BRITAIN: House Of Commons Set To Approve Gay Marriage Bill TodayUPDATE: Bill Passes By 366-161 Vote!!!

Via the Telegraph:

The legalisation of gay marriage is poised to be approved by MPs today after surviving a Tory backbench bid to derail it. The Coalition avoided embarrassment after a last-minute deal with Labour to save the bill. Some 56 Conservative backbenchers - half the number predicted - backed a backbencher's amendment the Government warned could fatally delay the reform.

Eight Labour MPs, three Liberal Democrats and three SDLP members joined the Tory critics in the voting lobbies. But the move to extend civil partnerships to heterosexual couples was easily defeated in a free vote by a large majority of 370. If, as expected, it clears its final stages in the Commons today, the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill still faces stiff resistance in the House of Lords.

The final debate is taking place right now. Watch it live.

UPDATE: The vote result is coming any minute.

UPDATE II: The bill has PASSED by a 366-161 vote. On to the House Of Lords. 

NEW YORK CITY: Gay Bashing In Soho

The bad news keeps coming.

A gay couple was attacked early Tuesday in SoHo, hours after thousands marched to protest the killing of a gay man and several other bias attacks that have shaken the community, NBC 4 New York has learned. Law enforcement sources said the two men, 41 and 42, were walking on Broadway between Prince and Houston streets at about 5 a.m. when two men started yelling anti-gay remarks in English and Spanish. The victims are Hispanic. The men were both punched, and one suffered an eye injury, sources said. Police said two men, 32 and 33, were arrested and face a charge of assault as a hate crime.

That makes 25 anti-gay attacks so far in 2013.

NYPD Steps Up Patrols In Gayborhoods

In reaction to the continuing spree of anti-gay hate crimes, the NYPD announced today that they have increases patrols in the West Village, Chelsea, and Hell's Kitchen.

The patrols — which will feature mobile command units — were announced in response to the shooting death of Mark Carson, 32, Saturday, allegedly by a man spewing homophobic slurs. The increased police presence will last at least until the end of June, which is LGBT pride month.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, other Democratic mayoral candidates and gay leaders also led a massive rally yesterday in Greenwich Village, where Carson was shot while walking with his partner. “The family would like to have justice be served, so that Mark’s death is not in vain,” said the victim’s aunt, Flourine Bompars, one of about 1,000 marchers.

The killer's family continues to defend him.

Morales’ family said he was blitzed on ecstasy and booze that night and had no memory of the savage attack. “It’s a lie to say he hates people,’’ said Morales’ bisexual sister, Edith Gutierrez. “We’re not a prejudiced family. We have African-Americans, Dominicans, gays and Mexicans in our family.’’ Morales is being held at Rikers without bail on charges of second-degree murder as a hate crime, menacing and criminal weapons possession.

Counting last night's attack in the East Village, there have now been 24 anti-gay attacks since the beginning of the year, a 70% increase over the number recorded to this date in 2012.

Dan Savage On Birth Control

FRANCE: Anti-Gay Marriage Activist Commits Suicide Inside Notre Dame

An elderly anti-gay activist shot himself in the head today after placing a letter on the altar of Paris' famed Notre Dame Cathedral.

It's the first suicide in decades at the landmark site, Monsignor Patrick Jacquin told The Associated Press. "It's unfortunate, it's dramatic, it's shocking," Jacquin said. The motives for the suicide, and the contents of the man's letter, were unclear.  A police official says officers closed the cathedral to the public and were investigating. It's highly unusual for the cathedral, visited by some 13 million people from around the world every year, to be evacuated. Police, the Paris prosecutor and church employees gathered inside the cathedral, while puzzled tourists crowded outside on the island in the Seine River that has been home to the cathedral since the 12th century.

The contents of the letter have not yet been disclosed, but one source reports that the dead man had blogged earlier today against France's just-approved same-sex marriage bill.

UPDATE: Via Google Translate, here is (approximately) what the man wrote today on his blog.

Protesters are due May 26, will have to scream their impatience and anger. An infamous law, once passed, can always be repealed.  I just listened to an Algerian blogger: "In any case, he said, in fifteen years the Islamists are in power in France and it will remove this law." Not to make us happy, we suspect, but because it is contrary to Sharia (Islamic law). This is the only common point superficially between the European tradition (that respects the woman) and Islam (which does not respect). But the bald assertion of the Algerian is chilling. Consequences shook otherwise giant and catastrophic that detestable Taubira law.

