate win for Clinton is no longer a real possibility?

Clinton was criticized for refusing to congratulate Obama on his wins...

Obama has a campaign-within-a-campaign targeting the superdelegates.

According to CNN this morning, Obama's delegate count is at 1215 while Clinton's is at 1190. John McCain's stands at 812 to Mike Huckabee's 217.

McCain had a tougher time against his last remaining challenger, but pulled out wins in all three primaries.

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News: Alfie Allen, Huckabee, Alabama, Justin Chambers, Spiral Jetty

Theory that mass grave found in Fort Myers, Florida could be the remains of a serial killer's gay victims gains traction...

Woo! New shrew!

Singer Lily Allen's brother Alfie has taken over Daniel Radcliffe's role in London's Equus. Unlike, Radcliffe, full monty shots of Allen have quickly made it to the internet.

Memorial to gay Holocaust victims in Berlin should be ready within months: "The $890,000 memorial to gay victims will be located in Berlin's Tiergarten Park, across from the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Culture Minister Bernd Neumann said."

Iowa's Quad-City Times celebrates the gay American Idol contestant I posted about earlier in the week, Leo Marlowe: "Gwen Costello, librarian and drama director at Northeast High School in Goose Lake, Marlowe’s alma mater, remembers the young thespian playing the jester in 'Once Upon a Mattress' and receiving awards on the speech team. In his high school yearbook, Marlowe, who was voted 'Most Likely to be Famous' from the Class of 2002, was asked to pontificate on what he would do if he could not sing. 'I don’t know what I’d do,' he responded. 'I guess I’d be lost.'...'He’s just so down to earth and can make anybody laugh,” Costello said. “We noticed that right away last night, how he made everybody laugh and made everybody comfortable. That’s what he does best besides singing.' Costello said Marlowe comes from 'a wonderful family. We’re thrilled, we’re just thrilled. I thoroughly expect him to be schmoozing with the big guys soon. He’ll probably be Simon’s best friend someday.'"

Paula: dancing like there's no tomorrow.

Grey's Anatomy's Justin Chambers admitted to same psych ward as Britney Spears — for sleep disorder.

Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty threatened by oil drilling.

Gay populations booming in Alabama and Utah: "In the past 17 years, Utah's gay population has shot from the 38th largest in the country to 14th. Birmingham, Ala., meanwhile, is now home to all-night gay bars and pride parades; the South's gay tally has outpaced any other region. 'What many of the bigger cities like New York were experiencing during the late '60s and '70s is happening here now, but quietly,' says Danny Upton, the head of Equality Alabama."

Pro-gay bills advance in Virginia legislature.

Jesse Metcalfe: Single, hating it.

Oregon fans target UCLA basketball player with homophobic chants: "The target was Kevin Love, the gifted freshman who grew up near Portland but left his home state last year for Westwood. Some Ducks fans, lost in their immaturity, view Love as a traitor. From the warm-ups to the final seconds, they heaped scorn on the Bruins' No. 42 and his family. There's cheering and booing that is within the bounds of civility. But sometimes it goes out of bounds, into a realm society should not condone. You know it when you see it, know it when you hear it. This was out of bounds. There were stabs at Love's looks, at his mother, father and the history of mental illness in his family. This was disgusting. What drew my ire the most were reports of long, loud, homophobic chants directed at UCLA's young center."

Straight teen sues high school, claiming she was prevented from peacefully supporting gay rights: "Heather Gillman, who is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, filed suit in federal court against the School Board and Ponce de Leon High School Principal David Davis. According to the complaint, Davis suspended several students for 'expressing their support for the fair treatment of gays and lesbians.'...'I think everybody should be able to support what they believe in and not be punished for it,' Gillman said Thursday during a conference call with reporters."

Mike Huckabee on what's beautiful about America: “The beauty of America is that a person can come and even make a disruption, and you know what, that person is not going to be taken out and shot.”

The power of persuasion: reality show supermodels sittin' in a tree...

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News: Prince William, Gay T-Shirt, Henry Cavill, Sundance Film Fest

It's always nice to see Bayard Rustin remembered.

Castro makeover for Harvey Milk biopic gets started.

Clash of the Sci-Fi titans: JJ Abrams' Star Trek hunks attend JJ Abrams' Cloverfield premiere.

RUMOR: Quentin Tarantino remaking Russ Meyer camp classic Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill.

