News: Sean Penn, Berlin, Coral, Jake Gyllenhaal, Wisconsin

Is Bush blocking Obama speech at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate?

Jake gets a mane.

No brainer: Guess what they're working on a sequel for...

Not a surprise: Tanzania to oppose ordination of women and gay bishops in Anglican church.

Same-sex Wisconsin couples who marry in California could face prison if they return to their home state: "When Dick Myers heard that California was going to start issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, he and his partner of nearly 13 years considered traveling there to get married. That is until Myers and his partner, Steve Brondino, learned of an obscure state law that makes it a crime for Wisconsin residents to enter into marriage in another state if the marriage would be prohibited here. The law imposes a penalty for those who enter into a marriage that's prohibited or declared void in Wisconsin of up to $10,000 and nine months in prison."

Focus on the Family inciting trans panic in Colorado.

Tacoma, Washington's county council refuses to go on record supporting gay pride event, spurs outcry by members: "I’m embarrassed. This is a sad, low day for the County Council, that we wouldn’t give you a chance to celebrate who you are and stand against discrimination of all forms."

25% of the world's corals are facing extinction.

New York Governor Paterson to sign expanded domestic violence law: "The new law would make it possible for people in dating relationships, heterosexual or gay, to seek protection from abusers in family court. As it stands, New York has one of the narrowest domestic violence laws in the country, allowing for civil protection orders only against spouses or former spouses, blood relations or the other parent of an abused person’s child."

Damn Yankees, with Cheyenne Jackson, Jane Krakowski, and Sean Hayes: a review.

From the secret diaries of Mario Testino: "Shooting in LA for an issue of V Man I'm editing. The theme is "extreme". I've tried to do it around the extremes of how a male gets perceived today, in the sense that there is ambiguity: sometimes the butcher a man is, the queenier he can be. And sometimes the most feminine men can be the most masculine. I'm influenced by so many different things, though. That's good if you're in the fashion business. Because things change so much. You can't say "I like colour" because the day after tomorrow black and white is in and you're out. And I don't want to be out. I need to work. It's my livelihood. So I'm adaptable."

He's still a traffic-stopper.

Margaret Cho now performing wedding ceremonies: "Cho actually married two couples during the Bay Area's gay pride festivities, she announced last night at the opening of the Outfest film festival in downtown Los Angeles."

Tom Cruise as the Village People.

Gay Star Trek episode to be screened: "Last March, the team of fans behind Star Trek Phase II began producing 'Blood and Fire' a gay-themed script originally written for The Next Generation in 1988 by 'The Trouble With Tribbles' writer David Gerrold. The story would have included the franchise's first gay couple and dealt with a deadly disease that worked as an analogy to AIDS, but the episode never was filmed."

Ciccone tell-all: "When Sean Penn was married to his sister, he made Christopher cut his thumb and then cut his own and merged them to become blood brothers. Penn approached him years later and asked him if he had AIDS."

Sphere: Related Content

News: David Beckham, Estrogen, Gambia, Rupert Everett, Alzheimer's

Is estrogen the secret to containing the spread of HIV?

Seconds, please: Is David Beckham the hottest waiter of all time?

The two Spanish nationals detained late last week in the west African country of Gambia have been released: "Two Spanish men detained in Gambia for allegedly making homosexual proposals to taxi drivers have been released after five days in jail, a Spanish official said Wednesday. The men were released late Tuesday and left the West African country, said Nicola El Busto, an official with Spain's embassy in Gambia. El Busto declined to give further details, and Gambian authorities could not immediately be reached for comment."

Gossip Girl couple shops, scowls.

Redwood City, CA man who hurled gay slurs, patio table at neighbors, pleads not guilty in court: "Herbert Santos-Coy is facing multiple felony hate crime charges after he allegedly physically attacked his two neighbors on March 30. If convicted he faces up to eight years in state prison, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office. Santos-Coy was arrested by Redwood City police after he allegedly came into the carport where the couple was working on their car and began yelling homophobic slurs at them, according to the district attorney's office. He then repeatedly struck one of the victims in the face and swung a wrought iron table at the couple, which missed, according to prosecutors. When police arrived, Santos-Coy resisted arrest, according to police. He was allegedly drinking at the time of the altercation."

In California, assemblyman Mark Leno is expected to become the first openly gay state Senator in California history.

Does Brad Pitt have good taste in tables?

Wisconsin Supreme Court calls suit brought against gay group by Christian activist Reverend Grant Storms frivolous: "Anti-gay activist Rev. Grant Storms of New Orleans sued gay rights group Action Wisconsin after it took excerpts from a 2003 speech Storms made in Milwaukee and claimed he was advocating the murder of gays. Storms' lawsuit was dismissed in 2005, and he was ordered to pay court costs and attorneys' fees. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld that decision, which had been reversed by an appeals court. The high court's 4-3 decision means Storms' attorney James Donohoo will have to pay more than $87,000 in court costs and fees because the court said he should have known the lawsuit was frivolous."

There must be something about the name Kern.

An interview with Banksy?

