Saturday, August 23, 2008

Golden Gay: Matthew Mitcham, Australia's Out Olympic Diver Wins Gold

In what is being hailed as one of the most tremendous upsets of the Beijing Olympics, openly gay Australian diver Matthew Mitcham won a gold medal today after his string of perfect 10's recorded the highest scoring dive in Olympic history.
Mitcham's pulled off a stunning final dive in the 10 metre platform, scoring an incredible four perfect 10s, to steal the gold off favourite Chinese diver Luxin Zhou. Mitcham finished with 537.95 points. It was a massive upset defeating the premiere and form Chinese divers Liang Huo and Luxin Zhou in front fierce home crowd.

Mitcham, 20, battled depression, retired in his teenage years after physical and emotional burn-out, then just nine months later resumed his sport in 2007. Last night his triumphant return to the sport was crowned with gold. His coach Chava Sobrino, who encouraged Mitcham back into the sport, elatedly embraced diver and Mitcham broke down in tears.

It was late 2006 that Mitcham lost passion for diving and suffering depression he quit. During his hiatus from the sport last year to make money he plunged from a tower 14 metres high into a pool of water for crowds at the Royal Easter Show in Sydney. That job reignited his passion for the sport.

One person who has been by his side for the entire tumultuous and now brilliant journey is his partner, Lachlan, he was in the crowd last night courtesy of a Johnson & Johnson Olympic sponsorship. Mitcham is one of only a few "out" gay athletes in Beijing and the first Australian to openly declare his homosexuality going into an Olympics.
Mitcham, age 20, is now expected to be a star of Australia's 2012 team in London.UPDATE: Here's a clip of Mitcham being interviewed with his mother after his win as his boyfriend stands next him. Very nice to see the two boys hugging each other in front of the international sports press.

Labels: , , , , ,


McCain On Obama-Biden


John McCain uses Joe Biden's own words to attack Obama. There's always some of this when running mates are former candidates.

Labels: , ,


It's Joe Biden

Confirmed via CNN at 12:45am EST.

Earlier tonight
:
The United States Secret Service has dispatched a protective detail to assume the immediate protection of Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., a source tells ABC News, indicating in all likelihood that Biden has been officially notified that Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, has selected him to be his running mate.

Sources also tell ABC News that two others said to be finalists for the position of Obama's running mate -- Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and Virginia Gov Tim Kaine -- have been told they have not been selected for the vice presidential slot.Kaine flew to Denver earlier today, is in Denver tonight and has no plans to leave in the next 24 hours. Bayh is at his Washington, DC, home with his family.

Biden was last seen minutes ago at his Wilmington estate where his extended brood is gathering.
UPDATE: Via New York Times:
Senator Barack Obama has chosen Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware to be his running-mate, turning to a leading authority on foreign policy and a longtime Washington hand to fill out the Democratic ticket, people told of the decision said.

Mr. Obama’s selection ended a two-month search that was conducted almost entirely in secret. It reflected a critical strategic choice by Mr. Obama: To go with a running-mate who could reassure voters about gaps in his resume, rather than to pick someone who could deliver a state or reinforce Mr. Obama’s message of change.

Labels: , , ,


Friday, August 22, 2008

HomoQuotable - David France

David France has a fascinating and lengthy piece in the upcoming issue of GQ titled We All Forgot The Condom that touches on condom fatigue, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and serosorting. An excerpt:
Gay men are no longer abiding by the one commandment that dominated gay life for decades: “Use a condom every time.” In survey after survey, gay men say they have stopped using condoms. “I think the last rubber gay guys used in this town was in 1985,” Michael Petrelis, an AIDS blogger in San Francisco, joked when I asked him about this trend. Most young men whom I spoke with said they have sex without condoms, though few would admit it on the record. A 20-year-old Korean student in New York told me he’s used condoms in the majority of the 150 or so sexual encounters he’s had, but he also makes exceptions “if I really like him or feel a kind of love or something.” He acknowledged this didn’t really make sense, but he isn’t HIV-positive yet, and he was sure he’d make exceptions in the future. A 26-year-old Bronx native, whom I spoke with one night as he lingered on Christopher Street in the West Village, spelled out an epidemiologist’s (and a girlfriend’s) nightmare. “If it’s my baby mama, I never use them,” he said. “But if it’s with a guy—sometimes in the heat of the moment you lose your focus.”

Gay men say they feel cheated out of the full pleasure and intimacy of sex, and many have come to perceive condoms as emblems of a still hostile world, imposed on them by a culture that continues to stigmatize gay sex. “To use a condom every time you have sex, for the rest of your life?” says Daniel Siconolfi, of New York University’s HIV-prevention think tank, the Center for Health, Identity, Behavior, and Prevention Studies. “That’s a very, very big burden. That’s a lot to ask of somebody. And it’s not being asked of anybody other than gay men.”
I'll probably come back to this story later after I've had time to digest some of its points. I recommend you read the entire thing, not just this excerpt.

Labels: , , ,


They're Always Cold

Bolt Bus, Maryland state line, 3pm....

Driver: How the weather back there? Too hot? Too cold?

(simultaneously)

Male Passengers: It's HOT!

Female Passengers: We're FREEZING!

Hipster In Front: Why don't we be gentlemen and let the ladies have their way?

Female In Back: That's nice, but you still ain't gettin' any.