UPDATE II: More on the scene at Notre Dame.

A right-wing historian shot himself dead in front of hundreds of tourists at the altar of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris today, apparently in protest at France's legalisation of gay marriage. Dominique Venner, who had recently been campaigning against gay marriage in France, is said to have calmly walked past the crowds milling around the 850-year-old Cathedral, one of the most popular tourist sites in the world, before taking out a Herstal automatic pistol.

The 78-year-old put the gun in his mouth and fired before collapsing on to the altar, according to French media reports. A report by Europe 1 radio station reads: 'According to our information, he is Dominique Venner, essayist and former member of the OAS who was close to the anti-gay marriage movement.' The Cathedral was full of visitors when the horrific incident took place, at around 4pm.

UPDATE III: JMG reader John found more of Venner's blogging before the suicide.

[Preventing marriage equality] certainly will require new, spectacular, and symbolic actions to wake up the sleep walkers, shake the anaesthetized consciousness, and awaken the memory of our origins. We are entering a time when words must be authenticated by acts.  It is here and now that our destiny is played until the final second. And this final second has as much importance as the rest of a life. That is why we need to be ourselves until the very last instant.

A Tale Of Two Shootings

Via Memeograph.

Peace Corps Seeks Gay Couples

The Peace Corps has issued a press release that invites same-sex couples to apply to serve overseas together.

Peace Corps Deputy Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet today announced that the agency will begin accepting applications from same-sex domestic partners who want to serve together as volunteers overseas. Same-sex couples may begin the application process starting Monday, June 3.  “Service in the Peace Corps is a life-defining leadership experience for Americans who want to make a difference around the world,” Deputy Director Hessler-Radelet said. “I am proud that the agency is taking this important step forward to allow same-sex domestic partners to serve overseas together.”

The press release also notes: "The Peace Corps requires formal documentation for all couples who want to serve, and same-sex domestic partners will be required to sign an affidavit before leaving for service that will act as verification of their relationship."

Another Gay Bashing In New York City

There has been yet another gay bashing in New York City, this time in the East Village. Bruce Yelk reports at Nightlife Gay:

Shock, outrage, anger sums up how I am feeling today as one of my very good friends was gay bashed last night in New York City. Dan Contarino, former promoter of Shampoo Nightclub's "Shaft" Fridays, was jumped last night at Avenue D & 4th Street. Allegedly, witnesses are reporting the assailant was yelling "faggot" as he was kicking and beating Dan. Neighbors rushed to Dan's aid and chased after the attacker but unfortunately he got away. The police are investigating the assault now and have not determine it a hate crime.

Just last night thousands of LGBT New Yorkers and allies marched through the West Village in the memory of Mark Carson.  (Tipped by JMG reader Nick)

UPDATE: Contrarino writes this afternoon on Facebook: "UGH.... THIS IS JUST AS BRUTAL AS the ATTACK.... 3 hours... 8 detective interviews... now waiting for Hate Crimes Unit main interview... THEN BACK TO HOSPITAL...."

BRITAIN: Anti-Gay Group Issues Another "Urgent" Call To Pray Against Marriage

The House Of Commons is set to finalize the approval of same-sex marriage around 7PM London time. The Coalition 4 Marriage has just posted an "urgent call" for Christians to gather outside Parliament beginning at 5PM local time for a last-ditch plea to God, who is presently busy destroying Oklahoma.

Gay Man Appointed Head Of APA

In move that will surely inflame the religious right, the American Psychiatric Association has appointed an openly gay man as its new CEO.

Dr. Saul Levin, who last year became the first openly gay head of the D.C. Department of Health, was named on May 15 as the new chief executive officer and medical director of the American Psychiatric Association. An APA spokesperson said Levin, a psychiatrist who has specialized in substance abuse treatment, becomes the first known out gay person to head the APA, which was founded in 1844 and represents more than 33,000 psychiatric physicians in the U.S. and abroad.

(Tipped by JMG reader Jack)

Young Professionals Back Campaign To Bring The 2018 Gay Games To Paris

Popular dance act The Young Professionals is backing the campaign to bring the 2018 Gay Games to Paris.