Alzheimer's patients are kept from wandering off from a German nursing home by a fake bus stop outside the center: "It sounds funny but it helps. Our members are 84 years old on average. Their short-term memory hardly works, but the long-term memory is still active. They know the green and yellow bus sign and remember that waiting there means they will go home. We will approach them and say that the bus is coming later and invite them in for a coffee. Five minutes later they have completely forgotten they wanted to leave."

That lesbian kiss at Safeco field in Seattle I posted about last month is getting a lot more attention. Sirbrina Guerrero, who was almost kicked out for it, is now speaking out.

Rosie O'Donnell and Howard Stern had a little chat yesterday.

Six in ten Americans say same-sex marriage a private choice that should not be regulated by the government: "As same-sex couples line up to get marriage licenses in California on June 17, the USA TODAY/Gallup Poll found that 63% of adults say same-sex marriage is 'strictly a private decision' between two people. That the government has the right 'to prohibit or allow' such marriages was stated by 33%, and 4% had no opinion."

Religious Knesset members initiate amendment to ban gay pride in Jerusalem.

Rupert Everett's anti-American rant: "I'm totally off the States now. The reaction to 9/11 and then George Bush - really, they've got very blobby as a nation. Now they (the Americans) are whiny victims whose language is entirely taken from two TV shows - Friends and Sex And The City - and there's nothing sexy about them any more. And that kind of semi-blindness about the rest of the world, which was attractive when America was exciting, is really unattractive now."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Harvey Korman, Madison, Clay Aiken, ExxonMobil

University of Wisconsin-Madison to become largest university with a gay leader: "Cornell University Provost Biddy Martin was recommended Wednesday to be the next chancellor at UW-Madison, a top national research university with 40,000 students. Martin, the No. 2 official at Cornell since 2000, is a professor of women's studies and German studies who wrote the 1995 book: 'Femininity Played Straight: The Significance of Being Lesbian.' About eight to 10 openly gay people have become college presidents and chancellors but mostly at small colleges, said Candace Gingrich of the Human Rights Campaign."

R.I.P. Harvey Korman.

DADDY: Clay Aiken impregnates woman through artificial insemination.

Gay activist from Madison, Wisconsin stabbed to death in Mexico: "[Felicia] Melton-Smyth was known for an annual holiday fundraiser that raised money for gifts for people with AIDS. 'She respected and loved all the people within the gay community of Madison,' Finhert said. Finhert said a celebration of her life is being planned and a foundation is being set up for donations to organizations in her honor."

Netflix nabs exclusive rights to LOGO shows. What, no iTunes? Certainly a disappointment for those of us with Apple TV.

Kiss nearly gets lesbian couple tossed out of Safeco Field in Seattle: "Sirbrina Guerrero says she only gave her date a peck, but a mother sitting with her son complained to security and, as a result, they were told to stop or leave. 'And he (the security guard) goes ‘there’s a lady whose son says he saw you guys making out, and I did, too. And you have to stop.’ And I said ‘well, we weren’t making out, but we were kissing and I’m not going to stop,’' said Guerrero…. '(The security guard said) the mom doesn’t want to explain to the kids why two girls are kissing. So I said ‘well, I’m not going to stop, so you’ll have to kick me out. So he said ‘so I suggest you leave then,'’ she said."

A slew of Gossip Girl guy candids.

David Beckham gets a cap in a box.

Rudd government in Australia introduces bill removing discrimination from superannuation laws: "Legislation introduced to Parliament today will extend to same-sex couples and their children the same rights under superannuation enjoyed by married or de-facto couples. 'This bill will take equality for same-sex couples and their children to the next level by introducing long overdue Commonwealth reforms, removing discrimination from superannuation laws as the first step,' Attorney-General Robert McClelland said. 'It will allow reversionary death benefit to be paid to de-facto same-sex partners and their children where they currently have no entitlement.'"

Hot, tranny, or just mess?

L.A. Times editorial: Gay marriage gaining ground. "And why not? Surely the trailing edges of society will soon reflect on the resistance to this phenomenon with chagrin and more than a little embarrassment. It is bracing, after all, to realize how recently much of this nation blanched at interracial marriage, and thrilling to recognize how quickly most of us buried that prejudice, first in law, then in custom."

U.S. News and World Report explores anti-gay hostility in Russia.

Holocaust academic pans gay memorial to Nazi victims: "For many years after the war I had the impression that the Germans understood the immense scope of the crime of the Holocaust which they had committed ... But this time, they made an error. The location was particularly poorly chosen for this monument. If visitors have the impression that there was not a great difference between the suffering of Jews and those of homosexuals, it's a scandal. "A sense of proportion must be maintained."

ExxonMobil shareholders reject resolution to add 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' to Exxon’s non-discrimination statement: "Approximately 40% of Exxon’s outstanding shares voted in favor of the clause, but it was not enough to send the issue to the oil company’s board of directors. The shareholder resolution has come up every year since 2000, when it got 8.2% approval among shareholders. The percentage that voted in favor of the resolution has grown every year since then."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Autoerotica, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mandals, Bertrand Delanoe

There may be a ruling soon on Wisconsin's same-sex marriage ban.