Sundance Film Festival, which begins tomorrow, to feature more than 40 gay-related films: "Alan Ball, one of the creators of 'Six Feet Under' and the writer of 'American Beauty,' will be showing 'Towelhead,' about a young Arab-American girl who gets involved with an army reservist living in her neighborhood. Craig Lucas, the director behind 'Longtime Companion' and 'The Dying Gaul' is back with 'Birds of America,' starring Matthew Perry and Hillary Swank. His new film focuses on three siblings who are suddenly reunited and working through various identity issues. Director Tom Kalin returns to Sundance after 16 years with 'Savage Grace,' starring Julianne Moore as a mother who tries to cure her son of being gay. The film is produced by 'Boys Don’t Cry' producer Christine Vachon, whom Huang says has a special knack for bringing outsider queer films into the mainstream."

Airborne: Prince William and his strategically placed harness make first solo flight.

Virginia lawmaker Lionel Spruill trying to introduce legislation to ban rubber testicles from the backs of trucks: "They're offensive to some folks. It's OK to express yourself, but citizens have the right not to be subjected to something vulgar."

Europe's first gay nursing home opens in Berlin: "The newly built, four-storey nursing facility in the German capital could accommodate 28 patients in state-of-the-art rooms with private bathrooms and enough space for some of their own furnishings, said Christian Hamm, an architect and nursing home board member. 'When you're old … you certainly don't want to give up your identity and live in some hostile environment, possibly sharing a room with someone who despises you.' Potential residents are already signing up and have expressed delight at the prospect of living out their twilight years in a gay- friendly environment."

Gay T-shirt spotted in United Arab Emirates raises eyebrows: "Believe it or not, a T-shirt with sexually suggestive message — 'I am not gay but my friend is' — is being sold in one of the markets in Al Ain City. The offence is being committed despite the regular inspections by the concerned authorities to ensure that items sold in the city’s markets are complying with the local customs and traditions. An Emirati resident here complained recently that he found the offensive message on his 10-year-old son’s T-shirt. The father of the boy was astonished and wondered how such T-shirts entered the country."

Orlando City Commissioner Patty Sheehan donates $25,000 left over from her campaign fund to the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Community Center of Central Florida.

Fleshbot interviews Dan Savage of SLOG at the AVN expo (warning site NSFW).

Tracey Ullman to debut new comedy show on Showtime in the spring: Tracey Ullman's State of the Union will feature a kaleidoscope of original characters and impersonations in a wide collection of irreverent and hilarious skits that range from sardonic parody and social satire to Bollywood musicals. The limited series is a snapshot of modern day America as seen through the brilliant comedic mind of Tracey Ullman."

The dashing Henry Cavill showed up to the Dunhill event in London to let a few folks get a whiff of him.

Our pop music columnist Robbie Daw laments the closing of the Virgin Megastore on Sunset and Crescent Heights in L.A.

Zac Efron rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in appendix emergency...

San Francisco Presbytery becomes first in nation to consider openly gay deacon as minister: "Lisa Larges, who has been blocked from ordination for more than 15 years, won on a 167-to-151 vote of the local presbytery's ministers after three hours of debate. Larges said the ban on gay ministers 'puts upon the door of the church an 'Unwelcome' sign for all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons and their families.' The action allows Larges, a deacon at Noe Valley Ministry Presbyterian Church in San Francisco, to submit to an oral exam later this year. 'It has been a long battle and I have been through a lot of discrimination,' said Larges, her voice shaking. 'The church is a beautiful, messy thing, and it's about loving the church in spite of the church.'"

Kathy Griffin to do show for veterans at Walter Reade hospital.

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Virginia DMV: Poofter Can Remain on the Road

Former Larry Craig trick-turned license plate activist David Phillips wrote to Pam Spaulding at Pam's House Blend with the news that he has been allowed to hold on to his "POOFTER" license plates.

Wrote Phillips: "This morning the Virginia DMV notified me by phone that I can keep my POOFTER plates. This after I returned directly to the head of the DMV the generic plates supplied with their hate letter, along with correspondence indicating my dedication to my First Amendment rights to self-identify in terms that meets no reasonable test for obscenity. I look forward to receiving the DMV's written apology for this incident."

Previously
Gay Man Battles State of Virginia to Keep "Poofter" License Plate [tr]

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University of Virginia attempts to deal with anti-gay football chant: "After a Cavalier touchdown, the marching band strikes up what, to an outsider, sounds like 'Auld Lang Syne.' But, to its tune, students and alumni sing the 'Good Old Song,' its lyrics written by Edward A. Craighill in 1895, its mention of all being 'bright and gay' a throwback to when 'gay' meant 'happy,' the line a launching pad for what’s since become a university tradition of negating the word 'gay' with gleeful (often drunken) shouts of 'not gay!'"

Spice Girls lipsync their way through Victoria's Secret fashion show.

Is Laguna Beach's Talan Torriero the next Aquaman?

