Ivri Lider - I Kissed A Girl

Israel's top openly gay pop star Ivri Lider covers Kate Perry.

(Via JMG reader Sheepy)

Evening View - Times Square

Hundreds Protest Planned Marriage Veto By Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas

Vermonters are pissed about their governor's planned veto of their marriage equality bill and today hundreds of them gathered at the state capital to say so.

Hundreds of supporters turned out at the Statehouse Friday morning to rally support for the bill legalizing gay marriage, two days after the Republican governor made the surprise announcement that he would reject the legislation if it comes to his desk. "This issue is not going away," said Paul O'Kane of Waterbury, who attended the rally with his civil union partner, Robert Tranchida. "We're going to follow the governor around the state and protest until he changes his mind." The Cedar Creek Room at the Statehouse was packed with a crowd flowing out into the hallways as the Democratic leadership urged supporters of same-sex marriage to speak to House lawmakers who may be on the fence on the issue.

"No one said this would be easy," Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, told the crowd. "But we are more determined than ever to overcome his veto." Rep. David Zuckerman, P-Burlington, said there are more than 75 strong supporters of the bill in the Vermont House - and they are pushing for a stronger majority of 100. Lawmakers would need 101 votes in that chamber to overcome a veto. He said some lawmakers are struggling with the issue and - just as some did during the civil unions debate nearly a decade ago - won't make up their minds until the hour of the vote. He said supporters need to convince these lawmakers.

Somebody please send us some photos of today's rally.

Japan To Allow Citizens To Gay-Marry Foreigners In Other Countries

An excellent step forward for Japan!

Japan has given the green light for its nationals to marry same-sex foreign partners in countries where gay marriage is legal, a justice ministry official said Friday. Japan does not allow same-sex marriages at home and has so far also refused to issue a key document required for citizens to wed overseas if the applicant's intended spouse was of the same gender. Under the change, the justice ministry has told local authorities to issue the key certificate -- which states a person is single and of legal age -- for those who want to enter same-sex marriages, the official told AFP. Gay activists praised the move. "This is one step forward," said Taiga Ishikawa, who leads a gay support group. "Gay Japanese have suffered a disadvantage... although they should be able to marry in some countries overseas."

All over the world, step by step....

Watch How HIV Infects Immune Cells

An astonishing new video shows for the first time how HIV attacks and infects healthy immune cells. This glimpse has provided researchers with some new ideas.

Researchers found that the virus is transferred from infected cells to healthy ones in a previously unknown way. It is hoped that the discovery will help researchers create a vaccine to combat the virus, which has led to the deaths of more than 25 million people. The study was made possible after experts created a molecular clone of infectious HIV and inserted a protein into its genetic code which glows green when exposed to blue light. This allowed scientists to see the cells on digital video, and capture the way HIV-infected T-cells interact with uninfected ones. They noted that when an infected cell came into contact with a healthy one, a bridge was created between them, called a virological synapse. Researchers were then able to observe the fluorescent green viral particles moving towards the synapse and into the healthy cell. The US study has broken new ground by revealing that it is the synapse through which the viral proteins are gathered and moved into uninfected cells. The team, comprising scientists from UC Davis university in California, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, believe that this knowledge could help create new treatments for HIV and Aids.

Live Stream: New Pet Shop Boys CD

The new Pet Shop Boys album Yes comes out in the U.S. on April 21st, but you can listen to the entire thing here with this handy widget.

TweetMyGod

I meant to mention last week that all JMG posts are now automatically tweeted. Follow me at Twitter.com/joemygod if you like.

HomoQuotable - Kate Kendell

"We’re going to lose. I think it was very clear from the oral arguments that the court intends to uphold Prop 8. I’ve never seen a court so unequivocally telegraph their thinking. They have this case on a very fast trajectory and have from the very beginning. On this issue, with this court, they seem almost to intentionally communicate how they’re planning to rule. The only way they can get an opinion out in 90 days is if there’s already a draft opinion." - National Center for Lesbian Rights head Kate Kendell, predicting that the California Supreme Court will uphold Proposition 8.

(Via John Wright @ the Dallas Voice)

Top LGBT Site Bilerico Project Hacked

UPDATE: The Bilerico Project is back up!

One of the nation's top LGBT activism sites, The Bilerico Project, is under a continuing "denial of service" hack attack and is currently offline. Site founder Bil Browning:

I wanted to give folks a quick heads up on what's happened to the Bilerico Project and our affiliated sites. All of our sites are currently dark - they've been taken offline by a massive hacker attack. We've been fighting off these Eastern European hackers for over a year now; they're the same crowd that took down popular feminist political blog Shakespeare's Sister a year and a half ago. They're professionals and they're nasty. Earlier this week, they managed to take us down for about 9 hours overnight but we were able to regain control. They severely compromised the server though, so we had to get a new server up and running quickly. Yesterday, we got the new server racked up and were planning on making all of the switch overs (we also host quite a few Indiana LGBT organizations' websites), but the hackers managed to crack through our defenses again yesterday afternoon.