Autoerotica: Washington man has had sex with more than 1,000 cars.

In 2000, McCain said he'd be too old to run in 2008: "Well, in 2004, I expect to be campaigning for the reelection of President George W. Bush, and by 2008, I think I might be ready to go down to the old soldiers home and await the cavalry charge there."

'Save California' group says issuing marriage licenses to gays is the moral equivalent of gassing Jews: "Ask your county clerk if they were a Nazi officer during WWII and had been ordered to gas the Jews, would they? At the Nuremberg trials, they would have been convicted of murder for following this immoral order." UPDATE: Group edits alert.

Winehouse out, Beyonce in to record James Bond theme.

Gay rights activists condemn Gambia leader's announcement that he plans to kill all gays: "Carey Johnson of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Council said the comments were 'disgraceful'. 'What president Jammeh fails to realise is that there are a significant population of Gambians who are gay, and he has no right to ask them to leave,' Mr Johnson said. The speech was 'doubly disgraceful' because The Gambia is the host country for the African Commission on Human and People's Rights, he said. ...'Jammeh has a long history of homophobia,' said British gay rights activist Peter Tatchell. 'If he tries to carry out these threats, international aid donors are likely to withdraw their support, and foreign tourists will stay away in droves, thereby damaging the Gambian economy,' he added."

Britney Spears is in the recording studio again working on follow-up to Blackout.

Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë takes first steps in journey that could lead him to the presidency: "In the introduction to a book of interviews, outlining a market-oriented and even Blairist future for Socialism in France, M. Delanoë hinted strongly that he would run for the leadership of the Parti Socialiste in November and probably seek the party's presidential nomination in four years' time. He was ready, he said, to "invest my convictions and energy in my country" if 'democracy and the Socialist Party call on me... to act'."

Will TV's first gay superhero Thom Creed soon make his way to your living room? "It's not campy either — it's not The Gayest American Hero. He just happens to be gay. It's just one of the many things he wrestles with."

Folks in New York's Union Square try on the season's gayest mandals.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United win the Champions League trophy!

Homophobic attack in Portsmouth, UK: "Two men have been attacked by a gang in what police described as a homophobic incident in Portsmouth city centre. The men, aged 41 and 20, were walking in Guildhall Square when they were attacked by two men and a woman who were part of a large group. One of the men received grazes to his chest and back and the other sustained a black eye and a sore neck."

Black bunny captures Provincetown's imagination.

Richard Dreyfus to play Cheney to Josh Brolin's Bush in Oliver Stone's W.

Marketing director for sperm bank catering to gays and lesbians files sexual harassment lawsuit: "In a lawsuit filed in New York, Scott Glasgow says he was pressured into sharing a bed on company trips with his boss, Growing Generations CEO Stuart Miller. The lawsuit also claims that Miller sent Glasgow pictures of himself shirtless, wearing bondage attire and holding a whip, and forced Glasgow to perform in drag on a company trip."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Thomas Roberts, Penguins, Jason Castro, Kylie Minogue

New York high court refuses to strike down state's recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriage: "The Court of Appeals declined yesterday to review the mid-level appellate court's decision to recognize the couple's Canadian marriage, the first such ruling by an appellate court in New York State. For now, that lower court decision remains binding across the state."

Thomas Roberts talks to The Advocate about the news industry's glass ceiling for gays: "It’s funny that people think I got fired from CNN. I left CNN on my accord: I resigned from my contract because of personal reasons. I never dealt with anything but respect and kindness. There’s a great misconception. I’ve worked my ass off, I’ve been fortunate, and luck doesn’t hurt either. If people don’t like that I’m gay or that I talk about being gay, I’m sorry. Because that’s not my problem."

American Idol's resident stoner Jason Castro has his own hot doll, complete with dreads, and it can be yours.

A-Rod faints as daughter is born.

Have any questions for Chace Crawford?

Filipino Archbishop defends right of gays to participate in Santacruzans: "If they are devotees, they are religious and they look decent, I believe they have the right to join in. I think it would be better for us to see gays who act formally and decently in the Santacruzan rather than young and beautiful women who are not clean and [are] immoral."

Gay penguin book And Tango Makes Three is "most objected to" library book in America for second year straight: "Other books on the ALA's top 10 list include Maya Angelou's memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, in which the author writes of being raped as a young girl; Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, long attacked for alleged racism; and Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass, an anti-religious work in which a former nun says: 'The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake.'"

Three teenage girls admit to tagging school and vehicles with racial, vulgar and homophobic messages in Wisconsin.

Moldova hopes to hold its first Gay Pride ever: "Organisers of the Gay Pride in Moldova – 'Rainbow over the Dniester' – are hopeful of being able to stage a parade this year in the country’s capital, Chisinau. The Pride is the seventh to be organised, but in previous years the parade has been banned by the authorities. 'During three previous consecutive years, public authorities have banned the public manifestations on various pretexts,' said a spokesperson for GenderDoc-M, the Pride organisers. 'This year after we applied to the City Hall to inform the authorities about planned public manifestation within the Pride, we got the information, which gave us hope.'"