Labels: ,


Bolt Blogging

KJMG, broadcasting live from the DC-bound BoltBus. If you embiggen this photo from last fall, you'll notice that boarding conveniently takes place outside of Peep World on 33rd Street. I've mentioned BoltBus here a few times before, but this is the first time I've actually used them. Chased here, I was, by my last seven-hour Amtrak-to-DC debacle. It's not too bad, as buses go. Brand-newish, leather seats, decent WiFi. I was a bit apprehensive after hearing about recent bad experiences from readers, but so far so good. All except for this far-as-you-can-see traffic jam on the Jersey turnpike.....

Labels: ,


It Won't Be Hillary

Sorry, PUMAs and other diehard Hillarians.
There’s one Democrat who would seem to have little or no chance of being picked by Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to be his running mate – his former opponent, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). But it’s not for the reason you think.

Obama has often said, most recently on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on July 27, that Clinton “would be on anybody’s short list.”But apparently not his.

“She was never vetted,” a Democratic official reported. “She was not asked for a single piece of paper. She and Senator Obama have never had a single conversation about it. How would he know if she’d take it?” The official also said Clinton never met with Obama’s vetting team of Eric Holder and Caroline Kennedy.

And the official said she was never asked for medical records or for any financial 2008 information about her or former President Bill Clinton. The last information the couple has disclosed about taxes and financial holdings was for 2007. The Clintons also were not asked about donors to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. “This would be the biggest leap of faith ever,” the official said. “She’s waiting for the text message like everyone else.”
Hey, maybe the Hillary folks planted this story so tomorrow will be even bigger news.

Labels: , ,


New Blog: LGBT For Obama

Check out LGBT For Obama, a new community blog where LGBT activists, politicians, celebrities and other notables get together to advocate for an Obama presidency. You should recognize most of the names of the contributors.

Labels: , ,


Advocate To Cut Back To Monthly

The Advocate, which has been a biweekly for decades, will trim back to a single monthly issue in January, according to new editor-in chief Jon Barrett.
"I don't think there is a need for a biweekly magazine anymore with the Web," Barrett said. Barrett added that the magazine will be thicker, with a heavier paper stock. "We will have more room for bigger stories and we're going to get better writers," he added. "You will see more news in the magazine."

Barrett took over editing the magazine earlier this summer; his first issue is the one currently on newsstands that features a cover story about Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Among other changes Barrett has in store is a move away from covers featuring entertainers; for example, he said that he doesn't think the magazine needs to feature a cover shot of straight man who is playing a gay role. And of course, the question of what it's like to kiss a man," Barrett said, referencing a frequent question posed to straight actors in such interviews. "I don't think our readers want to read those stories anymore," he said, adding that those features were needed in the 1990s, when it was validating to many LGBTs.
(Via - Bay Area Reporter)

Labels: , , , ,


New Version Of ENDA Cites DOMA For Definition Of Marriage

Democrats in Congress have reworked a plank of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to allow employers to deny benefits to legally married gay couples in California and Massachusetts. ENDA now cites the Defense of Marriage Act in its definition of married couples recognized by the federal government.
"It was unanimously agreed by all of us... that we had to put this language in there to protect this from being turned into a marriage bill which we would have lost," said Barney Frank, the openly-gay Massachusetts congressman who is ENDA's champion in the House, in a phone message to Gay City News.

A similar provision has been in the bill since 1994, when ENDA was first introduced on Capitol Hill, but the earlier language said employers did not have to provide benefits to the domestic partners of their employees.

ENDA, which bans job discrimination based on sexual orientation, now says an employer cannot be required "to treat a couple who are not married in the same manner as the covered entity treats a married couple for purposes of employee benefits."

To define "married" and "marry," ENDA cites the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages and allows states to not honor them. Because the new bill, to an extent, mirrored the earlier language, gay and lesbian groups agreed to it, though not necessarily happily.
Many activists and LGBT organizations continue to oppose the current trans-exclusive version of ENDA. A previous version of ENDA was approved by the House of Representatives in November 2007, but the Senate never voted on the bill, which Bush had promised to veto.

(Via Duncan Osborne @ Gay City News)

Labels: , , ,


Reciprocity For EU Civil Partners?

A member of the parliament of the European Union is planning to campaign that each member nation recognize civil partnerships from other members.
The declaration calls for "Member States with existing same-sex partnership legislation to recognise the arrangements of other Member States that have also made provisions for same-sex partnerships," and also "Calls upon the Commission to draw up guidelines for such mutual recognition by Member States with existing same-sex partnership legislation."

Written declarations have a lifetime of three months, after which, if has been signed by over half the MEPs, it will become a resolution. Resolutions are then formally adopted by the European Parliament and forwarded to the Commission, Council and Member State governments for consideration. "The declaration will be launched in the next few weeks," Ms Bowles continued, "and we are hoping for organisations to join the campaign and put pressure on MEPs to sign up. We are optimistic, because lots of declarations do move on in policy terms."
As example of current laws: British gays' relationships are not recognized in France.

Labels: ,


IOC Inquiry For Chinese Gymnasts

The International Olympic Committee is finally looking into the ages of the Chinese female gymnasts.
The IOC did not give details on what new information prompted it to act now, three days after the gymnastics competition ended. "With some questions still remaining, we asked the federation to take a closer look," Davies said.

