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Wednesday news. Catch Talk It Out on WWW.OUTONLINE.COM

11. May 2011 by admin.

Presbyterian Church Lifts Ban on Gay Clergy

The Presbyterian Church has voted to lift the ban on gay clergy, the NYT reports:

The outcome is a reversal from only two years ago, when a majority of the church’s regions, known as presbyterys, voted against ordaining openly gay candidates.

This time, 19 of the church’s 173 presbyterys switched their votes from no to yes in recent months. The Twin Cities presbytery, which covers the Minneapolis and St. Paul region, cast the deciding vote at its meeting on Tuesday.

The vote was 205 to 56. “All of us are surprised,” said the Rev. Gradye Parsons, the church’s Stated Clerk, its highest elected official. He attributed the turnabout in the votes to both the growing acceptance of homosexuality in the larger culture, and to church members simply wearying of the conflict.

Barney Frank: Cut Off Aid to Uganda if ‘Kill the Gays’ Bill Passes

Rep. Barney Frank (R-MA) released a statement late yesterday opposing the anti-homosexuality bill that could be voted on as soon as today in the Ugandan parliament, and demanding the U.S. government act if it does so.

Said Frank:

"I’m disturbed by the news that Uganda is considering going ahead with a measure that denies the humanity of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people."
"If the bill before the Ugandan parliament becomes law, it must be the policy of the United States government to oppose any aid to Uganda from the World Bank, the African Development Bank, or any other international financial institution of which we are a member."

"Overall, the proposed legislation is of shocking severity and I can’t see how it could be supported by any Anglican who is committed to what the Communion has said in recent decades. Apart from invoking the death penalty, it makes pastoral care impossible - it seeks to turn pastors into informers."

Governor McDonnell Unmoved by New Poll That Shows Most Virginians Favor Same-Sex Marriage, Gay Adoption

A new Washington Post poll shows Virginians now support allowing gay people to marry and adopt children:

Forty-seven percent of Virginians say gay couples should be allowed to legally wed, and 43 percent are opposed, according to the poll.

Fifty-five percent of Virginians say gay couples should be able to legally adopt children.

The results mirror a dramatic and rapid shift in national public opinion about gay rights in recent years. The evolving public opinion could create a challenge in the key political battleground for the commonwealth’s Republicans, who are almost universally opposed to gay marriage, if voters think the GOP is falling out of sync with the electorate.

Anti-gay Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell doesn’t want to hear about it:

“The people of Virginia have spoken by a margin of 57-43. They’ve already enshrined in the Virginia Constitution that gay marriage is not permitted, so unless there is another effort to change the Constitution, that matter is settled. That is the law of the land and, look, reasonable people can disagree on these things. That’s what the law is now. That’s something that I support. That was the right decision.”

He giveth and he taketh away…

Navy Revokes Guidance Allowing Same-Sex Marriages on Bases

Following outrage from social conservatives like hate group leader Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and anti-gay military crusader Elaine Donnelly, the Chief of Navy Chaplains Rear Admiral Mark Tidd has (likely temporarily) revoked guidance it issued allowing use of base facilities for same-sex marriages in states where it is legal, and allowing Navy chaplains to perform such services.

The Washington Post reports:

Despite the decision, military officials said Tuesday night that the Defense Department may still eventually permit gay troops to use military chapels in states that recognize homosexual marriages for same-sex weddings after President Obama lifts the ban on openly gay service members known as “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

Tidd said he issued the revised guidance after chaplains asked about same-sex marriage ceremonies during mandatory training sessions about the end of “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

But he reversed course late Tuesday, saying he was suspending his guidance “pending additional legal and policy review” and closer coordination with the Army, Air Force and Coast Guard.

This should be addressed at today’s meeting of the House Armed Services Committee, along with the amendments from the GOP which hope to derail repeal efforts.

As GOP Threatens ‘DADT’ Repeal with Amendments, Log Cabin Republicans Asks Court to Immediately Lift Gay Military Ban

As Republicans prepare to offer a series of amendments on Wednesday intended to impede repeal of the military’s "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy, the Log Cabin Republicans, the gay group which successfully fought to have the ban overturned, have asked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to immediately vacate a stay imposed on an injunction barring enforcement of the gay military ban ordered last year.

\VIDEO (5.48MIN)

The Jesus Dance. =3 with Ray William Johnson

Our featured videoblog of the day. Ray William Johnson is one of the most popular videos on YouTube.

Tech News

Microsoft Buys Skype for $8.5 Billion

Microsoft is acquiring Skype:

"At a value close to $8 billion, the Skype deal would rank as the biggest acquisition in the 36-year history of Microsoft, a company that traditionally has shied away from large deals. In 2007, Microsoft paid approximately $6 billion to acquire online advertising firm aQuantive Inc.

Many current and former Microsoft executives believe Microsoft significantly overpaid for that deal. But they are also relieved that Microsoft gave up on an unsolicited $48 billion offer for Yahoo Inc. nearly three years ago. Yahoo is valued at half that sum today."