(Tipped by JMG reader Bill)

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of the Karpel Group, today's Swag Tuesday prize is Pale Green Ghosts, the new album by openly gay and openly HIV+ artist John Grant. Pale Green Ghosts is now on sale.   From the review on Pitchfork:

Grant's regal baritone makes his sadness and his anger sound that much more serious-- but throughout the album there's some delight mixed in with all the spite, a sadistic little smirk lodged in the flesh-ripping sarcasm. On "GMF", he flips between braggadocio ("But I am the greatest motherfucker that you’re ever going to meet") and backhands ("You think I hate myself but it’s you I hate"). "Remember how we used to fuck all night long?" he asks on "You Don't Have To", only to answer, "Neither do I." It's eviscerating and almost funny, but maybe not ha-ha funny. On the chorus of "Vietnam" he extends the metaphor of just how his ex has laid his life to waste, but the real decimation comes with the outro: "And the only thing that brings me any comfort/ Is the knowledge that no matter who you’re with/ You’ll always be alone." Grant is plummeting to the depths, and exacting payback through incisive emotional terror as he goes down.

We have three copies of Pale Green Ghosts to give away. Enter to win by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave an email address. Entries close at midnight on Thursday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Archie Comics Taunts One Million Moms

The coming issue of Kevin Keller from Archie Comics was written partly as a jab at One Million Moms, according to author Dan Parent.

Parent said he wrote the story after efforts to remove a comic magazine showing Keller getting married drew at complaints. One Million Moms, a project of The American Family Association, asked Toys R Us not to display “Life With Archie” No. 16 near its checkout aisles. Toys R Us did not, and the issue went on to sell out its print run. Parent called the new story a “playful poke” at the protest. Publisher and co-CEO Jon Goldwater said the fact that any kiss is being shown in the pages of an Archie Comics book is a step in and of itself.

Tweet Of The Day - Matt Barber

Comments from the Breitbart story that Barber links include "good fucking riddance" and "nothing of value was lost."

New Posters From Manif Pour Tous

Manif Pour Tous has posted sample images to be used at their anti-gay rally on May 26th.  Many more examples at the link.

PUERTO RICO: Man Arrested For Bomb Threat Against Gay Rights Rally

The FBI has arrested a man who tweeted a bomb threat against a planned LGBT rights rally in Puerto Rico. The tweet was directed at well-known activist Pedro Julio Serrano.

Joseph Morales was taken into custody at his home in San Juan on a charge of cyberbullying for allegedly posting the threatening message on May 6, according to Special Agent Moises Quinones, a spokesman for the FBI in the U.S. island territory.  The suspect was expected to make an initial appearance before a federal judge Monday on the charge, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Morales has not entered a plea and did not yet have a lawyer, Quinones said. Morales has acknowledged he posted a Twitter message in Spanish that included the words "watch out during the demonstration, it can end like in Boston," the FBI said in a statement. The message was directed at Pedro Julio Serrano, a well-known activist in Puerto Rico who was planning to attend an upcoming demonstration in support of gay rights legislation in the territory.

NY1 On Yesterday's Hate Crime March

Late Lesbian Astronaut Sally Ride To Get Posthumous Medal Of Freedom

President Obama revealed yesterday that he will honor late astronaut Sally Ride with the Medal Of Freedom. Via White House press release:

The Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. President Obama said, “We remember Sally Ride not just as a national hero, but as a role model to generations of young women. Sally inspired us to reach for the stars, and she advocated for a greater focus on the science, technology, engineering and math that would help us get there. Sally showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve, and I look forward to welcoming her family to the White House as we celebrate her life and legacy.”

Ride was outed after her death last July when her obituary mentioned her longtime partner.

OMM Vs The Mistresses

"Dear Joe, ABC continues to produce inappropriate programs, and plans to add to that growing list. We have already contacted sister network ABC Family concerning the new show The Fosters, and now we need to let ABC know of our disapproval of their newest program Mistresses. One character even gets involved with another woman. A show full of adultery, cheating and lies is the last influence our society needs. Even though the program airs a little later in the evening, it is not late enough since the bedroom scenes are completely soft p*rn. Hollywood is continuing to push casual s*x as acceptable when Scripture states clearly it is a sin. As Christians, the Bible also says that we must speak up against sin. If we remain silent, we are accepting it and are guilty of sin also. One Million Moms is determined to clean up broadcast airwaves." - One Million Moms leader Monica Cole, via email.

Headline Of The Day

We knew this was going to happen.

Ray Manzarek Dies At 74

Ray Manzarek, founding member of the iconic band The Doors, has died at the age of 74.