The Chinese women won six medals, including the team gold and He's gold on uneven bars. Media reports include a Nov. 3 story by the Chinese government's news agency, Xinhua, that suggest He is only 14. Asked earlier this week about her age again after winning the uneven bars title, beating American Nastia Liukin in a tiebreak, she said:

"I was born in 1992, and I'm 16 years old now," He said. "The FIG has proved that. If I'm under 16, I couldn't have been competing here." Earlier this month, the AP found registration lists previously posted on the Web site of the General Administration of Sport of China that showed both He and Yang were too young to compete. He was born Jan. 1, 1994, according to the 2005, 2006 and 2007 registration lists. Yang was born Aug. 26, 1993, according to the 2004, 2005 and 2006 registration lists. In the 2007 registration list, however, her birthday has changed to Aug. 26, 1992.

"We played fair at this Olympic Games," Liukin's father and coach, Valeri, said after they arrived back in the United States. "... If somebody cheated, shame on them."
A Chinese bronze medalist admitted recently that she was only 14 at the Sydney games, thereby cheating the rightful winner of her medal.

Labels: , , ,


POLL: Keep Religion Out Of Politics

Welcome news.
For the first time in a dozen years, a majority of Americans believe that churches and religious institutions should “keep out” of politics, according to the annual Pew Religion and Public Life Survey.

It’s the highest level of public concern with faith’s effect on politics since Pew began asking the question in 1996. The rise in Americans’ desire to separate religion and politics — from 44 percent in 2004 to 52 percent today — appears due to a surprising increase in conservative distaste for mingling the institutions — from 30 percent in 2004 to half of conservatives expressing the view today.

Among white evangelicals, 36 percent want religious groups to stay out of politics, a dramatic rise from 16 percent four years ago. The findings come in the wake of the Saddleback Civil Forum on Saturday, when, in unprecedented fashion, both presidential candidates — Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama — joined popular evangelical leader Rick Warren at his megachurch for their first back-to-back campaign appearance.

But the study, the most authoritative national survey of politics and religion, was conducted prior to event, July 31 to Aug. 10. Conducted on mobile and land line phones, the survey had a large national sample of 2,905 adults, with an overall margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

In the survey, released Thursday, about half of Americans who view gay marriage and abortion as “very important” voting issues say churches should not be involved in politics. In 2004, only one in four voters who saw gay marriage as a top issue said the same, while a third of those who saw abortion as a top issue agreed.

Overall, 48 percent of Americans believe that social conservatives wield “too much” influence in the GOP. Yet older adults appeared most irked by the mingling of religion and politics. Only 18 percent of Americans age 65 and older said churches should endorse candidates, while roughly a third of voters under age 50 believed a church support for a candidate was appropriate.
And yet we will never cease to hear about a candidate's "personal relationship" with the invisible sky monster. Sort Of Related Trivia: The highest office held in America by an avowed atheist is Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA).

Labels: , ,


Morning View - DUMBO

Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass is Brooklyn's DUMBO, a hipsterfied neighborhood that got hot when the East Village got pricey. Galleries, cafes, and more galleries. I've always been fascinated with DUMBA, the defunct DUMBO space that was a hotbed of the queercore movement and the host of the Lusty Loft parties. Trivia: Shortbus was based on the Lusty Loft orgies.

Labels: ,


Thursday, August 21, 2008

Christianists Win, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal To End LGBT Job Protections

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is allowing to a 2004 law that protects LGBT people from job discrimination to lapse, claiming (lying) that state and federal laws already protect people from being fired for being gay.
Calling the executive order unnecessary, Gov. Bobby Jindal said Wednesday he would not reissue a ban on discriminating against gays and lesbians in the workplace.

“We are not going to renew it and that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody,” Jindal said about the executive order signed by then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco in December 2004. The order, which some church groups and Jindal have criticized over the years, is set to expire Friday.

“The reason for allowing the order to lapse is that I don’t think it is necessary to create additional special categories or special rights,” Jindal said. State and federal law already prohibits discrimination, he said. “We are firmly and strongly committed to fair treatment of all of our people and certainly don’t condone discrimination in any form,” Jindal said in an interview Wednesday. Blanco’s order also caused concern about the ability of religious groups to work with state government, he said.

Jindal’s decision means “it is perfectly legal to fire anyone based on their sexual orientation even if they are a perfect employee,” said Randy Evans, a New Orleans lawyer who is co-political director of Forum for Equality, a New Orleans-based political action committee for the lesbian and gay community in Louisiana.
After tomorrow, it will again be legal in Louisiana to fire somebody because they are gay. Another example of our desperate need for ENDA.

Labels: , , , , ,


VP Via Marconi

Labels: ,


Bilerco DNC Donation Fund

Bilerico, the nation's largest group LGBT blog, is sending a contingent to cover the Democratic National Convention and they are asking for help in meeting their funding goal.
Help Send Marti, Jerame and Bil to the Democratic Convention!

Marti Abernathey, Jerame Davis and Bil Browning are heading to Denver for the 2008 Democratic National Committee Convention (DNCC) from August 22 through August 30. Marti and Jerame are part of the official Indiana Delegation, which will provide unique angles and in-depth coverage for LGBT issues like never before.

All three bloggers will be covering the convention exclusively for Bilerico Project and Bilerico-Indiana.

About the Bloggers

  • Marti is the 1st transgender delegate from the state of Indiana. She has declared as an Obama supporter.
  • Jerame is a member of the Rules Committee that meets right before the convention. He has declared as a Hillary supporter.
  • Bil has scored a floor pass and will also be blogging from the outside covering protests and street activism. He has declared that he'd vote for Paris Hilton over John McCain.

Your generosity will help cover hotel, meal and transportation costs. The goal is to raise $1000 for each blogger. Hotel rooms are $200/night and plane tickets start at $299. Any amount raised above target will be split evenly between the three bloggers.