YouTube takes on cable, Apple, Netflix:

"Today, we’re announcing another step in our goal to bring more of the video you love to YouTube: the addition of thousands of full-length feature films from major Hollywood studios available to rent in the US at youtube.com/movies. In addition to the hundreds of free movies available on the site since 2009, you will be able to find and rent some of your favorite films. Movies are available to rent at industry standard pricing, and can be watched with your YouTube account on any computer. The new titles will begin appearing later today and over the coming weeks to www.youtube.com/movies, so keep checking back."

A new technology can change sound into electricity:

"Electrical engineers have developed a new technique for turning sound into electricity, allowing a mobile to be powered up while its user holds a conversation. The technology would also be able to harness background noise and even music to charge a phone while it is not in use. However, there could be a downside to the innovation, if it gives people a new reason to shout into their phones as they attempt to squeeze in every extra bit of power they can."

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

10. May 2011 by admin.

Uptown Sports Management, an Ontario, Canada-based agency which represents a number of NHL players attacked New York Ranger forward Sean Avery for getting involved with the campaign for marriage equality in New York.

Avery recorded a video for New Yorkers for Marriage Equality which we played yesterday.

Wrote the agency in a tweet: "Very sad to read Sean Avery’s misguided support of same-gender ‘marriage’. Legal or not, it will always be wrong." The tweet was followed up by two more denying anti-gay bigotry, and saying, "This is my personal viewpoint. I Do not hate anyone."

According to CBS, Todd Reynolds, the firm’s Vice President and son of the owner, is in charge of the agency’s Twitter feed.

UPDATE:

Reynolds spoke with Cybulski & Company on TSN Radio 1050 and gave this statement:

"There’s certainly a voice for the other side on this particular issue. And I believe in morality and I believe in right and wrong. "But I’m a little disappointed in some of the response. If you oppose a viewpoint, you’re immediately targeted by some people as a hater, a bigot, intolerant, homophobic and many other terms.

Don Reynolds, the agency president and Todd’s father, gave some more obscene quotes to the National Post, saying he stands by his son’s tweet, and then comparing same-sex marriage to bestiality:

“It’s sad. I mean, my personal position is that I do not support gay marriage, and I think it’s wrong, as well. It’s not politically correct to, I guess, give your opinion about a thing like that. It’s politically correct on the other side, for people to say, ‘sure, I support gay marriage.’ But the majority, I think, of Canadians would say that they don’t agree with gay marriage – that man and woman were created to be married, not man and man or man and horse, you know?”

On the other hand, sports agents and hockey professionals are also coming out in support of Avery. Outsports has posted a few responses.

Paul Bissonnette, an NHL player for the Phoenix Coyotes, has chimed in as well.

Change.org has created a petition demanding Uptown Sports apologize.

Navy: Base Facilities May be Used for Same-Sex Marriages

Navy chapels can be used for same-sex marriages, and Navy chaplains are allowed, though not required, to perform those ceremonies in states where same-sex marriage is legal..

Citing “additional legal review” by Navy attorneys, the Chief of Navy Chaplains, Admiral Michael Tidd said the Navy “has concluded that, generally speaking, base facility use is sexual orientation neutral.”

“If the base is located in a state where same-sex marriage is legal, then the base facilities may be used to celebrate the marriage,” added Tidd.

The admiral’s memo also gives Navy chaplains permission to marry same-sex couples – but would not force them to perform ceremonies if those ceremonies are not within the chaplains religious beliefs.

Study Finds Higher Reported Instances of Cancer in Gay Men

Results of a study based around the California Health Interview survey have been published in the journal Cancer and reveal an inconclusive set of statistics about disparities in reported cancer rates in gay and straight men, Reuters reports:

Out of 51,000 men, about 3,700 said they had been diagnosed with cancer as an adult. While just over 8 percent of gay men reported a history of cancer, that figure was only 5 percent in straight men. The disparity could not be attributed to differences in race, age, or income between gay and straight men.

About 7,300 out of 71,000 women in the study had been diagnosed with cancer, but overall cancer rates did not differ among lesbian, bisexual, and straight women.

What’s causing the disparity is unclear:

Ulrike Boehmer, the study’s lead author from the Boston University School of Public Health, said higher rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be related to the increased risk of cancer in gay men, but the study couldn’t address that question specifically.

[Liz] Margolies [executive director of The National LGBT Cancer Network] thinks there is more going on. "Gay men as a group have a bunch of risk factors for cancer," she said.

For instance, gay men and lesbian women are more likely to smoke and abuse alcohol than straight men and women. They’re also more likely to avoid going to see their doctor for routine physicals or cancer screening, Margolies added - since healthcare providers may not all be tolerant and accepting of their identity.

http://www.towleroad.com/2011/05/study-finds-higher-reported-instances-of-cancer-in-gay-men.html

Just a kiss, Kobe Bryant fag slur, Civil Unions in Delaware, Santorum again?, pink toe nails ad gay, transgendered, Jesses Jackson

17. April 2011 by admin.

Delaware Adopts Civil Union Bill; Governor Will Sign

(the news journal)

UPDATED

The Delaware House has approved civil unions for same-sex couples by a vote of 26-15.