Manzarek founded The Doors after meeting then-poet Jim Morrison in California. The band went on to become one of the most successful rock 'n' roll acts to emerge from the 1960s and continues to resonate with fans decades after Morrison's death brought the band to an end. The Doors sold more than 100 million albums worldwide on hits like "Hello, I Love You," "Riders on the Storm," "Light My Fire," and "Break On Through to the Other Side." Manzarek, a Chicago native, continued to remain active in music after Morrison's 1971 death. He briefly tried to hold the band together by serving as vocalist, but eventually the group fell apart. He played in other bands over the years, produced other acts, became an author and worked on films.

Just Two Men Who Do Si Do

God Sent AIDS & Meningitis

"I've gone on record before, and I'll say it again: I think Romans 1:27 is one of the reasons that we'll never find a complete cure for AIDS; and if we do there will be another disease pop up like this bacterial meningitis because the Bible says this, Romans 1:27 says 'men committed shameful acts with other men, sexual acts, and received in themselves the due penalty for the error.' God says there is a penalty in your own body when you do this kind of sexual acts - the Bible calls them shameful sexual acts - and so we as Christians have to have that same position, regardless of what the culture says." - Discredited "historian" David Barton, speaking on Christian radio.

NEW YORK CITY: West Village Streets Closed For Massive Anti-Hate Crimes Rally"Say His Name: MARK CARSON!"

BRITAIN: Anti-Gay Christian Group Prays Against Marriage Outside Parliament

REPORT: The Votes Are There In Illinois

Windy City Times has an update from Illinois:

With the end of the Illinois' spring legislation session just days away, LGBT leaders say that equal marriage legislation has the support needed to pass by month's end. Sponsors have until May 31 to pass the "Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act," which would allow all couples, regardless of their gender, to marry. Failing that deadline, the bill's passage would be delayed for months. LGBT groups pushing for the bill say they are ready to see it come up for a vote. "I have absolutely no doubt we're going to be done with this by May 31," said Jim Bennett, Midwest regional director for Lambda Legal. "I believe that this bill is going to pass."

Bennett adds that vote could be called and passed "any day."

Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

Clip recap: "Minnesota passes a marriage bill, bringing the total to twelve states with the freedom to marry. Can we make it thirteen? Time's running out for Illinois to pass its marriage bill this year. And even with public support for marriage soaring, numerous states may be stuck with marriage bans for years to come."

TODAY: West Village Protest Rally And March In Honor Of Mark Carson

From the New York City LGBT Community Center:

On Monday evening we will gather on the steps of the Center, along with the Anti-Violence Project, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, community members, other elected officials, and LGBT community leaders and allies, and march to the site of Friday's shooting to demand an end to hate crimes against our community. At the end of the march, we will rally to denounce hate violence, call for justice and to mourn the death of Mark Carson. Please join us, and help spread the word. New York is our city, and we aren’t going backward. Join us on Monday evening to honor Mark and help ensure everyone hears our message.

MARCH AND RALLY IN RESPONSE TO LGBT HATE CRIMES – Monday, May 20th at 5:30 p.m. beginning at the Center, 208 W 13th Street, and proceeding to West 8th Street and 6th Avenue.

Say his name: MARK CARSON.

Headline Of The Day

The BBC has the story:

The Church of Scotland's ruling General Assembly has voted to allow actively gay men and women to become ministers. Assembly commissioners in Edinburgh voted in favour of a proposal that allows liberal parishes to opt out of the church's policy on homosexuality. The decision will have to be endorsed by the church's regional presbyteries and officially approved next year. Divisions were caused when the first openly homosexual minister was appointed by the Kirk four years ago. Two congregations and six ministers broke away.

(Tipped by JMG reader David)

BRITAIN: House Of Commons Begins "Report Stage" Of Marriage Bill

The House Of Commons has begun debate of the Report Stage of its marriage equality bill. The official website of Parliament provides the above chart of how the bill is due to progress. The BBC reports:

Proposals to legalise same-sex marriage in England and Wales are being debated, with ministers pledging to press on despite opposition from some MPs. MPs gave their support in principle to the landmark change in February but are now discussing proposed amendments. Conservative critics have tabled a proposal to allow heterosexual couples to enter into civil partnerships, if gay couples are allowed to get married.

Ministers warn this could delay the bill and cost billions of pounds. As the legislation returned to the Commons on Monday, Downing Street played down any suggestions the bill would be dropped, saying the government "has a legislative programme and it is getting on with it".

The Marriage Bill was approved by a 225-vote majority when it was last debated by MPs in February, but nearly half of all Tories voted against it and many party activists remain deeply opposed to it in principle.