Norway's Lutherans vote to allow clergy in same-sex partnerships to serve: "The compromise decision reflected the realization that the church may have to live with a deep split over the issue. After an anguished week of debate at its annual meeting, the church's 86-member governing synod voted 50-34 to make the change. Two members abstained. The meeting, which ended Friday, was held in the town of Lillehammer. The decision means that six of Norway's 11 bishops are likely to open the pulpit to gay clergy in partnerships. In a vote earlier in the year, those six bishops voted in favor of easing the ban. The church already allows gays to serve in the clergy as long as they are not living in a homosexual partnership."

Amherst College students apologize to five Hampshire College students who "were allegedly called names, threatened, spit at and were blocked from leaving the dorm" following a gay party at which they were guests: "Dozens of students gathered outside Valentine Dining Hall at the college yesterday carrying signs that said 'We're Sorry Hampshire' and "I don't want to be 'tolerated.' They also asked passers-by to sign a banner that said 'Please Come Back.'"

IndieWire chats with filmmaker Gregg Araki about his film Smiley Face. We previewed a couple John Krasinski stills from the movie in October.

AfterElton talks to Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann about their gay storyline as Luke and Noah on As The World Turns. Hansis: "My parents are so proud of me it sort of embarrasses me. My mom cried on the red carpet at the Emmys this year when she was asked about how she felt for her son to be nominated. It was actually really nice. It’s great to see your parents so proud of your accomplishments. Both my parents now go through the soap magazines at the grocery store and point to pictures of me and tell the cashier 'That’s my son!' They are generally busy during the day so I think they watch the show online. But they have always been my biggest fans and I couldn’t ask for anything more."

From the just-don't-get-it dept: Taipei restaurant gives a completely new meaning to potty-mouthed.

Esteemed design group Pentagram takes a look at the redesigned Advocate: "Today gays and lesbians are no longer an ignored minority, and the younger generations have experienced a saturation of media both from and about the community. Activism, while still important, is less in the mix, and issues like gay marriage, medicine and civil rights have shifted to the mainstream press. At the same time, the circulation of newsweeklies is changing as news and information is more readily available online. The magazine’s redesign reflects these transformations. The new Advocate is modern and vibrant while continuing to confront politics and difficult LGBT issues. Impressively, it manages to successfully straddle the line between opinion leader and entertainment magazine without losing its journalistic integrity and with a tone that is sophisticated, but not frivolous."

Rod McCullom on HuffPost: John Edwards and Barack Obama make mistake of repeating Republican talking points to attack one of their own. "...something funny happened to Senators Edwards and Obama on their way to Las Vegas. Maybe the high-roller suites have complimentary testosterone and egos on the pillows, or, possibly they bumped into Elvis, who told them, "A little less conversation and a little more action." They lost their mojos. Instead of throwing the hungry audience sound bites that were wrapped in juicy, red meat, the two candidates tossed stale, Republican talking points at frontrunner Hillary Clinton and the audience booed and hissed."

Without fanfare, Nicaragua drops anti-sodomy laws: "In adopting a new national civil code on Monday, the Nicaraguan National Assembly sidestepped the longstanding law that penalized sodomy between members of the same-sex with up to five years in prison by overwhelmingly voting to approve a new civil code that simply did not mention it."

Bah Humbug: The Bill O'Reilly Christmas Store is now open!

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ENDA: Michelangelo Signorile asks some tough questions of HRC's Joe Solmonese about the decision to go from opposing a non-transgender ENDA to fully backing it. (AUDIO)

Lance Bass and new man Ben Thigpen spend their bread at Butter.

George Clooney and Fabio get their claws out at West Hollywood restaurant: "I thought you were a nice guy. Stop being a diva!"

All I can say is, thank goodness there aren't many cliffs in Wisconsin.

Judge sees evidence that Rita Cosby "crossed the line" in evidence gathering for her Anna nicole book which alleges a gay relationship between Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead: "A federal judge in the Southern District of New York issued an order today in the wake of Stern's allegation that Cosby 'sought to tamper with two witnesses by offering to pay them thousands of dollars for their testimony.' The judge allowed Stern to probe the allegation, concluding he has 'presented substantial -- indeed troubling -- evidence that Cosby has sought to improperly influence witnesses...' In a statement to TMZ, Rita Cosby said 'I am pleased that the Court will get to the bottom of these unfounded allegations. I trust that when all the facts come out that a very different picture will be shown.'"

Gyllenhaal and Witherspoon in nocturnal paparazzi ambush.

Sydney summer Gay Day going green.

According to Mother Jones, Towleroad is blocked at the Denver International Airport: "Your request to URL "http://www.towleroad.com/" has been blocked by the URL Filter Database. The URL is listed under categories (Provocative Attire, Politics / Opinion), which are not allowed by your administrator at this time. The following reputation level was assigned to it: Neutral."