The Bilerico donation button is here.

Labels: , ,


John McCain: I Don't Know How Many Houses I Have

Man of the people John McCain doesn't know how many homes he owns.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that he was uncertain how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own. "I think — I'll have my staff get to you," McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M. "It's condominiums where — I'll have them get to you."

The correct answer is at least four, located in Arizona, California and Virginia, according to his staff. Newsweek estimated this summer that the couple owns at least seven properties. In recent weeks, Democrats have stepped up their effort to caricature McCain as living an outlandishly rich lifestyle — a bit of payback to the GOP for portraying Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as an elitist, and for turning the spotlight in 2004 on the five homes owned by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry. Pro-Obama labor groups have sent out mailers highlighting McCain’s wealth, and prominent Democrats have included references to it in comments to reporters.
At Saturday's forum at California's Saddleback Baptist Church, McCain suggested that anybody with less than $5M wasn't "rich". He seemed to be joking.

Obama's campaign is already on the case.

Labels: ,


Congratulations On That Thing You Did

Hallmark has issued a series of rather bland same-sex marriage cards.
Most states don't recognize gay marriage — but now Hallmark does. The nation's largest greeting card company is rolling out same-sex wedding cards — featuring two tuxedos, overlapping hearts or intertwined flowers, with best wishes inside. "Two hearts. One promise," one says.

Hallmark added the cards after California joined Massachusetts as the only U.S. states with legal gay marriage. A handful of other states have recognized same-sex civil unions. The language inside the cards is neutral, with no mention of wedding or marriage, making them also suitable for a commitment ceremony. Hallmark says the move is a response to consumer demand, not any political pressure.

"It's our goal to be as relevant as possible to as many people as we can," Hallmark spokeswoman Sarah Gronberg Kolell said. Hallmark's largest competitor, American Greetings Corp., has no plans to enter the market, saying its current offerings are general enough to speak to a lot of different relationships.
According to the linked story, some companies are holding back production until they see how Proposition 8 goes in California.

Labels: ,


Slow Your Roll

Purple Drank, every gangsta rapper's favorite cough syrup-laden grape drink, is now on sale in NYC. Only without the actual cough syrup.
Get ready to "slow your roll" New York; the mass-produced version of "Purple Drank" will hit shelves in Manhattan and the Bronx this week. According to Wikipedia, the homemade version of the beverage is "a recreational drug popular in the hip-hop community of the southern United States. Its main ingredient is prescription-strength cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine. Purple Drank was supposedly popularized by Houston's DJ Screw, who then died in 2000 from a codeine overdose, thus assuring the drink's eternal fame. More recent celebrity cachet comes courtesy Britney Spears.

The commercial version contains melatonin, valerian root and rose hips. The makers call it the "Anti-Energy Drink." Perfect for the office.

Labels: , ,


Working In

Crunch Gym, Lafayette Street, Tuesday 4pm

Steroided Meathead: Your hands are on the bar wrong. Put them here and here.

Angertwink: If I wanted help from you, I'd buy it from you and then inject it.

(Provided by Paul)


Labels: ,


Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, LGBT Ally, Dies Of Aneurysm At Age 58

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-OH), a staunch friend of LGBT causes, has died at age 58 of a brain hemorrhage caused by an aneurysm.
The 58-year-old Tubbs Jones was the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress and a strong supporter of LGBT civil rights and a critic of the Iraq war. She was a co-sponsor of H.R. 2015, the fully inclusive version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and H.R. 1592, legislation that would expand federal hate crimes protections to include crimes motivated by anti-LGBT bias.

She supported repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the ban on gays serving openly in the military, and was an opponent of amending the Constitution to bar same-sex marriage. Congresswoman Tubbs Jones consistently earned a 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaign Congressional Scorecard.

“Stephanie repeatedly demonstrated her friendship on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives where she was a boisterous, eloquent and effective voice for equality, voting rights and Democratic values,” said Jon Hoadley, Executive Director, Stonewall Democrats. “Our organization was proud to call her a champion, and so many of our members were blessed to call her a friend,” said Hoadley.
Tubbs-Jones was to have been a superdelegate at the Democratic convention. Initially a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton, she enthusiastically backed Barack Obama once Clinton withdrew. With Arkansas Democratic chair Bill Gwatney, she is the second Democratic superdelegate to die in as many weeks.

Labels: , , , ,


Slow Connection

As predicted, internet providers are beginning to throttle the speeds of customers who use big amounts of bandwidth in their viewing habits.
While Comcast's new network management scheme—to slow down heavy bandwidth users' entire connectionstarted back in June, we're just getting some of the grislier details. People hitting their pipe hard—whether it's watching a boatload of streaming video or FTP or whatever—will see their top speeds cut for 10 to 20 minutes at a time.

Under the setup, Comcast claims it will figure out "in nearly real time'' who's causing congestion and if "in fact a person is generating enough packets that they're the ones creating that situation, we will manage that consumer for the overall good of all of our consumers,'' says Mitch Bowling, Comcast's senior vice president and general manager of online services.

Gamers will be particularly hard hit by this. Industry watchers speculate about possible lawsuits from customers who've been sold X amount of bandwidth only to have it throttled. Expect to see disclaimers for heavy usage in future ISP agreements. Most countries in the world already have a peak-time monthly usage cap, but Americans have been spared thus far.