The Senate passed the bill last week by a vote of 13-6.

The News Journal reports:

The vote followed three hours of debate. When the vote was announced, the balcony erupted into cheers, applause and cries of “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

With passage of the bill – S.B. 30 – Delaware becomes the eighth state to grant such legal status to same-sex couples.

The bill is written to parallel Delaware’s marriage code, but opponents say it will certainly be used to fight for same-sex marriage.

Said Governor Markell last week after the bill passed the Senate: "It’s time for this bill to pass. It’s time for the bill to be signed. It’s the right thing to do for the people of Delaware."

Former Staffer Files Anti-Gay Sexual Harassment Complaint Against Jesse Jackson and Rainbow PUSH Coalition

A former staffer for Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition has sued Rev. Jesse Jackson, claiming a broad array of anti-gay harassment charges, the Windy City Times reports:

In a document filled with stunning allegations, Tommy R. Bennett has filed a complaint with the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations against the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., and the minister’s Chicago-based organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, claiming, among other things, harassment and termination on the basis of Bennett’s sexual orientation.

Bennett claims that he had to escort women to Jackson’s room and "clean up his room after sexual intercourse with women. Mr. Bennett believes he was forced to do these tasks due to his sexual orientation".

Bennett also claims that "Rev. Jackson stated that he played football and there was a gay high school teacher who took Rev. Jackson under his wings and told him that he needed education to go along with football. Rev. Jackson said, ‘[F]rom that gay teacher, I got a good grade, I got to use his car, I got ten dollars and I got my dick sucked.’ Rev. Jackson said, ‘[T]hat’s not gay, that is surviving.’" Bennett alleges this meant Rev. Jackson wanted sex, but that Bennett then left the room.

Bennett’s demands?

In a demand letter accompanying the complaint, Bennett said he wanted, among other things, $98,300 for back pay, front pay and loss of benefits; $350,000 for emotional distress and punitive damages; and an amendment of Rainbow PUSH’s non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

Rickhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FmEhL6qljLI

Santorum Defends 2003 ‘Man on Dog’ Remarks About Same-Sex Marriage

This evening on Hardball, Chris Matthews noted that presidential hopeful Rick "frothy mix" Santorum appeared on Glenn Beck’s radio show today and defended his 2003 statement comparing homosexuality to bestiality.

Said Santorum to Beck: "It’s not homophobic. It’s a legal argument, and it’s a correct legal argument. In fact, that’s exactly what’s happening. We went from Lawrence v. Texas to now a constitutional right to same-sex marriage and they’re going into a constitutional right to polyamorous ( pol am err us) relationships.

This is the slippery slope that we’re heading down, and I can’t buy it."

More FROTH:

Rick Santorum Takes Campaign Slogan from Poem by Gay Rights and Pro-Union Advocate Langston Hughes

Ian Millhiser at Think Progress notes:

Earlier today, former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) announced that he will begin fundraising for a presidential run using the campaign slogan “Fighting to make America America again.”

This eloquent turn of phrase, however, was not invented by Santorum. It is borrowed from the title of a pro-union, pro-racial justice, and pro-immigrant poem written by Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes — “Let America Be America Again” …

While Hughes is best known for his poetic cries for racial and economic justice, he was also a staunch defender of gay rights. His poem “Cafe: 3 a.m.” criticizes a police raid on a gay establishment, attacking the injustice of arresting gay people because “God, Nature, or somebody made them that way.

” Santorum, by contrast, is best known for spouting a frothy mixture of anti-gay rhetoric comparing same-sex couples with people who have sex with dogs."

Former NBA Player John Amaechi on Kobe Bryant’s Anti-Gay Slur: ‘Saying You Didn’t Mean it is Not the Answer’.

Former NBA player John Amaechi, who came out in 2007 after he retired, talks to USA Today about Kobe Bryant’s recent slur, as well as his follow-up statement:

I suppose that’s the typical, "I apologize if you’re offended" type of comment. I doubt very much when he said that that he thought Bennie was a pile of sticks. There’s only one contemporary meaning for that.

The problem we have now is because of the way we don’t address homophobia, the ultimate insult to a man is to tell them either they’re like a woman or worse, that they’re gay.

We have to take it as unacceptable as a white person screaming the N-word at a black person. … I can tell you that I’ve been called a f——- fairly routinely, and yet people seem to hold off on calling me the N-word. We’ve got to mirror that progress.

Amaechi said that while he agrees with the fine imposed (which Kobe is appealing), what he’d really like to see Kobe do is make a difference:

“What I would want is to encourage Kobe to use the power he has to really make an apology that means something. Tell black men, men in general in America, that resorting to that sort of language is the lowest of the low and is unacceptable. And it doesn’t make you any more of a man. That’s really the answer. Saying you didn’t mean it is not the answer.”

Much more interview at USA Today…

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-april-13-2011/toemageddon-2011—this-little-piggy-went-to-hell

Jon Stewart Mocks J. Crew Pink Toenails ‘Controversy’

Genius segment from Jon Stewart last night on the wingnut outrage over the J Crew ad in which a mom is seen painting her son’s toenails pink.