Democrats take back the state Senate in Virginia.

World's tallest dog meets world's smallest.

The NYT visits gay Muslims who have gained asylum in NYC: "Even as they reveled in newfound freedom compared with the Muslim world, they remained closeted, worried about being ostracized at the mosque or at their local falafel stand. 'They’re afraid of the rest of the community here,' said Ayman, a stocky 31-year-old from Jordan, who won asylum in the United States last year on the basis of his sexuality. 'It’s such a big wrong in the Koran that it is impossible to be accepted.' For gay Muslims, change may come via a nascent body of scholarship in minority Muslim communities where the reassessment of sacred texts used to damn homosexuality is gaining momentum."

I'll take the two of spades: Eva Mendes plays with some hot cards.

Pat Robertson endorses Rudy Giuliani. Talking Points Memo: "...the Robertson endorsement Rudy Giuliani bagged today is perhaps the ultimate fusion of right-wing religious extremism and war on terror mania. Giuliani's claim to the presidency is based on his service as mayor during and immediately after 9/11. What stops him from being a shoe-in for the nomination is his track record supporting abortion rights and gay rights. But, Robertson is on record saying that 9/11 was America's punishment for its sinful gay-loving, abortion permitting culture. As Robertson says on his website, the attacks happened because God withdrew his protection from America. He agreed with the late Jerry Falwell that America "deserved" 9/11."

Clinton lead slips 10% following debate debacle.

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Gay Man Battles State of Virginia to Keep "Poofter" License Plate

Towleroad readers may be acquainted with the face of David Phillips. He's the Washington D.C. bear who two weeks ago came forward claiming he had some messy sex two decades ago with Idaho Senator Larry Craig.

Phillips is making headlines again, this time for his refusal to hand over license plates issued by the state of Virginia which he has had on his car for 11 years. The plates say "Poofter" which most here probably know is slang, sometimes derogatory, for a gay man.

Phillips tells the Washington Post that "it's just an amusing word that I self-identify with."

Writes the paper: "The commonwealth of Virginia is not amused. It gave Phillips his vanity plates in error, Carolyn Easley, coordinator of the special license plates office, wrote in a recent letter. 'You may have grown fond of your personalized plates,' but they are 'socially, racially or ethnically offensive or disparaging' and 'you must return them.' There was no explanation for why it took Virginia 11 years to figure out what 'poofter' means."

According to the WaPo, "hundreds of battles over personalized plates have used up untold government resources in a strange corner of the law that has some of the nation's top courts issuing contradictory rulings" and the ruling often comes down to personal viewpoints vs. obscenity: "One federal appeals court ordered Missouri to approve 'ARYAN-1,' saying the state 'may not censor a license plate because its message might make people angry.' In Vermont, however, a federal appeals court said the state could ban scatological terms because that doesn't involve quashing any viewpoint. In Virginia, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit prohibited the state from banning a Confederate flag logo on a special license plate for the Sons of Confederate Veterans because that would be viewpoint discrimination."

Phillips, who is scheduled to appear at a hearing over the plates in Richmond, says he has no intention of returning the "poofter" plates.

A Vehicle for Self-Expression? Not on These Roads. [washington post]

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News: Marc Jacobs, Skeletons, FEMA, Kentucky, Tori Amos, Uganda

FEMA official resigns over fake press conference, lands "amazing" job to head public affairs at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Photographer Patrick Gries looks at the beauty of bones in Paris exhibit.

Daniel Craig returning for four more Bond films.

Brightening comet thrills astronomers.

Hundreds turn out for first gay pride festival in Galveson, Texas: "While some in the area had voiced concerns about lewd behavior at such an event, those booths offered only such things as crafts and information on civil rights and spirituality. Harbor Metropolitan Community Church had one of the booths, where church volunteers offered literature on acceptance and love for all. The Rev. Pat Farnin said her congregation on the island was growing, and she anticipated the festival would do likewise, should it become an annual tradition."

Celebs hit Wiltern Theater in L.A. for Matthew Shepard Honors.

back same-sex marriage. The Christian Democrats are the only holdouts.

Virginia State GOP and Republican State Senator James J. "Jay" O'Brien Jr. send out homophobic flyer warning of Democratic opponent's platform: "George Barker wants to take time away from core academic subjects like math, science, and reading to teach children to accept the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Lifestyle (GLBT)."

Marc Jacobs goes blueberry for Halloween.

40 minutes with Tori Amos.

Historic gay rights meeting held in Uganda. Pastor: "Never before has there been such a far reaching well organised and professional gay public debate in this country."