Labels: ,


Morning View - Chinese Consulate

Protests continue daily at the Chinese Consulate on the West Side Highway at 42th Street, where at night the Free Tibet crowd has been projecting a giant Tibetan flag and other images onto the bare face of the building. After the protesters posted a video of their projection of the Olympic rings turning into handcuffs, the International Olympic Committee lodged a protest to YouTube and the video was pulled. You can still see the clip on Vimeo. I don't know where the law stands on projecting unwanted images onto somebody's building, but I imagine it's not kosher.

I took this pic from Pier 84, where tonight their Sunset Thursdays event continues. I haven't been yet, but they bill it as an "Ibiza-style" party with DJs playing Balearic-ish trance music. Bottles of Grey Goose are only $150, which is totally, like, 75% off Meatpacking District prices! Free to get in and Free Tibet.

Labels: , , , ,


Open Thread Thursday

Hip us to some new fun blogs. Yours too.

Labels:


Wednesday, August 20, 2008

McSuper Makes It Legal

Congratulations go out to our dear friends Mark Superdaddy Kane and Tim McSweeney, who slipped off to Provincetown last week and got married after thirteen years of living in sin. While we all feel a tiny bit cheated that we didn't get to get drunk and cry over exchanged e e cummings poems or whatever, what Mark and Tim did is quite typical of their quiet and enduring love.

Still, I would have loved to submit the announcement to the Times under the headline "Former Franciscan Monk Weds Lapsed Jew." As for the headline of this post, I have an annoying habit of giving my coupled friends tragic celebrity couple nicknames (Bennifer, Brangelina, McSuper.) And I denounce myself for that. I'll apologize to them when Mark resumes his guardianship of the Dugout jukebox as Tim liquors me up.

Labels: , , , , ,


"I Am Not Michael Phelps!"


Via Gawker, a totally not Micheal Phelps but equally goofy tall guy gets mobbed by Chinese who can't tell the difference. Steve Parry is a BBC commentator who won bronze swimming in the Athens Olympics. He's very cute about the confusion.

Labels: , , ,


Signorile Takes On Bill Donahue Over His Mission To Ban Towleroad From DNC


But all Donahue can do is complain about the commenters and those photos of men in their bathing suits. (Which Mike correctly points out are of Olympians.) Parts 2 and 3 of the interview are below.

Labels: , , , ,


Mormons To Plant Hate In 1 Million Yards

The Mormon Church is coordinating a plan to put one million "Yes On 8" signs in Californians' front yards on September 22nd. Boyd K. Packer, the president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Magic Underwear, has laid out the plan in a detailed message to the presidents of their klutches, or whatever you call a Mormon diocese. The sign planting will be done in a massive collaboration with other Christianist groups.

UPDATE: There is debate as to the authenticity of this story, both in the comments here and on Daily Kos.

Labels: , , , ,


Cazwell - I Seen Beyonce' At Burger King


And she was eat'n, she was eat'n. Been singing this all morning. Love the New York "n". What's that called, linguistically? I missed this clip when it came out last week, but it's already gotten 400K hits on YouTube. Our dear Father Tony is a hooge fan of gay rapper Cazwell. Who's the drag queen playing Beyonce?

Labels: , , ,


Daily Grumble

OK, listen people. I've done my best to keep up with all these social networking doodads. I got a MySpace page for the blog. I'm on Linkedin. I'm on LastFM. I even created a Facebook account, even though I can't figure out what I'm supposed to do with it. But I give up. Not doing Twitter. Not doing Tumblr. Enough! Stop. Seriously.

Labels:


It's A Cool, Cool Summer

To misquote Bananarama, it's a cool summer. Other than that miserable but short-lived heatwave last month, NYC has had quite the moderate season. This morning the news noted that we've only had 11 days over 90 degrees, but usually average about twice that. Seems like the weather patterns have flattened here for the last couple of years, very little snow, very little steam. Most would not complain.

Labels: ,


A Message From Mrs. DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres posted this cute message on her site today. Almost a thousand commenters have chimed in with well wishes already.(Via - Towleroad)

Labels: , ,


Hairdar

Wednesday, 8:40am, 6 train platform

Chick 1: Did you see how he was the only one at the meeting who noticed my bangs?

Chick 2: Gay.

Chick 1: Oh, totally.

Labels: ,


Obama Attacks McCain On Economy

Labels: , ,


This Weekend: NLGJA Convention

This Friday I'll be heading down to DC for the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association's annual convention. I'll be speaking on a Saturday panel defending my support here for a trans-inclusive ENDA. As panel moderator Michael Triplett pointed out to me, I have "lots of very vocal" readers who didn't agree with my position, so we'll be talking about that as well as other issues that divide the LGBT community, such as the Log Cabin Republicans. LCR head Patrick Sammon is on the panel too, so things should prove quite interesting.There will be some cool parties over the weekend, of course, and I look forward to meeting lots of great folks.

Labels: , , , , ,


China Ties U.S. In Total Medals

For the first time since 1936, the total Olympic medal count winner may not be the United States or Russia.From the Dallas Morning News:
The last time the U.S. failed to win the overall medal count was 1992, when the Unified Team earned 112 to America's 108. That also was the last year in which the U.S. lost the gold medal race, 45-37 to the Unified Team.

As recently as the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, China won only five gold medals. But four years ago in Athens the Chinese finished second in the gold count with 32, four fewer than the U.S.

Now the Chinese have all but clinched the gold-medal race, and they have a chance to become the first nation other than the U.S. or Russia (which also has competed as the Soviet Union and the Unified Team) to win the overall medal count since Germany in 1936.