Kylie Minogue show hot out of the gates in Paris.

One benefit to having a fat ass.

Rhode Island lawmakers to debate bills that would allow same-sex couples married elsewhere to divorce in that state: "Lawmakers filed the divorce bill after Rhode Island's Supreme Court ruled in December that a lesbian couple married in Massachusetts cannot divorce in Rhode Island, where they live. Massachusetts is the only state to legalize gay marriage."

Looks like Dick Cheney's gone hunting again.

John Travolta is a subway terrorist.

White House admits it is missing email backups from start of Iraq war: "The White House acknowledged in a court filing last night that it no longer has backup tapes of email from between March 1 and May 22, 2003, a period that includes the beginning of the Iraq war. Yesterday's filing is the latest development in the ongoing White House emails lawsuit, in which two non-profits, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and the National Security Archive (NSA), are suing to force the administration to recover any missing emails and institute a more effective email archiving system."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Courtney Love, Provincetown, Mario Lopez, Woodpecker

Archbishop Desmond Tutu honored by International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission in San Francisco. Tutu: "How sad, how tragic, that the Church be so concerned with this issue when God’s children all the world over are suffering. I ask for your forgiveness for the way the Church has ostracized you."

Sotheby's photography auction off to strong start.

Is Courtney Love rehearsing for a Valley of the Dolls remake?

The artist known as Prince has joined the line-up for this year's Coachella Music Festival.

More on the gay Yale impostor!

Anti-gay Christian group in Maine launches referendum aimed at banning same-sex marriage and gay adoption: "The referendum also would eliminate sexual orientation as a protected class under the Maine Human Rights Act and would take away funding that supports civil rights teams affiliated with the state Attorney General’s Office. Michael Heath, executive director of the Christian Civic League of Maine, said that if the Secretary of State’s Office approves his petition, he’ll begin recruiting organizers to gather signatures. Putting a referendum on the state ballot requires about 55,000 signatures, or 10 percent of the turnout for the last gubernatorial election."

First gay bar outside of Ireland's major cities opens in Strabane, Northern Ireland. Rainbow Project leader: "What the opening of this bar is saying is that, yes, our small towns have a gay community too and they are welcome and they are valued. I have been a gay rights activist for 25 years and when I started out, gay people were moving away in their droves because they were deemed socially unacceptable. But now we have this development and it is one of the biggest steps I've seen for the gay community. What it is saying to us is stay, there is something here for you."

Hey bird lovers: woodpecker with freakishly large beak photographed.

Rosie O'Donnell fighting tabloid claim that she abuses her kids.

Gay domestic abuse survivor Pedro Velazquez Fernandez to speak at rally in Des Moines, Iowa: "I feel like when I'm getting to know somebody, I can't trust him. I hate to say it, but I think ... love doesn't exist."

New York magazine has 21 questions for Simon Doonan.

Singapore cable operator fined for showing lesbian kiss: "Singapore's Media Development Authority, which regulates and censors media and the arts, said on Wednesday it fined StarHub S$10,000 ($7,246) for airing a commercial for a song that featured 'romanticised scenes' of lesbians kissing and portrayed the relationship as 'acceptable'. The music video of the song, titled 'Silly Child' by Mandarin singer Olivia Yan, shows an intimate kissing scene before one of the women rejects her boyfriend at the end of the clip. 'This is in breach of the TV advertising guidelines, which disallows advertisements that condone homosexuality,' the media authority said."

New ferry route launches between Gloucester, Massachusetts and Provincetown.

Mario Lopez about to hit the Broadway stage in A Chorus Line.

Gavin Newsom punks protestors with seismic bait-and-switch at San Francisco Olympic torch procession: "'I am very upset,' said Rosie Salis, 51, who came in from Foster City to see the relay. 'There were lots of people here with their kids. They had to wait for four or five hours, and it's very disappointing.' Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin, a vocal critic of Newsom's administration, was equally unhappy, as was the local ACLU chapter. 'Gavin Newsom runs San Francisco the way the premier of China runs his country - secrecy, lies, misinformation, lack of transparency and manipulating the populace,' Peskin said. 'He did it so China can report they had a great torch run.' Newsom emphatically denied those accusations. 'We felt it was in everyone's best interest that we augment the route,' Newsom said. 'I believe people were afforded the right to protest and support the torch. You saw that in the streets. They were not denied the ability to protest.'"

Was the universe that came before our own its identical twin?

Parents in Eau Claire, Wisconsin upset that a teacher told five health classes that she's gay: "At least one parent said Rowe had no business talking about her sexual preference. The parent agreed that Rowe is an outstanding teacher, but she should stick to the curriculum."

Poll shows Clinton-Obama "dream ticket" beaten by McCain-Rice ticket in New York state: "According to the poll, McCain/Condi would earn the votes of 49% of registered voters in New York State compared with 46% for a Clinton/Obama ticket, and the same 49% against an underwhelming 44% for an Obama/Clinton ticket."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Oscar Wilde, Tasmania, Project Runway, Erotic Jesus

Gay property developers driven from Tasmania by homophobic locals after dead kangaroo is found nailed to door. Stephen Roche: "It's been an interesting ride. But I don't feel as though I've been pushed out at all. It's a very small minority that have had any sort of homophobic prejudice. Tassie's probably got a way to go with acceptance of gay people."