Introducing the new gay stereotype.

Kentucky court rules that high school student can "pursue nominal damages" from his school district over anti-harassment training given to students: "The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the Boyd County school district's policy provided a 'chill' on student Timothy Allen Morrison's ability to profess his Christian beliefs and opposition to homosexuality. The ruling sends the case back to U.S. District Judge David Bunning for a hearing on damages. Judge Karen Nelson Moore, joined by Judge John R. Adams, wrote that the allegation of a policy stifling free speech is enough to allow Morrison to seek damages. To make his case, the judges said, Morrison must show that the policy would 'deter a person of ordinary firmness' from exercising free speech rights. Joel Oster, an attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund, a Scottsdale, Ariz., Christian law group that represented Morrison, said the ruling has left him 'ecstatic.'...'It's everything we could have hoped for,' Oster said. 'This vindicates our client's constitutional rights.'"

Meet the recycled World Trade Center. (warning: site NSFW)

Journal of Urban Health STUDY: 1 in 3 gay men report being abused in a relationship. "The study is published in the most recent edition of the Journal of Urban Health. McKirnan and graduate student Eric Houston studied surveys filled out by 817 men through the Howard Brown Health Center, which primarily serves the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community from its North Side (Chicago) location. More than 32 percent of the men reported experiencing verbal, physical or sexual abuse in an intimate relationship. Just under 20 percent said they were physically or sexually abused. As with women, poorly educated and low-income men were more likely to be victims. However, minorities did not show higher rates of abuse."

More hearings held on New Jersey civil unions. Verdict: they're falling short.

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News: Herbert Muschamp, Utah, Dexter, Britney Spears,

Russian gay activist Nikolai Alexeyev to speak in Chicago on Saturday at Matthew Shepard March.

Noted Broadway actor George Grizzard dies at 79: George Grizzard, a versatile actor who achieved his greatest renown on the stage, playing everything from Shakespeare to Shaw, from Neil Simon to Edward Albee, died yesterday in Manhattan. He was 79 and lived in Manhattan. His death, at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, was caused by complications of lung cancer, said his partner, William Tynan, who is Mr. Grizzard’s only survivor."

New York Times architecture critic Herbert Muschamp dies after cancer battle.

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Harlow Raymond Cuadra and Joseph Manuel Kerekes in the January slaying of gay porn producer Bryan Kocis: "Prosecutors said they have two legal reasons to put the two Virginia Beach, Va., men to death in the slaying. One, they said, is the men killed Kocis while perpetrating another felony. In this case, the other felonies are robbery, arson, theft and criminal conspiracy, the prosecutors said. Two, they said, is that the men created a grave risk to other people while committing the killing."

Harvey Fierstein reinvents A Catered Affair.

Republican state Senator Jeannemarie Devolites Davis and Democratic challenger J. Chapman Petersen battle for the gay vote in Virginia: "Davis is fighting for her political life against what all agree is an overwhelming Democratic advantage. As a result, her race with Petersen at times looks more like a nomination fight between progressive Democrats than a Virginia general election. Davis talks often of her support for greater gun restrictions and increased transportation funding. And in front of some audiences, she talks about her belief in gay rights."

More Milo all tied up.

Pianist Marc Peloquin premieres work based on gay sadomasochism: "Its rigor, its rugged insistence and its almost painful pianistic difficulties bring to my mind the intensity of the S-M experience."

University of Utah Pride Week images censored by school in agreement with the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center for being overtly sexual.

A group of San Diego clergy protest at City Hall over the city's support for overturning same-sex marriage ban: "The group was led by Bishop Roy Dixon from Faith Chapel Church of God in Christ, Pastor Timothy Winters of the Bayview Baptist Church and Bishop George McKinney of St. Stephen's Church of God in Christ. They touted the 2000 passage of California's Proposition 22, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman only."

Director Q. Allan Brocka (Eating Out) documents the recent art gallery opening of "Just Britney".

Michael C. Hall's Dexter returns for second season with record-breaking ratings: "Showtime’s 'Dexter' returned with a vengeance Sunday, becoming the cabler’s first series to score more than 1 million viewers with a premiere seg. Skein’s second-season opener snagged 1.09 million eyeballs at 9 p.m., a whopping 67% above the serial killer drama’s 2006 series premiere. More impressively, seg was up nearly 40% over the show’s 2006 season average of 624,000 viewers, according to Nielsen data." Dexter is great. If you have a chance to watch it, do.

Second death twist in mysterious case of NYC club icon Dean Johnson.

Britney Spears is not a Chris Crocker fan: "She thinks he's creepy and that all his videos are an obvious attempt at fame. She finds it insulting and difficult to watch."