Labels: , ,


Rachel Maddow Lands MSNBC Show

Openly lesbian journalist Rachel Maddow has gotten her own show from MSNBC.
Rachel Maddow has been sounding off about politics on MSNBC so often she might as well have her own show. And now she does.

The liberal commentator and Air America host, who has become a breakout star for the cable channel during this campaign, is taking over the 9 p.m. slot following Keith Olbermann, who she often subs for on "Countdown." Olbermann broke the news in what he called a "fully authorized leak" this afternoon on the left-wing Web site Daily Kos. Dan Abrams, the former MSNBC general manager who had been hosting "Verdict" at that hour, will continue as NBC's chief legal correspondent and will be a daytime anchor for MSNBC.

With the promotion, which takes effect Sept. 8, Maddow, 35, breaks into what had been criticized as a boys club at the network, led by Olbermann and Chris Matthews. Hillary Clinton's campaign frequently ripped MSNBC for what it called sexist coverage during the Democratic primaries. Maddow, who lives with her girlfriend Susan Mikula in Manhattan and Northampton, Mass., may also be the first openly gay woman to host a prime-time program.
Maddow has a doctorate in philosophy from Oxford and was a Rhodes scholar. Here's a classic clip of Maddow smacking down Pat Buchanan a couple of weeks ago.

Labels: , , , ,


David Byrne's Bike Racks

Art rocker David Byrne has designed nine temporary bike racks which have been installed around town as part of the Summer Streets program I've been raving about. The dollar sign is naturally on Wall Street, the high heel is in front of Bergdorf's, and the reclining woman is in Times Square, although today's tourists may not get the reference. The lonely man (bottom center) is, sadly, in Chelsea. The racks will be in place for a year, then Byrne gets to sell them as works of art.

Labels: , , ,


Morning View - 42nd & Park

Looking west from the Grand Central Viaduct. Embiggens nicely.

Labels:


Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Castro Residents Annoyed With Looky-Loos

Residents of the Castro are getting annoyed with the increasing number of tour buses bringing gawking tourists in to see homos in their native habitat.
In the last three months, large tour buses have begun to park in the area on Thursday and Sunday afternoons, opening their doors and sending hundreds of tourists out to gawk and snap photos of the exotic sight of two men holding hands.

For gay and lesbian residents, who are doing nothing more remarkable than, say, walking over to Cliff's Hardware Store, the idea that as many as six tour buses could turn up at once seems bizarre. They also worry that the upcoming release of the movie "Milk," based on the life story of Castro Street politician Harvey Milk, will just be another step toward turning the Castro into a kind of urban theme park for looky-loos.

"It is the spectacle of people who might be different. That's all it is," said attorney Rob Guite, a Castro resident. "The tourists appear to have little regard for the neighborhood and its residents and view the stop as akin to visiting a zoo or other attraction where they are entertained by exhibits or animals."

Castro residents long ago grew accustomed to visitors strolling down the streets in ones and twos, snapping photos of the rainbow flag over Harvey Milk Plaza. There's even a thriving business providing tours for gay and lesbian vacationers from all over the world. "God knows we love tourists," said Patrick Batt, who has owned the Auto Erotica vintage gay porn shop for 28 years. "But these people are a bunch of gawkers."
Straight tourists have visited the Castro for many years, of course, but it appears this latest onslaught is coming from an Asian tour company, perhaps because open homosexuality is less seen at home, making it more of a curiosity. Locals are petitioning the city to stop letting the buses park right on Market Street near Castro.

Freepers react to this story:

- "The tour bus drivers should sell little bags of Godiva chocolates that the tourist can use to entice the locals closer for better pictures..."
- "Please Don't Feed The Fags."
- "They seem to have no problems sucking, jacking and screwing their partners in full view and with total disregard for decency, but get offended because normal people want to go to see the freak show."
- "AIDS and associated STDs - plus Meth - have devastated gay San Francisco. In fact, the Castro is more similar to the archaeological dig of some dead civilization than to a living and functioning community. If tourists are going the visit the Castro, they should be told that what they are about to see are the consequences for individuals who believe they can live in defiance of God's laws."
-"They are antibreeder and heterophobic."

Labels: , ,


Harris Poll: Obama Gains Among Gays

The latest Harris Poll (PDF) shows that Barack Obama has gained 6 points among the gays over the last month, with 66% now saying they will likely vote for him. John McCain has lost four points among likely LGBT voters. Obama has a 6 point lead among all registered voters, with a lopsided 91% of the black vote. Self-identified moderates, whom Harris calls a larger group than either conservatives or liberals, favor Obama by 19 points. The poll was conducted online with weighting given to groups considered more likely to be online.

Taking this poll at its face value, 34% of LGBT folks, millions of people, still do not understand.

Labels: ,


The Best Press Possible

To my mind, the upcoming cover story about Ellen's wedding in People is the best of possible PR for the No On 8 campaign. Ellen DeGeneres is the most beloved person on TV, bigger than Oprah, and this joyous shot will go miles to convince those undecideds. Brilliant timing, truly.

Labels: , , , ,


Bear TV

Billy Mays, the advertising pitchman (and bear icon) that the Washington Post is calling the most ubiquitous face on television today, is getting a reality show. About being an advertising pitchman.
In the fall, Mays will start taping a TV reality show, "Pitchmen," which will follow the creation of a two-minute commercial, from start to finish. But with many of his ads appearing 400 times a week, often at two minutes a pop, Mays could already be the single most ubiquitous figure on television today, measured purely in face time. His only competition comes from actors in perpetual syndication, like Seinfeld and Bart Simpson. "You would think there would be a saturation point," says Scott Opfer, a director who has worked often with Mays. "But we never seem to reach it."
Too much of a good thing? All that shouting! PS: Mays is hetero and married.