"What I thought was just a pleasant sweet little mother-son bond-vertising, NBC, ABC, CNN, and FOX recognized as This Little Piggy Went to Hell…[They] make it sound like it’s a story about incest or cannibalism."

He also ripped those who said the pink toenails would turn a kid gay, or transgender: "If you take [kids] to a face-painting booth, it doesn’t make them cats."

Outrage in London as Gay Couple are Ejected from Pub for Kiss: Supporters Plan Massive Kiss

In Tonight

Controversy has erupted in London after a gay couple on a first date, Jonathan Williams and James Bull, were ejected from a pub in London’s Soho district for kissing, the Guardian reports:

Williams, a journalist for a financial magazine, and Bull, a charity volunteer, said they had been ejected from the John Snow in Broadwick Street, Soho, central London, on Wednesday by a woman – claiming to be the landlady – who accused them of being "obscene" while out on their first date.

The event has triggered a public debate on open displays of affection, how much is too much, and whether Williams and Bull were treated differently because they are gay.

The two men deny having behaved in any unseemly way. "We weren’t being over the top; there wasn’t anything that would be deemed unseemly," Williams said. "I’m not the kind of person to do that kind of thing in public."

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

12. April 2011 by admin.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

17. March 2011 by admin.

Closed for two years, a historic downtown Minneapolis church is open again. And its Methodist Rev, Greg Renstrom says he plans to bless same-sex unions.

By ROSE FRENCH, Star Tribune

Wesley United Methodist Church

According to

The Rev. Greg Renstrom has big plans for the reopened Wesley United Methodist Church. Plans that could potentially get him defrocked.

He wants to hold ceremonies to bless same-sex unions at the historic downtown Minneapolis church, even though they would conflict with Methodist policy.

"Somebody has to do it," Renstrom said. "I cannot imagine that Jesus would ever refuse to bless a responsible, mutually respectful and reverent relationship."

Wesley’s move comes at a time when Methodists and other Protestant faiths are grappling with gay marriage, gay clergy and related issues. Only a few denominations allow same-sex union ceremonies.

Declining membership forced Wesley, one of the first megachurches in the Twin Cities, to disband in 2008 after nearly 150 years of existence.

The United Methodist Church, the third-largest denomination in the United States, considers homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching," according to its Book of Discipline. "Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches." Methodists also do not allow clergy in openly gay relationships to serve congregations.

More http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/faith/117839048.html

New study: Cheerful optimists die younger than grumpy pessimists. "Part of the explanation lies in studying the health behaviors of the study subject — the cheerful, happy-go-lucky kids tended to take more risks with their health across the years.

College student Aaron Tobey sues U.S. government for violation of Fourth amendment following strip protest at airport: "The defendants listed in his legal filing are Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the head of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration, the Richmond airport authority and several security officers there. He’s seeking $250,000 in damages and reimbursement for legal fees.

Bishop Harry Jackson: The Black Church ‘Raised Up the Banner of Jesus’ to Kill Gay Marriage in Maryland

Anti-gay crusader Bishop Harry Jackson spoke with the Christian Broadcast Network following the shelving of the marriage equality bill in Maryland and claimed the win for the Black Church:

"We exerted spiritual impact in that natural secular arena. It took the Church coming out, the Black Church, and telling its representatives, don’t listen to party leadership. Understand that you’re going to have to come back to your own community. “

“They see you sort of as lemmings who are willing to march off to your death. When really and truly there will be a price to pay. That message came across. The Church was strong. And the Black church did raise up the banner of Jesus and win the day for the Church in Maryland."

http://www.towleroad.com/

Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Anti-Gay Bill in Montana

Montana’s Senate Local Government Committee held what was described by The Missoulian as a "low key" hearing on a bill that passed Montana’s House last month after fiery debate.

The bill would nullify Missoula’s 2010 ordinance protecting LGBT people from discrimination and prohibit local governments in the state from passing similar ordinances.

The Missoulian:

Opponents, however, argued HB516 had legal problems and that Missoula has the authority to enact such an ordinance if its city council chose to do so.

Niki Zupanic of the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana called the bill unconstitutional at the federal and state levels. She helped draft the anti-discrimination ordinance for Missoula.

Gregory Smith, who was a chaplain to the Legislature in 1993, said he is a therapist whose patients includes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

"I am a gay man and a native Montanan," he said. "We want to live our lives happily and from fear in the state we grew up in." Smith said the bill ignores a suffering segment of Montana’s population and is "enshrining bigotry and discrimination."

The Senate panel "took no immediate action" according to the paper.

http://www.towleroad.com/2011/03/senate-committee-holds-hearing-on-anti-gay-bill-in-montana.html

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/video?id=8014854

Queens Murder Being Investigated as Hate Crime

The weekend beating of a Queens, NYC teen is being investigated as a hate crime, the NYPD confirmed today. Anthony Collao, an 18-year-old recent graduate who helped run his family’s small ice cream business, was beaten and stomped to death at a brutal attack birthday party on Saturday, the NY Daily News reported this morning.