Ubisoft, makers of a Scrabble game for the Nintendo DS, has apologized after some users became offended that the game contained the word "lesbo" as an allowable word choice: "In the game there is a 'junior' version that omits offensive words, but lesbo is not considered an offensive word in the Scrabble dictionary. Ubisoft merely apologized if offense was caused, they are not pulling the game."

Finding a letter from Joan Crawford in the trash.

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News: Cruising, Tomkat, Bette Midler, Drag Awards, Iowa

Bette Midler fined for tree slaughter on Hawaii property. Attorney: "The whole idea with cutting the trees down was with the idea of improving the lot with native species" instead of the nonnative, invasive species that had grown there. It's unfortunate that a mistake was made."

Virginia Beach house owned by gay pornstar killers Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes is up for sale: "The pair lived lavishly at the house. Police seized $26,000 cash as well as two large plasma TVs (one 55 inches, one 50 inches); four cars (three of which were worth about $100,000 each); five computer monitors; stereo and video equipment; and several pieces of gold and diamond jewelry."

Iowa state senator Matt McCoy, indicted on charges of extortion, says he no longer feels he's being targeted because he's gay: "Do I think that there is an organized effort out there? I can only say that I don't believe Democrats are more likely to break the law than Republicans.''

DIVA: Australia celebrates drag with massive awards show.

Director William Friedkin to hold Q&A session at special showing of Al Pacino's Cruising at the Castro Theater this weekend: "It was the first high-profile bomb for star Al Pacino, and you have to dig deep in the bargain bin to find a 1980s William Friedkin movie that was more reviled. Worse yet, it was attacked by many in the gay community, who felt that the film's gay serial killer and over-the-top portrayal of queer culture enforced homophobic stereotypes."

4 oz.: Brad Pitt producing TV series about transsexual with Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy.

After moving to a shiny new $35 million mansion in Beverly Hills later this year, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes plan to keep the same sleeping arrangements — at opposite ends of the house.

Pedro Andrade working the jumpsuit.

Fifty in attendance for Ottawa, Canada gay rights vigil: "Some countries couldn't dream of having an event like this — the police would come down on them so fast."

Apparently there have been rumors going around that T.R. Knight has only signed on for part of the season at Grey's Anatomy. Not true, says E's Kristin dos Santos: "While the show's official rep at ABC says she never comments on the details of actors' contracts, an inside source close to the show tells me this is most definitely not true. I'm told T.R. has signed on for all episodes of the upcoming fourth season and that he never would have been given his recent pay hike had he only signed on for half of the episodes."

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Drunk, Crossdressing Baptist Minister Flashes Kids, Offers Cops Sex

A Baptist minister from Bristol, Virginia was arrested in Tennessee and charged with driving under the influence and indecent exposure, according to the Associated Press.

Pastor Tommy Tester, 58, drew attention to himself after relieving himself in front of children at a car wash in Johnson City, Tennessee: "A report also accuses Tester of offering police officers oral sex and says an open bottle of vodka and empty oxycodone prescription bottle was found in his car."

Oh, yeah. He was also wearing a skirt at the time of his arrest.

"Authorities identified Tester as the minister of Gospel Baptist Church in Bristol and an employee of Christian radio station WZAP-AM, also in Bristol. WZAP issued a statement asking for prayers and saying Tester has been suspended during an investigation."

When those Baptist ministers go, they really go.

Minister In Skirt Charged With Indecent Exposure [ap via wgal]
(via queerty)

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Foiled Falwell Bomber was Targeting Westboro Baptist Protestors

Mark David Uhl, a Liberty University student, was arrested after a family member's tip led authorities to homemade bombs in the trunk of his car. Uhl had apparently told the family member that he planned to target protestors from Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church who were planning a demonstration at Reverend Jerry Falwell's funeral. The soda can-sized bombs were described by police as "sort of like napalm".

The Associated Press reports: "The Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church sent about a dozen members to protest across the street from the funeral, claiming Falwell was a friend to gays. The group also has picketed soldiers' burials, claiming the deaths are God's punishment for a nation that supports homosexuality. Falwell frequently spoke against homosexuality, and gay rights advocates have consistently opposed him. A group of Liberty University students staged a counterprotest; it wasn't clear whether Uhl was involved.

...Jesse Benson, 19, of Zanesville, Ohio, said he lived with Uhl this year and that both shared the view that the Westboro group is a 'sorry, disgraceful bunch of people,' but that he was certain Uhl would never have done anything to harm them. 'He had a very, very deep respect for Jerry Falwell, as do I,' Benson said in a telephone interview. 'Jerry Falwell would not have approved him harming anybody for any reason. Out of respect for Jerry Falwell, he never would have done anything.'"