Browning reports that they do have backups for the site and are working to back online as soon as possible. You may recall that Pam's House Blend and numerous other progressive sites suffered a similar attack recently.

These continuous attacks from our enemies are a large part of why JMG continues to reside on Google's Blogspot. I do own the JoeMyGod.com domain, (which merely redirects traffic here, for now) but considering the hate mail received by this here website thingy I'm obviously a lot safer on Google's zillion-blog site, where it's next to impossible to take down an individual blog.

Blade Reveals Salaries For Heads Of Major LGBT/HIV Activism Orgs

The Washington Blade has published the responses to a salary survey it sent the heads of the nation's top LGBT and HIV activism organizations in the country. (Embiggen the chart at left for a look.)

Craig Shniderman, executive director of Food & Friends, which provides meals and nutritional services for homebound people with HIV/AIDS in the Washington, D.C. area, had the highest salary among the heads of the nation’s most prominent LGBT advocacy groups and groups that provide AIDS-related services in Los Angeles, New York and D.C. A survey of the compensation paid to heads of 30 LGBT and AIDS organizations, conducted by the Washington Blade, shows that Shniderman had a total salary and benefits package of $382,200 in 2008, the latest period for which the organizations’ salary and annual revenue data could be obtained for a completed fiscal year. Shniderman’s earnings placed him ahead of Joe Solmonese, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT political advocacy group. Solmonese, who ranked second in the salary survey, received a total compensation package of $338,400 in 2008.

Shniderman’s salary also topped that of Lorri Jean, executive director of the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, which had revenue of $48.5 million in 2008 and had nearly 300 employees compared to Food & Friends’ annual revenue of $7.9 million and 50 employees. The L.A. Center provides HIV/AIDS-related services as well as a host of social and recreational services for the LGBT community. The L.A. Center’s $48.5 million was the highest among all the LGBT and AIDS groups in the survey. HRC had the second highest annual revenue among the 30 groups: $41.4 million. Equality California, the statewide group that coordinated the unsuccessful effort to oppose an anti-gay marriage amendment, came in third, with a 2008 figure of $24.5 million.

Only four groups declined to participate: Gay Men's Health Crisis, Empire State Pride Agenda, NYC's LGBT Community Center, and Log Cabin Republicans.

Pam Spaulding notes:

Before tossing off snark statements like "they aren't worth 2 cents" or "I wish they'd pay me to be as ineffective," take a few seconds to think about 1) what do we expect leaders in our community to be paid, relative to the heads of other non-profit organizations, 2) the number of FT staff onboard and the annual revenue generated by the org. The figure to look at is the percentage of compensation relative to that annual revenue; and 3) most of these orgs are in large cities in higher-paying markets, so compensation is relative to the local cost of living

Maddow: GOP=D'OH

Rachel Maddow tears into the GOP's proposed budget.

OMG! Porn Boot Camp!

Oh...wait.

Anyone with a computer, iPod or cell phone can download porn in private, with just a click of a button. Pastor Dr. Irv Woolf knows first hand just how easy it is. "I've been through sexual sin in my own life. I've been through sexual addiction," said Woolf, who is the director of the National Coalition for Purity. So Woolf made it his mission to help other men fight their reliance on pornography. "In 2002, I put it out for the whole church and said any guy that wants to come we're going to do a big event. We're going to do the battle," said Woolf. The event is called Every Man's Battle for Sexual Purity. "Every guy struggles with lust," said Ketterling. The battle begins with guys wearing camouflage and dog tags. "It may look corny but it's very effective, it's really cool," said Ketterling. The military theme is deliberate. "It's high on discipline. We live in a very undisciplined age," said Woolf. The war recently waged at River Valley Church in Apple Valley uses scripture and real life testimonials to steer average viewers away from porn.

This bit kills me: "Organizers say tests they give after the 16-week purity platoons and boot camp show 92 percent of men participating kick their porn viewing habit. Church leaders also say couples they tested showed a significant increase in marital satisfaction."

How do these "tests" work, exactly?

Britney Spears In Sign Language

An adorkable deaf dude gives us a sexy ASL version of Britney Spears' Womanizer. This has been floating around YouTube for a few weeks, but for some reason a dozen of you sent this yesterday. I live to serve.

BUSTED: Sponsor Of TN Marriage Ban

Jeff Miller, the former Tennessee state senator who in 2005 successfully installed that state's ban on same-sex marriage, was arrested Wednesday for defrauding his home county in his position as tax collector.

A press release from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says that Miller, 46, was indicted on one count of Official Misconduct, one count of Conspiracy to Commit Official Misconduct and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Perjury. April Miles, 28, was charged with one count of Aggravated Perjury, one count of Conspiracy to Commit Official Misconduct and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Perjury. Miles was Miller’s secretary. The TBI opened the investigation at the request of the District Attorney General on January 25, 2009 after there were allegations that Miller was overbilling the county while he served in the appointed position of Delinquent Tax Attorney for Bradley County. When Miller was removed from office, he was ordered to turn over title search records. He did not have the records that showed he performed the required title searches even though he received payment for these searches. TBI executed a search warrant on Miller’s office on January 28, 2009 as part of the investigation.