ABC7 reports:

What began as a birthday party at the abandoned building in Queens turned ugly police say when a group of five men, not wanting to pay the seven dollars cover, began pushing their way inside.

"They started making homophobic remarks," Kelly said.

Windows were broken and even neighbors could see how rowdy things were becoming.

Back outside, according to a criminal complaint, one of the five said "get the f***k out of the front, this is my hood" and then began chasing 18-year old Anthony Collao and another man down 90th Street.

A block and half later, they caught Collao.

Collao was not gay, though the two men throwing the party reportedly were. Collao was beaten "within an inch of his life" according to police. He was taken off life support on Monday.

Four teens have been arrested and a fifth is being sought, according to the NYDN.

In Iowa, Republications vow to remove pro-marriage equality Senate.

Iowa Republicans and wingnuts focus on ousting marriage equality’s biggest legislative advocate, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal: "Chuck Hurley, head of the conservative Iowa Family Policy Center, agreed, calling Gronstal’s election defeat ‘a very, very high priority. It’s our top issue.’"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EFzcUDa2Y_0#at=177

Congress Given Until April 18 to Intervene in NY DOMA Case

Americablog reports that an attorney in Edie Windsor’s challenge to DOMA in the state of New York received a copy of an order given to House Speaker John Boehner giving Congress until April 18 to intervene in that case.

Watch a great clip on Edie Windsor’s case.

A press conference is scheduled for today at which legislation to repeal DOMA will be re-introduced. Windsor will be present.

Boehner recently announced that the House would defend DOMA in court.

http://www.towleroad.com/2011/03/congress-given-until-april-18-to-intervene-in-ny-doma-case.html

California Megachurch Choir Forces Members to Sign Anti-Gay Pact

Well, isn’t this disgusting? Orange County’s Crystal Cathedral has asked the members of its choir to sign a "covenant" asking them to respect the Biblical view of sexual intimacy and marriage, between one man and one woman, the Orange

County Register reports:

The "Crystal Cathedral Worship Choir and Worship Team Covenant," recently handed out to members, states that members should commit to being Christians by following the Bible in every way.

Former and current choir members say they are particularly offended by a statement in the document that refers to homosexuality. Long-time church members say this is the first time they have seen the cathedral take a firm stand against homosexuality and are disturbed by it.

The covenant states: "I understand that in an era where images of family relationship and personal sexuality are often confused, Crystal Cathedral Ministries believes that it is important to teach and model the biblical view. I understand that Crystal Cathedral Ministries teaches that sexual intimacy is intended by God to only be within the bonds of marriage, between one man and one woman."

A cathedral spokesman said that the pact doesn’t mean gays are banned from the choir, they are just "strongly encouraged" to sign something that says who they are and what they do is wrong.

http://www.towleroad.com/2011/03/california-megachurch-choir-forces-members-to-sign-anti-gay-pact.html

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

GLEE wins big, SNL, I am gay, Model Confesses To Killing Gay Activist, Pee Wee, Iowa Hate

17. January 2011 by admin.

Chris Colfer Wins Golden Globe, Speaks Out Against Bullying

Chris Colfer won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a TV series as gay teen Kurt Hummel, on Glee.

Said Colfer: "To all the amazing kids that watch our show, and the kids that our show celebrates that are constantly told ‘no’ by the people and the environments, by bullies at school that they can’t be who they are or have what they want because of who they are, well (holds up award)…screw that kids!"

Other LGBT-related Globes of note: Annette Bening wins Best Actress in Musical or Comedy for The Kids Are All Right, Jane Lynch wins Best Supporting Actress in a TV series for Glee, Glee for Best Musical or Comedy TV series, The Kids Are All Right for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy.

http://www.towleroad.com/2011/01/watch-chris-colfer-wins-golden-globe-speaks-out-against-bullying.html

Winners at the 68th annual Golden Globes:

Movies
Best drama: The Social Network
Best comedy/musical: The Kids Are All Right
Actor, drama: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
Actress, drama: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Actor, comedy/musical: Paul Giamatti, Barney’s Version
Actress, comedy/musical: Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Supporting actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Supporting actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Best director/motion picture: David Fincher, The Social Network
Animated feature film: Toy Story 3
Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Original song: Diane Warren, You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me (Burlesque)
Original score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Social Network
Foreign-language film: In a Better World (Denmark)
Cecil B. DeMille Award (for lifetime achievement): Robert De Niro
Television
Best drama series: Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Best comedy/musical series: Glee (Fox)
Actor, drama series: Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire (HBO)
Actress, drama series: Katey Sagal, Sons of Anarchy (FX)
Actor, comedy/musical series: Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Actress, comedy/musical series: Laura Linney, The Big C (Showtime)
Supporting actor in a series, miniseries or TV movie: Chris Colfer, Glee (Fox)
Supporting actress, series, miniseries or TV movie: Jane Lynch, Glee (Fox)
Actor, miniseries or TV movie: Al Pacino, You Don’t Know Jack (HBO)
Actress, miniseries or TV movie: Claire Danes, Temple Grandin (HBO)
Miniseries or TV movie: Carlos (Sundance Channel)

From the Golden Globes last night some…even Hollywood thinks “you know who” are gay.