Just one more incident that goes to show how full this country is of really screwed-up, religious people.

The Associated Press reports that 33,000 people viewed Falwell's body over a period of four days.

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Gay Porn Murder Plot Revealed in 21-Page Affadavit

A 12-page affadavit released by investigators details the actions of Cuadra Harlow, Joseph Kerekes, and Sean Lockhart leading up to and after the January murder of gay porn producer Bryan Kocis, in what police say was "a misguided effort to strike it big."

Unfortunately for the killers, "Cuadra was totally unaware that police were taping his every word. Police would not reveal how they did it."

Their plan: "In the movies, Kerekes goes by the stage name Trent and portrays a tough Marine. Cuadra is the baby-faced 'twink' - slang for a young-looking male model with little or no body hair, suggesting an underage boy. Cuadra and Kerekes were still only bit players in the gay-porn world...Cuadra and Kerekes imagined themselves as major players in the twink market. Their most ambitious project was one that would pair two of the hottest twinks on the Internet: Cuadra and a young man from California who went by the stage name Brent Corrigan. That was Sean Lockhart, who was already under contract to Bryan Kocis, a porn producer who lived in Dallas, Pa., just outside Wilkes-Barre."

Not long after the plan was hatched, firefighters responded to a fire at Kocis' home in Pennsylvania where they discovered the murder. Kocis' throat had been slit and he had been stabbed 28 times before his killers burned the body.

Cuadra had apparently shared wine with Kocis, and drugged him. Finally, "Cuadra talked about watching Kocis die. 'Actually, it's sick, but it made me feel better inside. It almost felt like I got revenge.'"

Lockhart reportedly "drove home, upset" when he heard the news.

A much more detailed chain of events here:

Affidavit lays out details in porn producer's slaying [pilot online]

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Gay Porn Models Charged with Murder of Producer

Two gay porn actors have been arrested for the murder of gay porn producer Bryan Kocis in January. Harlow Raymond Cuadra, 25 (left), and Joseph Manuel Kerekes, 33 (right) have been charged with criminal homicide, conspiracy to commit criminal homicide, abuse of corpse, robbery, burglary, theft and two counts of arson. They were taken into custody in their home town of Virginia Beach and are being held at the Virginia Beach Detention Center.

In January, firefighters responded to a fire at Kocis' home in Pennsylvania where they discovered the producer's body. His throat had been slit and he had been stabbed 28 times before his killers burned the body.

According to the Virginian Pilot, "The affidavit claims that the motive for the crime was money. Cuadra and Kerekes, the affidavit says, believed Kocis to be their main rival in the lucrative gay pornography business, and they wanted Kocis out of the way so they could form a relationship with Kocis' main pornography star, Sean Lockhart, who is known in the gay film industry as Brent Corrigan (right)."

The Times-Leader reports: "The investigation took a dramatic turn three weeks ago when investigators electronically intercepted conversations the two men had with Sean Lockhart and Grant Roy in San Diego. Lockhart is a former model for Kocis’ company, Cobra Video, and is a partner with Roy in LSG Media, a San Diego-based company that markets gay pornographic movies...According to the criminal complaints, investigators recorded a conversation near a hotel in San Diego on April 27 in which Roy asked if Kocis 'felt any pain.' Cuadra leaned toward Lockhart and said, 'Don’t worry, he went quick.'"

In February, after investigators had fingered Harlow as a suspect, he told the Scranton Times-Tribune that he did not know Kocis and was "freaked out" that his photo was part of a murder investigation. Guess he had good reason.

Two arrested in local gay porn producer’s killing [times leader]
Two Beach men charged with murder of Pa. porn producer [virginian-pilot]
Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Manuel Kerekes Arrested! [queerclick] (NSFW)
Update On Harlow Cuadra Arrest [gay porn blog] (NSFW)

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube: #117

VIRGINIA TECH SHOOTER CHO SEUNG-HUI: The killer's video, sent in the mail to NBC News.

CLERGY CALL FOR JUSTICE: 220 clergy members from 50 states gathered on Capitol Hill this week to lobby for hate crimes legislation as well as the Emplyment non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). This is their press conference.

DELETED WHITE HOUSE EMAILS: Karl Rove finally finds a use for that pesky Microsoft paper clip! Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez begins his testimony today at hearings regarding the Bush administration firing of U.S. Attorneys.

JOHN MCCAIN: Jokes about bombing Iran on campaign stop in South Carolina: "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran".