Watch the debate live here.

VIRGINIA: GOP Nominates Anti-Gay Crackpot To Be Lieutenant Governor

This weekend the Virginia Republican Party officially nominated vicious anti-gay activist E.W. Jackson to be Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's running mate in the November gubernatorial race. Today Right Wing Watch posted a recap of statements by Jackson, many of which have appeared here on JMG over the last two years.  RWW writer Brian Tashman:

Jackson on gays and lesbians:

• Referred to gays and lesbians as “perverted,” “degenerate,” “spiritually darkened” and “frankly very sick people psychologically, mentally and emotionally.”
• Said regarding homosexuality: “it poisons culture, it destroys families, it destroys societies; it brings the judgment of God unlike very few things that we can think of.”
• Argued that gays seek to “sexualize [children] at the earliest possible age” and use “totalitarian” tactics.
• Claimed gays are hurting black women: “I’ve heard a lot of young black ladies that a lot of young black men seem to be gay. I’ve heard them complain about it, they say ‘so many of these guys are homosexuals’ and they are frankly frustrated by it.”
• Demanded the reinstitution of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell : “The military has been decimated by this lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender policy that has now been implemented. It’s an abomination and it’s only going to weaken us militarily and they need to undo it,” warning that the policy’s repeal is a “disaster of historic proportions.”
• Contended that homosexuality is “killing black men by the thousands” and said of gay rights advocates: “what they’re promoting is killing people.”
• Called GLSEN founder and anti-bullying activist Kevin Jennings a “radical homosexual activist” who should have been “imprisoned” in a letter demanding he resign as head of the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools.
• Said there is a “direct connection” between gays and pedophilia.

RELATED: Cuccinelli himself is a roiling cesspool of anti-gay animus. You may recall that recently he fought unsuccessfully to keep Virginia's ban on sodomy. In 2011 Cuccinelli ordered Virginia's Board Of Social Services to deny adoption rights to same-sex couples. That same year he fired an Atlanta law firm because it had refused to defend DOMA for the GOP.  In 2010 he declared that "gays are a detriment to our culture." Defying long-standing tradition, Cuccinelli has refused to step down as attorney general during his run for governor.

Anti-Gay Groups Remain Silent On New York City's Violent Hate Crime Spree

(Via Memograph)

Right Wing Nutjob: President Obama Needs To Come Out Of The Closet

HomoQuotable - Michelangelo Signorile

"For years, those who are anti-gay have been emboldened by the often hateful declarations of homophobic religious leaders and by the attacks by groups like the National Organization for Marriage, which have demeaned gays. After decades of struggle, we're finally beating them back in the courts, in legislatures and even at the ballot box. And perhaps the frustration and anger by those who oppose us is now further empowering the thugs who take their hate and rage to the streets.

"We sometimes forget that getting laws passed and getting court rulings declared is, comparatively, the easy part -- as monumentally difficult as that has been and continues to be. One reason we in fact get the laws passed, in addition to protecting ourselves, is to change attitudes for future generations. But that part doesn't happen overnight and surely not without a backlash, which can sometimes be violent, as it has been in just about every other movement for equality. The hate is still out there and the haters are getting more desperate. Our worst enemies right now are complacency and the seductive message that we've 'arrived.'" - Michelangelo Signorile, responding to New York City's anti-gay hate crime spree in an essay for the Huffington Post.

More On Georgia's Anti-Gay Riot

As I reported over the weekend, on Friday an anti-gay mob of 20,000 rioters chased 50 gay rights activists through the streets of Georgia's capital of Tbilisi.  Today the New York Times tracks the government's non-response.

Some of the priests leading the rock-throwing throngs who stormed past police cordons could be seen participating in the melee; one repeatedly slammed a stool into the windshield of one of several minibuses trying to carry the marchers to safety, while another punched marchers and tried to drag a driver out of a bus. Some gave their names in interviews.

But as of Sunday, the Georgian police have made no arrests, and there are few signs that the investigation is moving forward.  Instead, a bishop who helped to organize the mass turnout — ostensibly a counterprotest — said from the pulpit that while the violence was “regrettable” and those who committed it should be punished, the Georgian Orthodox Church was obligated to protest the gay rights rally and would “not allow anyone to humiliate us.”

Georgia's Prime Minister did issue a statement yesterday in which he denounced the rioters, but he's taken no further apparent action. The head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, whose priests organized the anti-gay protest, is unapologetic.