Ricky Gervais Mocks Closeted Gay Scientologist Actors

Among Ricky Gervais’ first barbs of the night was this joke, aimed at speculation.

Source http://www.towleroad.com/2011/01/gervais.html

Iowa Chief Justice To Meet With Marriage Equality Critic

Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court Mark Cady has agreed to meet with bigot Chuck Hurley, one of the most vocal critics of Iowa’s introduction of marriage equality. Hurley, head of a new conservative group called The FAMiLY, says that he will take the opportunity to ask Cady to “pray and search his heart” and step down from the bench.

Hurley, who is a lawyer, says impeachment is a “big deal” that requires consideration, so The FAMily Leader organization isn’t ready to endorse impeaching the four justices who remain on the court. “They could help heal this state quickly and resolve this issue,” Hurley says, “and orderly resign over time.”

Cady revealed on Friday that he has no regrets about voting for marriage equality.

You may remember Hurley’s nonsensical claim last year that "secondhand impacts of certain homosexual acts are arguably more destructive, and potentially more costly to society than smoking."

More at http://www.towleroad.com/2011/01/chuck-hurley.html

Activists Protest Anti-Gay Pastor’s Book Signing In El Paso

Pastor Tom Brown, who claims that he can cure homosexuality, was the driving force behind last year’s ridiculous voter-approved ordinance in El Paso that would take away health benefits of gay and unwed domestic partners of city employees. Last week, a judge ruled that EL Paso can’t deny health benefits to any city employee calling it "unconstitutional." A final ruling is expected later this year.

Gay rights protesters, including several gay Christians, went to the Barnes and Noble location in that city to demonstrate and urge a boycott of the store due to an appearance by Brown who was there to sign copies of his new book.

The El Paso Times reports: "’He takes the teachings from the Bible and misconstrues them,’ said Daniel Rollings, a member of El Paso for Equality. ‘I’m openly gay and a Christian myself, and Christ does not teach hate. Tom Brown uses the Old Testament verse and Jewish cleanliness laws to make things about how one can be healed of homosexuality,’ Rollings said. Brown said he was surprised by the negative reaction his book-signing received from members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community."

More at http://www.towleroad.com/2011/01/brown.html

Model Confesses To Killing Gay Activist

More gruesome details have emerged from the murder of gay rights activist Carlos Castro. His alleged killer, a Portugese model, is being held without bail.

"The medical examiner’s office said the cause of death was trauma to the head and strangulation. Prosecutors charged Renato Seabra, 21, with one count of murder in the second degree."
"Seabra admitted to stabbing Castro with a corkscrew and cutting off his testicles, according to a criminal complaint unsealed on Friday just before the first court hearing in the case. Castro’s face had shoe impressions and bruising, the complaint said."
"Seabra was being held in Bellevue Hospital Center — local media said he had slashed his wrists — and was shown Friday’s hearing through video conference."

Source http://www.towleroad.com/2011/01/model-confesses-to-killing-gay-activist.html

Anderson Cooper And Pee Wee Herman On SNL

Last night’s SNL featured one of the funnier digital shorts this season. In it, Andy Samberg and Pee Wee Herman get drunk, hit the streets of New York and have a memorable run-in with Anderson Cooper

Pro-Gay Billboards Cause Stir In New York

Several billboards put up in Schenectady, NY that target the gay African-American community have roused some residents in that city. The ads were funded by the LGBT group In Our Voices.

The Times Union reports:

Tandra R. LaGrone, executive director of Albany-based In our Own Voices, said the group is sponsoring the awareness campaign because it is consistent with the mission of promoting the health and welfare of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people of color. "I thought it would be useful and pertinent to have the campaign in the Capital Region because of the numbers for HIV and AIDS among gay black males have has risen significantly," she said. "You have to start from a place of respect in order to address the stigma and homophobia of being a black gay man."

The most vocal critics have been leaders of local churches, who have obviously not yet overcome their own homophobia.

Pastor Richard Parsons of Consecration Temple Church of God Christ complained to the Times Union: "It’s directly against God’s word and what God hates, I hate."
Rev. Alfred Thompkins of Calvary Tabernacle told the Daily Gazette: “A thirteen-year-old looks at these billboards and says, ‘That must be it, I must be gay.’ That goes directly against God’s purpose. As a resident of Schenectady, a pastor who works with young people, with families, frankly I’m really bothered by the message these send."

http://www.towleroad.com/2011/01/billboards.html

More news from New York. Check out this girl, walking, texting and falling into a mall fountain.

Join me every Monday through Friday on the popular national show Talk It Out at 12 noon. http://www.outonline.com

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Pittsburgh 5th gayest, Rush, Hillary says NO, Mormons for Gay Rights?, Channing Tatum

14. January 2011 by admin.

Hillary Clinton still opposes gay marriage

By James Harrison, www.365gay.com

Hillary Clinton opposes prejudice, discrimination, hatred, violence and gay marriage

According to 365gay.com, current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently told the Advocate that while her husband might have recently changed his opinion about gay marriage, she made sure the magazine knew that “I have not changed my position.”