(Via - Gawker)

Labels: , ,


Google Phone Approved

Yesterday the FCC approved Google's application for their Dream phone, considered by some to be the first smartphone to seriously compete with the iPhone. Nobody seems to have seen an actual Dream yet, but the image shown here is thought to be close to what it will look like. A video of the prototype has been floating around YouTube since last November.
HTC's Google handset is just over 5 inches long and 3 inches wide, with a keypad underneath the screen that either slides out or swivels out. The aim of the keypad is for easy e-mail, note-taking, and writing Web addresses. Internet navigational controls are situated below the screen on the handset. The handset will likely hit the market near the end of this year, the person said. The company officially remained mum on the handset. "We cannot comment on this product," said Maggie Cheng, an HTC representative.
Sales are expected to commence in advance of the Christmas season. T-Mobile will be the exclusive carrier, at least at first.

Labels: , ,


Movement To Lower Drinking Age

Saying that the current drinking age of 21 encourages binge drinking by underage students, a coalition of over 100 college presidents is calling for a lowering of the drinking age back to 18.
College presidents from more than 100 schools across the country are calling on lawmakers to do something about binge drinking: Consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18.

"Twenty-one is not working," says the group's statement, signed by presidents from prominent colleges such as Dartmouth, Duke and Syracuse. "A culture of dangerous, clandestine 'binge drinking' - often conducted off-campus - has developed." Even before the presidents begin the public phase of their efforts, which might include newspaper ads in the coming weeks, they face sharp criticism.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving says lowering the drinking age would lead to more fatal car crashes. It accuses the presidents of misrepresenting research and looking for an easy way out of an inconvenient problem, and urges parents to think carefully about safety at colleges whose presidents have signed on. "It's very clear the 21-year-old drinking age will not be enforced at those campuses," said Laura Dean-Mooney, national president of MADD.

Duke officials would not directly respond to that criticism but released a statement from university president Richard Brodhead: "Possessing and consuming alcoholic beverages is against the law under the age of 21, and we are all obliged to uphold the law."

The current law, he said, "pushes drinking into hiding, heightening its risks, including risks from drunken driving, and it prevents us from addressing drinking with students as an issue of responsible choice."
It's an interesting proposition. When I was 18, the drinking age was 18 and the gay bars were full of 16 year-olds, much as they are full of underage 20 year-olds today. Of course, in 1976 I too was going to gay bars while underage. Back then, drunk driving did not carry the enormous social stigma that it does today and penalties were relatively light.

Labels: ,


Obama Veep Announcement Imminent

Barack Obama is set to announce his running mate, the word may come by tomorrow morning.
Senator Barack Obama has all but settled on his choice for a running mate and set an elaborate rollout plan for his decision, beginning with an early morning alert to supporters, perhaps as soon as Wednesday morning, aides said.

Mr. Obama’s deliberations remain remarkably closely held. Aides said perhaps a half-dozen advisers were involved in the final discussions in an effort to enforce a command that Mr. Obama issued to staff members: that his decision not leak out until supporters are notified.

Mr. Obama had not notified his choice — or any of those not selected — of his decision as of late Monday, advisers said. Going into the final days, Mr. Obama was said to be focused mainly on three candidates: Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware.

Some Democrats said they still hoped that he would choose Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, or Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, who has been under steady consideration by Mr. Obama’s campaign.

By all indications, Mr. Obama is likely to choose someone relatively safe and avoid taking a chance with a game-changing selection. A similar strategic choice now faces Mr. Obama’s Republican rival, Senator John McCain of Arizona, who has been under pressure from some Republicans to make a more daring choice.
Who do you think it'll be?

Labels: ,


Inevitable

I had the original Mark Spitz poster on the back of my bedroom door until I was about 15 years old, but I think it was 1975 when Spitz came down and Rosanne Rosannadanna went up. Then she was replaced by Darth Vader in '77.

Labels: ,


Surf City, NYC

I found this neat shot over at Gothamist. Yesterday was SEAPaddle NYC, a 28-mile surfboard paddle around Manhattan to raise money for autism.

Labels:


CA Supes: Docs Must Treat Gays

In a unanimous ruling, the California Supreme Court has ruled that doctors cannot withhold care from gay people because they are personally opposed to homosexuality.
Justice Joyce Kennard wrote that two Christian fertility doctors who refused to artificially inseminate a lesbian have neither a free speech right nor a religious exemption from the state's law, which "imposes on business establishments certain antidiscrimination obligations."

In the lawsuit that led to the ruling, Guadalupe Benitez, 36, of Oceanside said that the doctors treated her with fertility drugs and instructed her how to inseminate herself at home but told her their beliefs prevented them from inseminating her. One of the doctors referred her to another fertility specialist without moral objections, and Benitez has since given birth to three children.

Nevertheless, Benitez in 2001 sued the Vista-based North Coast Women's Care Medical Group. She and her lawyers successfully argued that a state law prohibiting businesses from discriminating based on sexual orientation applies to doctors.

The law was originally designed to prevent hotels, restaurants and other public services from refusing to serve patrons because of their race. The Legislature has since expanded it to cover characteristics such as age and sexual orientation.