Ilia II, the Georgian Orthodox patriarch, is widely acknowledged to be the most popular figure in the country. He offered no sermon on Sunday, but on Friday, after the violence, he urged protesters to leave the streets and for both sides “to pray for one another.” “We do not accept violence,” he said, according to Interfax. “But it’s also unacceptable to give propaganda” to homosexuality. A day earlier, he had urged the Georgian government to ban the gay rights march, writing that the majority of Georgians saw gay activism as “an insult.” Outside of the Tbilisi church where Bishop Iakobashvili spoke Sunday, Elza Kurtanidze, 34, a former schoolteacher, said that she had spent the last days “hotly” debating if those who attacked the marchers should be punished. “We have already gone too far by having gays and lesbians openly promoting their way of life,” she said. “This is unacceptable! By allowing things like this, we let Georgia turn from the road of its traditional destiny.”

TODAY: SiriusXM At 2:30PM

Today at 2:30pm I'll be on Michelangelo Signorile's SiriusXM show to talk about some of the latest LGBT-related news items. The gays are on channel 109 and you can listen live online if you sign up for a freebie account. What are your top five gay news items of the last week?

Martha Wash At AIDS Walk New York

JMG reader Wayne sends us his video of Martha Wash performing You'll Never Walk Alone at yesterday's AIDS Walk New York. The second clip is Alex Newell's stirring rendition of I Know Where I'm Going. Newell plays Unique on Glee.

Today's Top Trending Topic On Twitter

Above is the most popular response to today's #1 trending topic on Twitter.  Another example: "It's never on a car parked in a business park or office complex between the hours of 9-5." And another: "I let the air out of their tires, because air was meant to be shared by everyone." Democrats are getting their shots in too: "Awkward; Repubs start a hashtag, don't know grammar. An Obama bumper sticker. Holla!" 

Yahoo Buys Tumblr

The New York Times reports:

The board of Yahoo, the faded Web pioneer, agreed on Sunday to buy the popular blogging service Tumblr for about $1.1 billion in cash, the companies announced Monday, a signal of how the company plans to reposition itself as the technology industry makes a headlong rush into social media. The deal would be the largest acquisition of a social networking company in years, surpassing Facebook’s $1 billion purchase of Instagram last year.

Tumblr reportedly hosts about 100 million blogs. Yahoo bought Flickr in 2005. Today's deal will earn 26 year-old Tumblr founder David Karp an estimated $250M.

China Arrests Gay Activist

Via the Associated Press:

Police in central China have detained the 18-year-old organizer of a gay pride march in a sign of the government's nervousness over a growing civil society movement and demands for stronger individual rights. The man, identified only by his surname Xiang, was detained following the Friday event in the city of Changsha and ordered to serve 12 days in a detention center for organizing an illegal march, according to a notice on the local police's microblog account.

The below report is from South African television.

(Via Steve Rothaus)

Paging You-Know-Who

(Tipped by JMG reader Elroy)

Former Aussie PM Reverses On Marriage

"I have come to the conclusion that church and state can have different positions and practices on the question of same sex marriage. I believe the secular Australian state should be able to recognise same sex marriage. I also believe that this change should legally exempt religious institutions from any requirement to change their historic position and practice that marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman. For me, this change in position has come about as a result of a lot of reflection, over a long period of time, including conversations with good people grappling with deep questions of life, sexuality and faith." - Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, writing on his personal site.

Rudd was Prime Minister from late 2007 until June 2010, then spent two years as Foreign Minister in the cabinet of current Pride Minister Julia Gillard. He is presently a member of Parliament.

Improv Everywhere: Subway Talk Show

NYC Prosecutors: Killer Of Mark Carson Laughed And Boasted To Cops

New York City prosecutors reported yesterday that the killer of Mark Carson laughed and boasted about his crime during his arrest.

“Yeah, I shot him in the head,” sneered Elliot Morales, 33, while “laughing on the ground” when cops were handcuffing him for shooting Mark Carson, 32, early Saturday morning. Morales today was held without bail on charges of second-degree murder as a hate crime, menacing and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, court records show. He is accused of harassing Carson and a pal while they were walking on Sixth Avenue near West Eighth Street around midnight on Saturday. “Look at these faggots,” said Morales, who was accompanied by two friends, according to police.

The New York Times reports that Morales is now claiming to have no memory of the murder.