Hillary Clinton still opposes gay marriage. She wouldn’t elaborate on the subject, so it’s anyone’s guess as to why she’s opposed to prejudice but just not OK with supporting marriage equality.

Source http://www.365gay.com/news/wednesday-watercooler-hillary-clinton-still-opposes-gay-marriage/

GetEQUAL 2010 Recap Video

Rush Limbaugh ‘Straight Shooter’ Billboard

And, it’s in Tucson

Mormon Utah Lawmaker to Introduce Bill Banning Discrimination Against Gays Statewide

Utah State Senator Ben McAdams is set to introduce a bill that would outlaw discrimination against gay people in housing and employment, ABC4 reports:

It’s more than 30 pages and seeks to do what nearly a dozen Utah cities have already done - protect gays from discrimination and to do it statewide. McAdams explained it this way to ABC 4, "You cannot be fired based on your sexual orientation or you can’t be evicted based on your sexual orientation."
McAdams believes there is discrimination against gays. He also worries Utah is getting a bad reputation in this area. "I don’t think most people in Utah discriminate. I think the people of Utah are good people. But that’s not our perception around the country."

McAdams is a married Mormon.

More at http://www.towleroad.com/2011/01/mcadams.html

Bravo Says: We’re Not Developing Any Type of Gay ‘A-List’ Show

Despite reports last month that the show had already been cast, Bravo insists that it isn’t developing their own version of Logo’s ‘A-List’ that would be something like ‘The Real Gay Housewives’.

A North Carolina Lawmaker says Cut Off AIDS Funding to ‘Perverts’ Who ‘Caused It By The Way They Live’

North Carolina Rep. Larry Brown told the Winston-Salem Journal that the government should cut off AIDS funding for those who "caused it by the way they live."

Brown, R-Forsyth, made the comments when asked by the Winston-Salem Journal to talk about his goals for the N.C. General Assembly session set to begin this month. He began by discussing his support for a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to a union between one man and one woman, which would forestall any efforts to allow same-sex marriage.

He went on to say he thinks the government shouldn’t spend money to treat HIV among people "living in perverted lifestyles."

"I’m not opposed to helping a child born with HIV or something, but I don’t condone spending taxpayers’ money to help people living in perverted lifestyles," said Brown, who ran unopposed in the November election to win a fourth term.

Brown wouldn’t say Tuesday what he considers perverted, but did say that adults who get HIV through sexual behavior or drugs would be among those who should not be treated at government expense.

Brown was immediately criticized for his ignorance.

It’s apparently not the first time Brown has upset gays. In an email to House Minority leader Paul Stam regarding a leadership award that was being given to then-House Speaker Joe Hackney, Brown said, "I hope all the queers are thrilled to see him. I am sure there will be a couple legislative fruitloops there in the audience."

More at http://www.towleroad.com/2011/01/north-carolina-lawmaker-cut-off-aids-funding-for-perverts-who-caused-it-by-the-way-they-live.html

Nation’s first gay museum opens and it is not in the country’s 5^th gayest city.

The nation’s first gay museum opening in San Francisco’s Castro district showcases a variety of items ranging from Harvey Milk’s pink-framed sunglasses to manuscripts and sex toys.

The 1,600-square-foot museum, opened Wednesday, chronicles the evolution of what organizers call the liberation of the gay, bisexual and transgender community.

GLBT Historical Society executive director Paul Boneberg told the San Francisco Chronicle the society has a five-year lease for a formerly empty storefront.

The society is relying on donations and volunteers to keep the museum open.

http://www.365gay.com/news/nations-first-gay-museum-opens-in-san-francisco/

Pittsburgh already has a gay museum, it’s called the Warhol.

Channing Tatum Describes Being ‘Taken from Behind in a Very Sexual Way’ by Ron Howard

Channing Tatum boasts to Jimmy Kimmel about how he’s the only actor in Hollywood to have been sexually taken from behind by Ron Howard and his well-moisturized hands.

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11. January 2011 by admin.

Join me every Monday through Friday on the popular national show Talk It Out at 12 noon. http://www.outonline.com

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Baby It’s Cold Outside but getting hotter each moment

3. December 2010 by admin.

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Thursday update

2. December 2010 by admin.

Today’s guest on TALK IT OUIT on www.outonline.com is Jim Richards of Pittsburgh Memories. Pittsburgh Memories is an exhibit of rare historic photos of Downtown Pittsburgh during the Christmas holidays. It includes such remarkable images as the first Light-Up Night, the original Horne’s Tree and classic department store windows.

The exhibit officially opened Nov. 19 and runs through Jan. 7 at One Oxford Center in downtown Pittsburgh.

Illinois Senate Passes Civil Union Bill; Governor Has Promised to Sign

An historic day in the Land of Lincoln!