"It was an awful thing to go through," Benitez said. "It was very painful — the fact that you have someone telling you they will not help you because of who you are, that they will deny your right to be a mother and have a family."

Benitez has given birth to three children through artificial insemination — Gabriel, 6, and twin daughters, Sophia and Shane, who turn 3 this weekend. She is raising them in Oceanside with her longtime partner, Joanne Clark.

Jennifer Pizer, Benitez's attorney, said that the ruling was "a victory for public health" and that she expected it to have nationwide influence. "It was clear and emphatic that discrimination has no place in doctors' offices," Pizer said.
The clinic that lost their Supreme Court case has vowed to donate money to overturn gay marriage. So there!

Labels: , ,


Knights Of Columbus Give $1M To Prop 8

The Knights of Columbus, the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization, has donated $1M to Protect Marriage, the group behind California's ballot amendment to overturn gay marriage.

Here is a message from Geoff Kors of Equality California:
We learned today that the right-wing groups behind Proposition 8 received a $1 million contribution from the Knights of Columbus.

The Catholic fraternal organization based in Connecticut has also adopted a resolution calling for "legal and constitutional protection ... for the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others."

We know what we're up against. Right-wing organizations that will stop at nothing to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry. They want to target same-sex couples to be treated differently under the California Constitution, a document that was created to ensure our equality.

We need your help to stop them!

The NO on 8 campaign is about fairness. It's about equal protection under the law for all couples who wish to marry. While we have been working hard to bring in amazing contributions from many generous donors, our momentum must continue. We have to meet our opponents' contributions dollar for dollar to win in November.

That's why we need you to make a gift to NO on 8 - Equality California today.

Help us stop these groups who aim to eliminate our right to marry. Contribute $1,000, $500, $200 or $50 now and help us stay one step ahead of our opposition.

Thank you for supporting the NO on 8 campaign and Equality California.

Labels: , , , ,


Morning View - Colonnade Row

Colonnade Row was built on Lafayette Street just south of Astor Place in the 1830's. Four of the original nine Greek Revival townhouses remain on the land originally owned by John Jacob Astor, who lived in one of the houses for a time, as did Washington Irving, President John Tyler, and Cornelius Vanderbilt. The houses fell into disrepair in the 1860's when Murray Hill became the hip part of town for Manhattan's elite. Each of the original houses of Colonnade Row had 26 rooms, but they've all been subdivided into rundown apartments and offices. A sad fate for landmarked former homes of the likes of Astor and Vanderbilt.

Labels:


Monday, August 18, 2008

Catholic League: Ban Towleroad From DNC

The Catholic League wants Andy Towle to be stricken from the list of credentialed bloggers attending the Democratic convention.
“Towleroad describes itself as ‘A Site with Homosexual Tendencies.’ Accordingly, it shows men in jock straps and underwear. It also has a post on Pope Benedict XVI that takes him to task for wearing a cape with ermine. Some of those who commented on this described the pope in a vile and profane way.

“Both of these blogs should be cut immediately from the list of credentialed sites. Neither functions as a responsible media outlet and both offend Catholics, as well as others. To allow them access to the Democratic National Convention sends a message to Catholics they will not forget. We look for Leah Daughtry, CEO of the Convention, to nix them ASAP.”
The other blog referred to is Bitch PHD. Congrats to both. If you are pissing off the Catholic League, you are clearly doing something right.

Labels: , , , ,


Scroll On Playa

Available on eBay:
Bling-Blaow! This White LED Dog Tag is like having a piece of the future on your neck. Be one of the first people to floss this new Led Dog Tag. You can put up to 256 characters on it. Wanna make a statement? WELL BRING IT ON! Write whatever you want and let it scroll across the screen! Your name , your number, your hood! Stand out in the club without a bottle of bubb. Scroll on playa.
"A piece of the future on your neck." It appears our future will be heavy on the pimps and ho's.

(Tipped by Thomas in Orlando)

Labels:


Hillary's New Face

Gossipers at the Daily News have leaked word of Hillary's recent visit to a Manhattan plastic surgeon to have dermafillers injected into her face.
Has Hillary Clinton added volume and smoothness to her skin? A source tells us Clinton visited a New York plastic surgeon early this month and received injections of a "dermafiller" in her face. The senator had appeared tired and wrinkly on a June 23 New York mag cover, but when she made her first solo campaign stop beside Barack Obama in Nevada on Aug. 8, she looked refreshed. After seeing a recent photo of Hillary, Dr. Tahl Humes of Vitahl Medical told us, "It appears that she has restored a youthful look with a combination of injectables."
I was noticing the same thing during a television bit over the weekend. There's a fascinating story at New York Magazine about the trend away from face-tightening surgery and towards plumping via injectables. Both can look creepy, but at least the injectables aren't permanent, are they?

Labels: ,


McCain's Ten Mansions

From The Real John McCain:
John McCain is soaring to new heights of hypocrisy on his wife's personal jet. He flies around the country bent on duping the public into believing he's "one of them," a regular guy who can empathize with Americans facing an overwhelming economic crush. What's more, he disparages those who oppose his ridiculous policy proposals as "elitist." But who's the real elitist?

The REAL McCain is a multimillionaire who owns ten luxurious homes. The REAL McCain backs President Bush's tax cuts for big corporations. The REAL McCain empathizes only with the interests of our nation's wealthy minority, not its money-strapped majority. But far too many are buying into McCain's deceit because the corporate press won't present the whole picture, so we created this video to educate the public about the REAL McCain.
Watch the video.

Labels: ,