Mr. Morales’s sister, Edith Gutierrez, said she did not believe he could have committed a bias crime — they have relatives who are gay, she said, and Mr. Morales had shown no signs of homophobia. She also said that when Mr. Morales telephoned her from jail on Sunday, “he said he doesn’t remember anything; he was under the influence, he was drinking.” Mr. Morales, 33, said nothing at his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on Sunday. Judge Robert Stolz ordered him held without bail and scheduled another hearing for Thursday.

Although only 33 years-old, Morales has already spent ten years in prison on a robbery conviction. Police are questioning Morales' two companions on the night of the murder and say that the men are "cooperating witnesses" and not suspected accomplices.

VERY RELATED: Carson was killed with a Taurus six-shot .38 revolver. On its website, Taurus notes that such guns come with a "free one year NRA membership." Dealers sell the weapon for $300. New York City detectives report finding a second gun during a search of Morales' home and described it as a "Serbian-made Zastava assault weapon."

Zastava sells numerous military-grade weapons, including machine guns, submachine guns, and "automatic grenade launchers."

Wikipedia describes the Zastava M21 assault rifle: "It has a magazine capacity of 30 rounds. The cyclic rate of fire is 680 rounds per minute, and the sustained rate of fire is 120 rounds/min."

Prior to murdering Mark Carson, Morales made a bizarre claim to a West Village bartender, telling him, "Don't you know I'm wanted? Do you know about the shooting in Sandy Hook?" The NYPD and the FBI are surely investigating what else Morales may have been planning.

Obama's Approval Rating Unaffected

Despite all of the GOP screaming in recent weeks, a CNN poll released yesterday shows that the president's approval rating has improved slightly or stayed the same.

According to the survey, which was conducted Friday and Saturday, 53% of Americans say they approve of the job the president is doing, with 45% saying they disapprove. The president's approval rating was at 51% in CNN's last poll, which was conducted in early April. "That two-point difference is well within the poll's sampling error, so it is a mistake to characterize it as a gain for the president," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Nonetheless, an approval rating that has not dropped and remains over 50% will probably be taken as good news by Democrats after the events of the last week."

CNN's poll result mirrors the one released last week by Gallup.

Married After 48 Years Together

This weekend our own Father Tony married Fort Lauderdale residents Mike and Ray, who met 48 years ago at a gay bar in New Jersey.  The ceremony, which took place at Central Park's Bethesda Fountain, was attended by eight friends of the grooms and was accompanied by a violinist. In lieu of the traditional stipend for officiating, the couple happily agreed to Tony's usual suggestion of a donation to the Ali Forney Center.  Tony adds: "You should have seen the faces of the three young gay couples who happened by us at the fountain. They remained with us through out the whole ceremony, and you could see in their faces amazing respect for these 'older' men who, as Ray said in his vows to Mike, are entering 'the final phase of our life together.'"

BRITAIN: 500 Imams Sign Joint Letter Denouncing Same-Sex Marriage

A coalition of more than 500 imams have signed a joint letter denouncing Britain's pending same-sex marriage bill.  The Telegraph calls the letter "the first time that Muslim leaders have made a collective intervention on the issue and underlines the strength of feeling among ethnic minority voters." Here is an excerpt:

Marriage is a sacred contract between a man and a woman that cannot be redefined. We believe that marriage between a man and a woman is the cornerstone of family life and the only institution within which to raise children.  We are concerned that this radical change to the institution of marriage will impact on what is taught in schools. Muslim teachers will be forced into the contradictory position of holding private beliefs, while teaching a new legal definition of marriage. Muslim parents will be robbed of their right to raise their children according to their beliefs, as gay relationships are taught as something normal to their primary-aged children.

Today the House Of Commons will begin debate on its third and final reading of the bill. The debate is expected to last through tomorrow. The bill has not yet been heard in the House Of Lords.

RELATED: In January over 1000 British Catholic priests co-signed a similar letter.

Wingnut Radio Host Pete Santilli Calls For Shooting Hillary Clinton In The Vagina

"I want to shoot her right in the vagina and I don’t want her to die right away; I want her to feel the pain and I want to look her in the eyes and I want to say, on behalf of all Americans that you’ve killed, on behalf of the Navy SEALS, the families of Navy SEAL Team Six who were involved in the fake hunt down of this Obama, Obama bin Laden thing, that whole fake scenario, because these Navy SEALS know the truth, they killed them all. On behalf of all of those people, I’m supporting our troops by saying we need to try, convict, and shoot Hillary Clinton in the vagina." - Pete Santilli, speaking on his radio show.