Following passage in the House yesterday, the Illinois Senate has passed the civil union bill in a 32-24-1 vote.

From Lambda Legal:

"The Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act, establishing legal protections for same-sex couples across the state.

"Same-sex couples in Illinois, many together for decades, will finally have the legal protections to take care of each other and their children," said Jim Bennett, Regional Director of Lambda Legal’s Midwest Regional Office in Chicago. "Same-sex couples and their families faced a range of barriers to things that other couples take for granted, including spousal health benefits and hospital visitation - the goal of this law is to correct those problems. While all couples deserve the right to marry, all of us in the Land of Lincoln can be proud of this important step forward."

The Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act, first introduced by Representative Greg Harris in March 2007, and in the Illinois Senate by Senator David Koehler, passed 61-52 in the House on Tuesday and 32-24 in the Senate yesterday. The new law includes provisions for hospital visitation and healthcare decision making.

Lambda Legal’s staff provided extensive legal analysis and drafting assistance for the Act approved yesterday, as well as public education and legislative advocacy pressing for its passage.

More at http://www.towleroad.com/2010/12/illinois-senate-passes-civil-union-bill-governor-has-promised-to-sign.html

Dan Savage on McCain’s Objections to DADT Repeal: He’s a Bigot

Dan Savage explains McCain’s objections to ‘DADT’ on Countdown

Ben Affleck Jokes About Gay Sex with Matt Damon

On Monday night’s Jimmy Kimmel, he and Ben Affleck eventually got to their favorite topic.

Johnny Depp: Jack Sparrow is Gay, as are All My Characters

In a new profile in Vanity Fair, Johnny Depp discusses Disney’s dislike of his Pirates of the Caribbean character Jack Sparrow.

The studio questioned him about the character’s sexuality, and he responded by telling them that all the characters he plays are gay:

“They couldn’t stand him. They just couldn’t stand him,” Depp says of Disney’s reaction to his controversial interpretation of Sparrow.

“I think it was Michael Eisner, the head of Disney at the time, who was quoted as saying, ‘He’s ruining the movie.’

Depp reveals, however, that he remained unfazed by the studio’s hysteria. “Upper-echelon Disney-ites, going, What’s wrong with him? Is he, you know, like some kind of weird simpleton?

Is he drunk? By the way, is he gay?… And so I actually told this woman who was the Disney-ite… ‘But didn’t you know that all my characters are gay?’ Which really made her nervous.”

Source http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2010/11/johnny-depp-talks-to-patti-smith-about-working-with-angelina-jolie-jack-sparrow-and-his-own-musical-aspirations.html

More http://www.towleroad.com/2010/11/johnny-depp-jack-sparrow-is-gay-as-are-all-my-characters.html

Virginia Wingnut Official Eugene Delgaudio Says TSA Pat-downs Promote the ‘Homosexual Agenda’

Eugene Delgaudio, one of Virginia’s most prominent wingnuts and an official on the Loudon County Board of Supervisors, is spouting off more nonsense again.

You may recall the hilarious fundraising letter that Delgaudio sent out in April for his group, the conservative non-profit organization Public Advocate of the U.S.

The letter, which warned of a "radical homosexual agenda," was also marked by passages one might characterize as homoerotic pulp fiction, Delgaudio’s retelling of a visit he made to some sort of radical homosexual petition factory.

Wrote Delgaudio in the letter:

"One stormy night I drove to a mailshop hidden deep in a nearly deserted stand of warehouses. I’d heard something was up and wanted to see for myself. As I rounded the final turn my eyes nearly popped. Tractor-trailers pulled up to loading docks, cars and vans everywhere and long-haired, earring-pierced men scurrying around running forklifts, inserters and huge printing presses. Trembling with worry I went inside. It was worse than I ever imagined. Row after row of boxes bulging with pro-homosexual petitions lined the walls, stacked to the ceiling. My mind reeled as I realized hundreds, maybe thousands, more boxes were already loaded on the tractor-trailers. And still more petitions were flying off the press."

Now, this nut has sent out an email warning that TSA pat-downs are part of this "homosexual agenda".

WUSA9 reports:

A widely distributed e-mail written by Delgaudio for the Public Advocate about TSA, claims the pat downs are part of a "Homosexual Agenda." And he criticizes TSA’s non-discrimination hiring policy.
"It’s the federal employee’s version of the Gay Bill of Special Rights… That means the next TSA official that gives you an ‘enhanced pat down’ could be a practicing homosexual secretly getting pleasure from your submission," Delgaudio wrote.

Delgaudio thinks about sex almost as much as "Porno Pete" LaBarbera from AFTAH. For both these guys, the thought of another man touching them near their man parts obviously stirs a passion in their loins so powerful they don’t know what to do with it. Instead of acting on it, they turn self-loathing into public action, and use it to try to ruin people’s lives.

You may recall that Delgaudio fought tooth and nail against an anti-discrimination ordinance in Loudon County, labeling transgender people "it" and "real life Tootsies".

Watch WUSA9’s report on Delgaudio

More at http://www.towleroad.com/2010/11/delgaudio.html

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