Shopping with Milo Ventimiglia.

Lifetime poaches Project Runway from Bravo and NBC is MAD AS HELL.

Joe.My.God reports on the National Gay & LEsbian Task Force's New York Leadership Awards which said good-bye to Executive Director Matt Foreman.

Over 100 "pro-family" leaders applaud Romania's bigotry.

iTunes Canada removes Jamaican dancehall "Murder music": "This action followed a campaign led by the Canadian LGBT rights group Egale and Stop Murder Music. The songs include advocating or approval of killing gays: 'iTunes is exercising its corporate responsibility by pulling this murder music and raising the bar for other retailers and distributors to do the same,' says Akim Larcher, founder of SMM. He calls iTune’s decision a victory for the gay community in Canada and in the Caribbean."

Oscar Wilde brand alive and well and living in Paris: "In his day, Wilde - iconoclastic, bisexual, Irish - found fame and, briefly, fortune by dint of genius, charm and application. In his own time, he was an outsider and an exotic. Now he’s one of us. We understand his craving for celebrity. We share his obsession with youth. ('Youth is the one thing worth having,' he wrote in The Picture of Dorian Gray.) Gay or straight, we are easy with his sexuality. Indeed, so prejudiced are we in his favour, we tend to overlook the fact that most of the young men in whom he took an interest were little more than boys."

Christian radio station miffed over Wisconsin school district's dress-up day: "Students at Pineview Elementary in Reedsburg had been dressing in costume all last week as part of an annual school tradition called Wacky Week. On Friday, students were encouraged to dress either as senior citizens or as members of the opposite sex. A local resident informed the Voice of Christian Youth America on Friday. The Milwaukee-based radio network responded by interrupting its morning programming for a special broadcast that aired on nine radio stations throughout Wisconsin. The broadcast criticized the dress-up day and accused the district of promoting alternative lifestyles."

Will you make it to third base with Neil Patrick Harris. These bitches did.

UC-Berkeley blood drive encourages gay men to find donors to take their place.

Sex and the City girls the star attraction at a benefit for The Point Foundation.

Erotic Jesus exhibit sparks outrage in Austria: "The source of the dispute, which Austrian media has dubbed Vienna's version of the Mohammad caricature row, is a retrospective honoring Austria's cherished artist Alfred Hrdlicka, who turned 80 earlier this year...The Church hastily removed the main picture, 'a homosexual orgy' of the Apostles as Hrdlicka describes it. But the protest has continued, much to the surprise of the small Cathedral Museum which is nestled down a narrow street in Vienna's historic Gothic quarter. The museum's director defends both Hrdlicka's work and his decision to host the artist's controversial versions of biblical imagery in a museum tied to the Catholic Church. 'We think Hrdlicka is entitled to represent people in this carnal, drastic way,' Bernhard Boehler said in his small museum office, across the street from Vienna's imposing St. Stephan's Cathedral. He said the museum never intended to offend people but that art should be allowed to provoke a debate."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Water, Gay Porn Twins, Coffee, New Kids on the Block

Is China cracking down on gay establishments as the Olympics approach?

Mother of twin gay porn bandits arrested for serving as their getaway driver: "Towana Goffney, the mother of 25-year-old twins Taleon and Keyontyli Goffney, was arrested late Wednesday night in Philadelphia. Her sons, Taleon and Keyontyli were linked to nearly 40 break-ins. Cameras were rolling as the men were led away in handcuffs and it turned out, this was not the first time the pair was in the spotlight. According to internet gossip sites, the brothers are gay porn stars. Now the family has the arrest of the matriarch to add to their rap sheet and online profiles."

Kylie Minogue hits up the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

McCain won't be fighting party platform on gays: "McCain associates told The Washington Times that his operatives are not going to work behind the scenes to eliminate the party's calls for constitutional bans on abortion and homosexual marriage before the GOP convention in September."

Search for most eligible gay bachelor begins in San Francisco.

The premiere international prize in electronic media: A list of the 2007 Peabody Award winners.

Woof: Madison, Wisconsin gets new gay sports bar.

Northern Ireland town of Strabane prepares for opening of first gay bar. Proprietor: "All the feedback I've had about the bar has been positive, I was so surprised by everyone's reaction, I've received no negativity whatsoever. Even elderly residents of the town have voiced their support and have been wishing me all the best."

Famous tranny Dana International prevents Wentworth Miller from escaping!

Obama says he would hire Al Gore: "Not only will I, but I will make a commitment that Al Gore will be at the table and play a central part in us figuring out how we solve this problem. He's somebody I talk to on a regular basis. I'm already consulting with him in terms of these issues, but climate change is real. It is something we have to deal with now, not 10 years from now, not 20 years from now."

The New Kids on the Block are back together. Here's their first photo together in more than 15 years.