Mediaite provides some background: "Santilli, whose website describes himself as a former U.S. marine and Coca-Cola Executive, has previously espoused conspiracy theories about 9/11, the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, and President George H.W. Bush’s involvement in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy."

Yesterday Santilli tweeted that he'd also like to see the president shot in the balls.

Crazy Eyes Launches 2014 Ads

Michele Bachmann came thisclose to losing her House seat in November and she's already launched her first television ads of the 2014 campaign.

Bachmann, a conservative firebrand who waged an unsuccessful 2012 presidential campaign, has bought around $85,000 in TV airtime in the suburban Twin Cities area, National Journal reported, citing Federal Communications Commission records and an ad-buying source. The purchase comes at a remarkably early point in the 2014 cycle — House members do not typically begin running commercials until the year of the election — and indicates how seriously the congresswoman is taking her reelection. Bachmann is facing a rematch against Democrat Jim Graves, a hotel company executive who came within just 5,000 votes — or 1.2 percentage points — of defeating her last year.

Hit the link to watch the clip.

CBN Apologizes For Pat Robertson

Last week Pat Robertson earned national headlines when he counseled a woman to ignore her husband's cheating because, "Well, he's a man."  His own network, the Christian Broadcasting Network has issued a statement of regret.  Kind of.

"As a first step in the process, Dr. Robertson stated that she should stop dwelling on the cheating. Next, he recommended that she remind herself of all the reasons she fell in love with him in the first place so that she might try to fall back in love with him all over again. Lastly, his point was that everyone is human and there is much temptation outside of the home, so she should do whatever she can to strengthen their home and relationship. His intent was not to condone infidelity or to cast blame. We regret any misunderstanding."

One man, one woman, for life. Except for that middle one. And that last one.

NYC's Luxury Condo Boom Accelerates

Pads for jillionaires are going up everywhere.

Ultraluxury housing and construction is booming across Manhattan, which is now beginning to rival London in popularity with the world’s wealthy. The number of condominium buildings in the borough with apartments selling for more than $15 million has risen to 49, up from 33 in 2009, according to CityRealty. And an additional 20 or so are under construction or in planning. The growth in high-end projects in Manhattan comes as housing for the working and middle class is in increasingly short supply in the city. These buildings are proving so profitable that they are warping the local real-estate market, making it more difficult to put up more-affordable housing.

Key quote from the article: "There are only two markets, ultraluxury and subsidized housing."

FLORIDA: 18 Year-Old Girl Arrested & Expelled For Sex With 15 Year-Old Girl

Kaitlyn Hunt, 18, has been arrested and charged with sexual battery for the consensual relationship she had with a 15 year-old female fellow classmate that began when she was 17. The charges were brought after the younger girl's parents filed a complaint with the police after Hunt turned 18.  Hunt has also been expelled from her Florida high school.

Kelley Hunt Smith said it's been a nightmare since her daughter, 18-year-old Kaitlyn Hunt, was arrested on a charge of "lewd and lascivious battery of a child 12 to 16 years old." "She's scared to death, she can't sleep," said Smith, from her and Kaitlyn's home on Sunday night. Smith said Kaitlyn became friends with an underaged female student at Sebastian River High School at the beginning of the school year.  "They began a dating relationship," Smith recalled. "Never in my mind did I consider what that meant." Kaitlyn, a former cheerleader and basketball player, was expelled from school after the arrest. Smith hopes what she calls the "overwhelming" online support could somehow help get Kaitlyn's charge dropped. Their family's "Free Kate" Facebook page has more than 14,000 members, and their change.org petition has more than 40,000 signatures.

West Palm Beach's WPTV reports that prosecutors have offered Hunt a plea deal which includes two years of house arrest. Florida's age of consent is 18, but "close age" relationships are exempt if the older party is under 24 and the younger is 16 or older.  Should she go to trial and lose, Hunt faces up to 15 years in prison and could be forever branded as a sexual predator.

Hunt's mother writes on the Change.org petition site:

Kailtyn’s girlfriend’s parents are pressing charges because they are against the same-sex relationship, even though their daughter has stated that this is a consensual relationship. The two girls began dating while Kaitlyn was 17 but her girlfriend’s parents blamed Kailtyn for their daughter’s homosexuality. They waited until after Kaitlyn turned 18 and went to the police to have charges brought against her.

The "Free Kate" Facebook page is here.