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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Virginia Tech Funerals to be Target of Westboro Baptist Picket

Never missing the opportunity to take advantage of a tragedy, Fred Phelps and his gang of haters at Westboro Baptist Church plan to picket the funerals of those killed in the Virginia Tech shootings, according to a message on their website (which I haven't linked on purpose):

"WBC will preach at the funerals of the Virginia Tech students killed on campus during a shooting rampage April 16, 2007. You describe this as monumental horror, but you know nothing of horror -- yet. Your bloody tyrant Bush says he is 'horrified' by it all. You know nothing of horror -- yet. Your true horror is coming. 'They shall also gird themselves with sackloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads' (Eze. 7:18).

Why did this happen, you ask? It's simple. Your military chose to shoot at the servants of God today, and all they got for their effort was terror. Then, the LORD your God sent a crazed madman to shoot at your children. Was God asleep while this took place? Was He on vacation? Of course not. He willed this to happen to punish you for assailing His servants."

No doubt they'll blame the shootings on the gays as well. But as many people have noted, the more these nuts trot themselves out, the more a symbol of the need for tolerance they become.

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Virginia Tech Shooter Was a Student, Authorities Say

At least 33 are dead, including two professors and the gunman, in the latest reports on the tragic campus shooting that took place at Virginia Tech yesterday. At least 15 are reported injured. It is being called "the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history."

Preliminary identification of the deceased shooter has been made but not released.

University police have not yet released the name of that suspect. University president Charles Steger said told CNN he did not believe there was another gunman at large. Authorities say that the shooter was likely an Asian student living in a Virginia tech dorm.

UPDATE: Authorities have now identified the shooter as Cho Seung-Hui, 23, a student and native of South Korea (pictured). He reportedly left a note of several pages explaining his actions and reads, in part, "You caused me to do this."

The professors killed were identified as G.V. Loganathan, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Liviu Librescu, a professor of engineering science and mechanics.

According to the NYT, "There was a two-hour gap between the first shootings, when two people were killed, and the second, when a gunman stalked through the halls of an engineering building across campus, shooting at professors and students in classrooms and hallways, firing dozens of rounds and killing 30. Officials said he then shot himself so badly in the face that he could not be identified."

The shooting may have begun as a lover's quarrel.

According to the University's Collegiate Times, many of the Norris Hall shootings took place in a German class.

The NYT also reports: "Virginia imposes few restrictions on the purchase of handguns and no requirement for any kind of licensing or training. The state does limit handgun purchases to one per month to discourage bulk buying and resale, state officials said. Once a person had passed the required background check, state law requires that law enforcement officers issue a concealed carry permit to anyone who applies. However, no regulations and no background checks are required for purchase of weapons at a Virginia gun show. 'Virginia’s gun laws are some of the weakest state laws in the country,' said Josh Horwitz, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. 'And where there have been attempts to make some changes, a backdoor always opens to get around the changes, like the easy access at gun shows.'"

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Dozens Dead in Virginia Tech Massacre; Gunman Killed

A dorm and classroom were the target of a gunman who killed dozens and injured dozens more on the Virginia Tech campus today in the nation's deadliest campus shooting in history.

ABC is now reporting 29 confirmed dead...and the death toll may rise.

The Associate Press reports, "The university reported shootings at opposite sides of the 2,600-acre campus, beginning at about 7:15 a.m. at West Ambler Johnston, a co-ed residence hall that houses 895 people, and continuing about two hours later at Norris Hall, an engineering building. Some but not all the dead were students. One student was killed in a dorm and the others were killed in the classroom, Virginia Tech Police Chief W.R. Flinchum."

The gunman was reported killed but it was not clear if he had committed suicide or was shot by police.

Our thoughts go out to the friends and families of the victims of this senseless bloodbath.

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News: Impeachment, Jared Leto, Gay World Cup, Robbie Williams

Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) raises possibility of Bush impeachment: "The president says, 'I don’t care.' He’s not accountable anymore,' Hagel says, measuring his words by the syllable and his syllables almost by the letter. 'He’s not accountable anymore, which isn’t totally true. You can impeach him, and before this is over, you might see calls for his impeachment. I don’t know. It depends how this goes. The conversation beaches itself for a moment on that word — impeachment — spoken by a conservative Republican from a safe Senate seat in a reddish state. It’s barely even whispered among the serious set in Washington, and it rings like a gong in the middle of the sentence, even though it flowed quite naturally out of the conversation he was having about how everybody had abandoned their responsibility to the country, and now there was a war going bad because of it."

Jared Leto's from fat to thin in a twisted Terry Richardson nightmare.

Out of Sync: Lance Bass to pen autobiography.

UK Health Minister announces £40,000 study on why there has been an increase in risky sex among gay men. Caroline Flint: "It is obviously a great concern that there is a persistently high number of HIV transmissions a