An update on gay Iranian teen Mehdi Kazemi: "Mehdi Kazemi is still in Rotterdam, awaiting deportation back to the UK under the Dublin Treaty, where Home Secretary Jacqui Smith still hasn’t granted him asylum. It appears that a Dutch MP has secured a parliamentary debate in the Netherlands to take place tomorrow, because he doesn’t believe Jacqui Smith can be trusted with his safety."

Iranian gays left out of Human Rights Watch annual reports.

Scientists: There is no benefit in drinking 8 glasses of water a day. And drinking coffee may protect you from dementia and other debilitating brain diseases.

British activist Tatchell to European Feminist Summit: "By challenging the cult of heterosexual masculinity, queer liberation is about much more than the limited agenda of equal rights. It offers a unique, revolutionary contribution to the emancipation of the whole of humanity from all forms of subjugation."

In case you were wondering, Chace Crawford is doing 'okay' after his break-up with Carrie Underwood.

Sphere: Related Content

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]

Sphere: Related Content

News: Gayle King, Hunky Jesus, Yale, Charlie Crist, Tibet

A dog's life: NYC penthouse purchased for Gayle King in name of Oprah's recently deceased cocker spaniel, Sophie.

San Franciscans battle it out to be Hunky Jesus in Easter competition: "Catholics have labelled the annual pageant blasphemous, considering that previous entrants have included 'old school Jesus', 'surfer Jesus' and 'zombie Jesus', an irreverent take on the Easter message of Christ rising from the dead."

Last night's How I Met Your Mother guest starring Britney Spears was the show's highest rated episode ever.

18-year-old charged with stabbing death of gay man appears in Brooklyn court: "The defendant, Omar Willock, is charged with a hate crimes offense...At Willock’s arraignment last spring, Hynes told reporters that Willock 'shouted anti-gay remarks' at Roberto Duncanson, taunting him even as he tried to get away from Willock. Willock allegedly followed Duncanson, who’d been trying to avoid the confrontation, which had its roots in an verbal exchange earlier that same night, when angry words were exchanged between the two men. Willock had claimed that Duncanson stared at him in an unwanted manner, though the incident did not become violent. When Duncanson returned along the same route later that evening, Willock is alleged to have renewed his taunts. Witnesses told police the two engaged in a brief fistfight, culminating in a chase that ended with Duncanson’s stabbing death."

Florida Governor Charlie Crist loves women.

Yale University appoints first openly gay residential-college master, tapping acclaimed singer Richard Lalli MUS ’86 to lead Jonathan Edwards College: "He will be joined by his partner, Michael Rigsby MED ’88, who will add the designation of associate master to his current title: medical director of Yale University Health Services. Lalli, an adjunct professor of music, has taught at Yale since 1982; both are already JE fellows and freshman advisers in the college. 'This is a great occasion. It’s probably the greatest occasion of my life,' Lalli said to JE students after University President Richard Levin announced his appointment over dinner Wednesday night in Commons." College master is one of Yale's highest recognitions.

Gay Syrian applies for asylum in Scotland: "After Mr Yakob's terrible ordeal in Syria, it is unacceptable that the Home Office would consider sending him back. There is a very real risk that he would suffer further ill treatment or even possibly death. He has sought asylum in Scotland and I will make an immediate representation to the Home Office in an effort to overturn their ruling before his final hearing in May."

OP/ED: Repeal of gay rights laws in Oregon would have chilling effect.

Chinese paramilitary police open fire on mass crowd of monks, nuns, and Tibetans: "Residents of Luhuo said that a monk and a farmer appeared to have been killed and about a dozen people wounded in the latest violence in Tibetan areas of China. Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, said that one officer was killed when police confronted a 'lawless mob' in Luhuo. The demonstration began at 4pm when about 200 nuns from Woge nunnery and a similar number of monks from Jueri monastery marched towards the Luhuo Third District government office. They were joined by several hundred farmers and nomads, witnesses said."

Ashton Kutcher plays douchebag in new film.

How does Priscilla Presley stay looking so young? Special facial injections of auto lubricant.

Gay sex expert Michael Alvear spent three months filming couples and analyzing the footage: "I don’t think that people are really that aware of their contributions to the breakdowns in a relationship, and the cameras are able to cut through all the false perceptions that they have about themselves. I’ve always believed this through writing and advising people about sex—the question, 'What are you unaware of that, if you became aware of it, you could change and make the situation better?' That’s what the cameras allowed people to do—become aware of the things they’re not aware of. It’s like a mirror that way."

Gay Wisconsin man settles lawsuit alleging two men attacked him in a deli because he was gay: "Brett Timmerman's lawsuit claims that he walked into a sandwich shop in Platteville in July 2005 when Oden Waite and Enove Urias made anti-gay remarks to him, put him in a headlock and took him to the ground. Timmerman claims that Waite spit on him twice. Timmerman's attorney, Jim Madigan, said that he reached the deal with Waite's attorneys last week. He said that the settlement calls for terms to remain undisclosed."

