News: Billy Mays, Orgullo, Kevin Jennings, Avenue Q, Prop 8

NCLR, ACLU, and Lambda Legal back federal challenge to Prop 8: "In legal documents filed late Thursday, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal and the ACLU signaled a significant break with past legal tactics that avoided taking the fight to federal court."

NYT revelation: Gay men and straight men can be friends.

Zachary Quinto has a couple of male beach dates in Malibu, on the same day.

Scenes from the coup in Honduras.

Won't resign: Governor Mark Sanford compares himself to King David.

Despite ban, Russian gay activists plan to protest Obama next week on his trip to Moscow: "In a statement, Nikolai Alexeyev said the Moscow authorities had banned a proposed demonstration outside the U.S. embassy next Tuesday, the second day of Obama's July 6-8 trip...'We don't intend to abandon our plans and in the near future we will determine the format of action on July 7 during the visit of Barack Obama in Russia.' A Moscow municipal spokeswoman confirmed city authorities had turned down a request from gay activists to protest in front of the U.S. embassy on July 7. She said the area had already been booked for another event and that Muscovites were against the gay protest."

The last days of Heath Ledger.

Madrid's Orgullo gay pride festival a two-week event. Obama called out on gay rights in Paris.

Avenue Q to close on Broadway in September as 20th longest-running show of all time.

City of Toronto data sheds light on gay neighborhoods, marriages from out-of-state, etc.

Famous TV pitchman Billy Mays found dead in home.

The 5 strangest products pitched by Billy Mays.

Ashton Kutcher's spread - nsfw.

Wingnuts attack former GLSEN founder Kevin Jennings over Department of Education appointment.

Going to Rome this summer? You may want to check out these spots.

Gayby Boom: CNN on the children of same-sex couples.

Best banner ad ever?

Male model fix: Edilson Nascimiento.

Michael Jackson: UK's Daily Mail publishes tell-all; LAPD questions cardiologist.

NYDN: It's time to end LGBT discrimination. "That Stonewall has hit its fourth decade is only part of the reason that the media are giving this anniversary attention. The other reason is that there is a sense of excitement that, with the spread of gay marriage to more states, the struggle for gay rights may be about to reach a new high-water mark. But all this excitement glosses over a critical fact: Gay people have the same federal protections against discrimination in terms of the most basic civil rights that we had at the time of Stonewall. And that is exactly: zero."

Zachary Quinto Gets Picked Up by Big Piece of Meat

So you thought the milk bukkake video was strange?

A cameraman caught up with Zachary Quinto while he was out and about with his dog, a large steak, and a bloody butcher. When some canine chaos erupted, Quinto fell, the steak helped him up, then got caught between a bush and a lamppost before the foursome went on their merry way.

A very strange scene indeed.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

Chris Pine + Zachary Quinto = Captain Spork

A bit of morphing magic. (via he who laughs)

Movies (and Stage): Spockbama, Hamlet and Coraline

NATHANIEL ROGERS

Nathaniel Rogers would live inside a movie theater but for the poor internet reception. He blogs daily at the Film Experience.

Take One: A Double Take
At $211 million and climbing Star Trek is by far 2009's biggest movie hit. And how cute is this for a photo op? New "Spock" Zachary Quinto just posted photos of himself meeting President Obama on his official site. Newsweek famously suggested the POTUS was Half Vulcan last month. Hollywood loves all forms of synergy.

Take Two: Miscellaneous Cuts
Is Emile Hirsch finally ready to leave his raggedy neo-hippie phase (Into the Wild, Lords of Dogtown, Taking Woodstock) behind him?

More, AFTER THE JUMP...

News: Eminem, Pilot Whales, Outfest, Tel Aviv, Jesus Luz, Tim Kaine

DNC Chair Tim Kaine issues LGBT Pride month statement.

Second 'Million Fag March' held near Topeka's Westboro Baptist Church: "Love, who organized the march, said he picked the Gage Park location because it is the same place Westboro leader and anti-gay preacher Fred Phelps began staging his protests in 1991."

Guess which celebrity turned down the offer Eminem accepted to be the butt of Bruno's MTV Movie Awards joke.

Obama names new Army Secretary, Rep. John McHugh: few clues as to position on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".

Zachary Quinto grows a John Waters pornstache.

Washington Post on the Robert Wone murder case: "So began a real-life parlor mystery -- an unsolved killing and alleged coverup in the guest room of an elegant home in the heart of Washington's gay community, with a trio of seemingly unlikely suspects: a self-described "polyamorous family" of three men. The bizarre murder that evening of a young Ivy League lawyer named Robert Wone, still grist for gossip and conjecture on the city's gay blogosphere, has vexed police and prosecutors since the 911 call just before midnight Aug. 2, 2006." 

THIS was a laugh-and-a-half last night for its pure pathetic-ness.

Madonna boytoy Jesus Luz gets a dedicated spread in L'Officiel Hommes.

UGLY: The mindset behind Maine's anti-marriage equality petition drive.

Scotland Yard alarmed at rise in homophobic crimes: "Campaigners say anti-gay violence has surged, and Scotland Yard statistics reveal a 9% rise in homophobic and transphobic offences to 1,372 in the year to April...Acting Detective Superintendent Gerry Campbell, of the Metropolitan police, who headed a recent operation against hate crime that led to 292 arrests, said: 'Homophobia cannot be considered a thing of the past, it's on the increase.'"

L.A.'s Outfest film festival announces 2009 line-up: "The impressive list of films and filmmakers involved with this year’s festival include writer-director Peter Bratt’s powerful drama 'La Mission' starring Benjamin Bratt, as the Opening Night Gala; Adam Salky returns to Outfest with his stunning debut feature 'Dare' starring Emmy Rossum, Alan Cumming and Zach Gilford, as the Closing Night Gala."

Johnny Depp does Vanity Fair.

Tel Aviv welcomes Mideast's first gay clinic?

Blue whales heard singing off New York coast for first time.

55 Pilot whales die in mass stranding in South Africa: "Authorities shot dozens of exhausted whales that beached on a shore near South Africa's storm-lashed southern tip Saturday amid scenes of grief and despair from volunteers who had tried to save them."

Nadine Smith: No excuses. No delays. Do we really mean it?

TIME: How to come out on Facebook...

Band of Thebes looks at the new exhibition at the New York Public Library: 1969: The Year of Gay Liberation. "Fifteen years ago, in honor of Stonewall 25, the library held a huge lgbt show in the premiere gallery on the first floor, complete with giant pink triangle banner outside, emblazoned with 'Becoming Visible.' Now for the 40th anniversary, we get half the hallway on the third floor."

Gay Ugandan immigrant deported from Britain and then returned is now suing the Home Office: "The 38-year-old originally fled to Britain in 2001, fearing that being gay - which in Uganda can result in life imprisonment or even death - put his life in danger. He had an outstanding application for a judicial review on his case when he was taken by four security men and bundled on to a flight to Kampala on September 18, 2008."

Zachary Quinto Gets Drenched in Milk - Video

In some circles they'd label this a bukkake clip, but this just happens to be milk.
So perhaps we'll just call it a Spockake video.

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...