Sphere: Related Content

Brett Favre Will Also Miss the Grinding, and Slapping of Butts

Brett Favre, the Green Bay Packers legend, gave a long, sometimes tearful press conference yesterday as he announced his retirement. At one point, he discussed some of the things he'll miss:

FAVRE: "Well, in my discussions with former players, every one of the guys I've talked to has said the things you miss, you miss the games but it is the guys. And I haven't heard too many guys say I miss meetings or miss practice. But I may be one of those rare people who miss that to a certain extent as I'm involved in it. Sitting in meetings or practice, I have to admit, I thought about being elsewhere, but it's easy to do that when you're in the moment. But the friendships you make along the way, they come and go to a certain extent. But they are special and that I think I'll miss, grinding together. Football, I think is very unique in that of all the sports because you have to rely on one another so much more than the other sports and it's a physical sport, which I think in turn mentally challenges you more so than any other sport. And I am a little biased, but I will miss that. Sitting in those meetings with the receivers and figuring out how we're going to beat the upcoming team and challenging each other and doing it in a fun way, slapping our big linemen on the butt, which I don't think I'll be doing that anytime soon. But all that stuff, man that's just what it's all about. And I will miss that stuff."

And so will we.

Favre farewell transcript [milwaukee journal sentinel]
No more butt-slapping for Favre [outsports]

Previously
Sportrait: Brett Favre [tr]

Sphere: Related Content

Obama Scores Decisive Win Over Clinton in Wisconsin and Hawaii

Ohio and Texas now loom as must-win states for the Clinton campaign as Obama's momentum appeared to surge into the Wisconsin and Hawaii primaries, which brought him his 10th consecutive win. Obama took 58% of the vote in Wisconsin to Clinton's 41% and 76% in Hawaii to Clinton's 24%. Obama now has a nearly 100 delegate lead (Obama 1355, Clinton 1261).

The NYT reports: "Mrs. Clinton wasted no time in signaling that she would now take a tougher line against Mr. Obama — a recognition, her advisers said, that she must act to alter the course of the campaign and define Mr. Obama on her terms. In a speech in Ohio shortly after the polls closed in Wisconsin, she alluded to what her campaign considers Mr. Obama’s lack of experience, and his support for a health insurance plan that would not initially seek to cover all Americans. 'This is the choice we face: One of us is ready to be commander in chief in a dangerous world,' Mrs. Clinton said in the remarks, which she also planned to expand upon in a speech in New York City on Wednesday. 'One of us has faced serious Republican opposition in the past — and one of us is ready to do it again.' Mrs. Clinton did not mention the Wisconsin results; she did, however, call Mr. Obama to congratulate him on the victory."

Above, Obama's remarks following his win in Wisconsin. Below, Clinton addresses her supporters after the Wisconsin defeat. Below, right, John McCain takes Wisconsin. McCain took 55% of the vote in Wisconsin, over Mike Huckabee's 37%.

Detailed primary results for Wisconsin here.
Detailed Hawaii results here.

According to a Reuters/Zogby poll released today, Obama has opened up a 14-point lead over Clinton among national voters.

(clips courtest talking points memo)

Sphere: Related Content

News: GQ France, Breakdancing Beckham, Atlantis, Jason Statham

One of the judicial nominees Bush has been threatening a recess appointment for was recently arrested for DUI wearing a little black dress, fishnet stockings and stilletto heels: "Apparently, Federal Judge Robert Somma, rear-ended another motorist in his Mercedes-Benz after tying one on in a local gay bar. He had difficulty locating his drivers license in his purse. His wife, Wendy, says he's not interested in talking to the press right now."

Spice Girls shocked by baby breakdancing Beckham.

Wisconsin gay rights group utilizes election to raise awareness of upcoming court vacancies.

British BMW salesman forced from job by homophobic co-workers: "Ben Hamilton, 26, claims he was branded 'the nice poof', 'faggot' and 'bender Ben' by workmates at a BMW showroom. He told the hearing he was banned from wearing pink clothing and was made to change. And when he grew a beard he claimed colleagues walking past him would jeer the phrase 'Deal or No Deal?' at him after gameshow host Noel Edmonds up to 30 times a day. Mr Hamilton said a manager told him: 'It must be great to be gay. Does it mean you and your fella can go out, have a few beers, have a curry, beat each other up and still get laid?'"

Space Shuttle Atlantis heads home from International Space Station in preparation for Navy shootdown of errant spy satellite.

GQ launches French edition.

Student: Goldfish aren't the peabrains you think they are.

Excavated remains identified as Sir Hugh Despenser the Younger, lover of King Edward II: "Despenser died a gruesome death, being publicly hung, drawn, quartered and disembowelled for treason in 1326 following Edward's fall. The remains, found in the 1970s on Despenser's brother-in-law's estate at Hulton Abbey, Staffordshire, bear such hallmarks, anthropologist Mary Lewis says. Lewis, from Reading University, made the link by drawing on the manner of execution, carbon-dating of the bones and the absence of several parts of the body. The skull, part of the vertebra and one leg are buried on the family estate at Tewkesbury Abbey. 'Research on the bones shows he was stabbed in the throat and probably stabbed in the stomach, but we would not have any evidence to disembowelment unless the knife had hit any bones,' Lewis said."

Writer Andrew Holleran pays a visit to Fort Lauderdale.

Ben & Jerry endorse Obama, scoop "Cherries for Change" ice cream. "Barack is showing that when you lead with your values and follow what you have inside that good things will happen. What we saw is that when you want real change it's not a marketing slogan. You have to do things differently. And that is not going to be done by someone who's been involved in the system for years and years. It needs to come from inside and Barack Obama has it."

Winehouse likes her chicken fried.

Jason Statham drops the big burly half of himself.

Japan's top court rules Mapplethorpe photos not obscene: "The verdict was hailed as a victory for artistic freedom by a Japanese publisher who filed the lawsuit. His copy of a Mapplethorpe book was seized in 1999 when he tried to bring it from the United States for personal use. Reversing a lower court ruling, the Supreme Court ordered customs to lift its ban on bringing in the book of photographs, entitled 'Robert Mapplethorpe.' In the 2003 ruling, the Tokyo High Court ruled that the book, which included images of male genitals, went 'against good sexual morality.' But Kohei Nasu, the presiding judge, said at the Supreme Court: 'The book and pictures do not fall into a category that would disturb the public,' as quoted by Jiji Press."

UK father-to-be charged in "cowardly, disgraceful" attack on homophobe mistaken for gay man: "John Edwards, prosecuting, told York Crown Court yesterday the assault happened last July when Mr Sandey was returning home along St Mary's by the riverside in York after a night out. He said the area was known to be frequented in the evening by homosexual men, and a passer-by heard one of the group shouting homophobic insults. 'When the defendant pleaded guilty he did so, acknowledging this was aggravated by homophobia. The target of their violence, quite randomly it would seem, was this complainant,' he said. A woman who saw the attackers, including Walls, described seeing Mr Sandey on the ground. The men were punching him before one - it is not known who - jumped on his leg as they shouted 'he is a pervert'. Afterwards Walls spoke to the witness, telling her his name. Forensic experts later found blood on him."

Sphere: Related Content

News: Mariah Carey, Vermont, Darren Manzella, Dolce & Gabbana

New York City department of health eyes bathhouses after new report on increase in HIV infections in men under 30.

Scott Jordan, swimmer at conservative, religious St. Bonaventure University comes out to teammates: "'Scott, you're gonna get so much ass this year,' [one teammate] said to me. 'The girls are gonna be all over you.' I took the plunge. 'That’s not the kind of ass I’m looking for,' I replied...He didn’t believe me at first; In fact, most everyone I’ve come out to hasn’t believed I’m gay. But once he realized I wasn't joking around, I told him it wasn't a secret anymore. I told just three teammates that summer, purposely telling one teammate in particular because I knew he liked to gossip (yep, straight guys gossip too). As planned, gossip took care of the rest. When I got to school a month later it felt like the entire campus knew I was gay, and I had only told three people."

Mariah Carey squeals about possible duet with J Lo: "I'd rather be on stage with a pig."

Carson Kressley's How to Look Good Naked debuts higher than any other reality show in Lifetime's history.

Patrick Dempsey just stands there for Versace.

UK man convicted of two counts of assault for homophobic attack on straight teen in nightclub.

California fringe group grades GOP candidates on their support for the "natural family". Huckabee and Paul rate highest, Romney scores a "0".

Dolce & Gabbana lines 'em up for Fall/Winter campaign.

Swimsuit issue: Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson frolic in Hawaii.

Gay nightclub proposed in Madison, Wisconsin would be one of city's largest.

Philly anchorwoman Alycia Lane, suspended for calling a police officer "dyke bitch," was relieved of her duties: "'Alycia Lane "has been released from her contract effective immediately,' KYW-TV said in a statement Monday, the day she had been due back on air. Lane is accused of scuffling with a plainclothes female officer during a traffic dispute last month. A police complaint also said she used a sexual slur. Lane has denied the allegations. The 35-year-old newscaster previously found herself the target of critical news coverage, and snickers, after it was reported she had e-mailed bikini shots of herself to a married ESPN sports anchor and she tearfully discussed her divorce on the 'Dr. Phil" show.'"

EAT ME: Woman commissions wedding cake in her own image.

USA Today takes a look at "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" 60 Minutes Army Sergeant Darren Manzella: "Manzella says he was invited to join more than 600 members of an invitation-only MySpace group, Guys and Gals Like Us, for gays who don't hide their orientation from their units. The members use pseudonyms because some gay servicemembers have been discharged for acknowledging their sexual orientation elsewhere online. Nearly 12,000 troops have been dismissed under the policy approved by President Clinton in 1993. Discharges peaked at 1,273 in 2001 and have fallen sharply since the war began. 'A lot of servicemembers are getting 'wink-wink' treatment from their commanders,' says Aaron Belkin, director of the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which studies the policy."

Last year we winner flattered to win Queerclick's Gay Bloggies - this year, Frank at OMG Blog took the prize. Congrats.

Gay-friendly gay bashed in Seattle.

Vermont opponents of same-sex marriage