Local Tennessee LGBT paper Out & About notes:

Miller’s advocacy for the sanctity of marriage rang hollow at a time when his wife of 15 years sued him for divorce, citing behavior that suggested Miller was guilty of extramarital philandering. Bridgett Suzanne Miller filed divorce papers in Bradley County Circuit Court on February 25, 2005 and accused her husband of “inappropriate marital conduct.”

Teen Killer Pleads Not Guilty

Although he has confessed to brutally stabbing to death gay ABC newsman George Weber, 16 year-old self-avowed Satanist John Katehis plead not guilty to second-degree murder today. Katehis claims that Weber offered to pay him $60 and give him cocaine in return for rough sex.

The troubled teen accused in the stabbing death of radio reporter George Weber is a Satan-loving sadomasochist and hustler who agreed to a drug-fueled rough sex romp for $60. Knife fetishist John Katehis, 16, stabbed Weber "50 times to the neck" and body, police said. "He and Weber met online sometime last week and had arranged to meet," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. "There was going to be an exchange of money." Katehis was charged as an adult with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon at his arraignment Wednesday night - charges that could send the tattooed teen to jail for a long time. He was held without bail.

After the murder Friday, Katehis shed his bloody clothes and fled Weber's pad in some of the victim's duds - only to land in cop custody after a G train conductor spotted his bleeding left hand, Kelly said. When cops nabbed him just before midnight Tuesday, Katehis was still dressed in Weber's clothes and carrying a dagger that was not the murder weapon, Kelly said. Katehis admitted stabbing Weber, a longtime WABC reporter, after answering an ad on Craigslist looking for rough sex."He saw the victim's ad looking for violent sex and said, 'I can smother somebody for $60,' but it got out of hand," a police source said.

Katehis' lawyer says his client "was being used by an older man." On right-wing sites, the victim is already being ridiculed as a pedophile "who got what he deserved."

Freepers react:
-"Do you think he had a great screaming for mercy voice?"
-"So the Pedophile got snuffed before being caught molesting children. Good riddance"
-"Otherwise known as the PROFILE of a typical Obama supporter."
-"any chance we can set this guy up with bawney fwank-they’d make a cute couple"
-"It's well known in the gay community that most gay men support NAMBLA’s quest to decriminalize gay sex between young boys and older men."

UPDATE: CNN's Rick Sanchez add his usual hyperbole to the story. Both Sanchez and his guest can't get over that somebody actually hooked up via the internet, calling it "poor judgment". Speaking of poor judgment, you might not know that in 1990, when Sanchez was a local reporter in Miami, he fled the scene after drunkenly running over a man as he exited Dolphins Stadium. The man later died and Sanchez plead guilty to DUI. Good judgment, eh? None of us in Miami could believe it when Sanchez returned to the airwaves.

Obama: No To Legalizing Pot

Germany Bans PETA's Holocaust Ads

Germany has banned a series of ads by PETA which compares Holocaust victims to animals in slaughterhouses.

The posters, sponsored by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), bear photographs of concentration camp inmates, both alive and dead, along with pictures of plates piled with meat and animals ready for slaughter, accompanied by the slogan: "The Holocaust on your plate." The Constitutional Court decision, reached on February 20 but announced now, said the campaign would have made "the fate of the victims of the Holocaust appear banal and trivial."

The court took the case on behalf of a group of descendants of Holocaust victims.

(Via - JMG reader Marc)

NH House Approves Marriage Equality

One step closer in New Hampshire.

The House has voted to make New Hampshire the third state allowing gays to marry two years after they granted them the right to enter into civil unions. The House voted 186-179 to send the bill to the Senate. The first attempt to pass the bill fell one vote short, but opponents were unable to kill it. The House then reconsidered and passed the measure.

More on this later.

Uganda's Gay Witchhunt Continues With The Help Of U.S. "Ex-Gay" Group Exodus

Check out this story from Uganda's New Vision Online.

EIGHT more men yesterday confessed involvement in homosexuality and gay activities, which they said they had abandoned. Speaking to journalists at the Grand Imperial Hotel in Kampala, the youthful men described homosexuality as abnormal and anti-Christian, and declared war against it. The tough-talking men were accompanied by George Oundo, who earlier in the week denounced homosexuality and confessed recruiting school children into the practice. “We have been involved in recruiting homosexuals, spreading the gospel of homosexuality, and we know the operations of homosexuals,” said 27-year-old Emma Matovu, who took to homosexuality 13 years ago. “We shall do all it takes to eliminate the practice in Uganda.”

Matovu, who said he abandoned the practice two weeks ago, asserted: “Homosexuality is dangerous and dehumanising but is growing fast in Uganda.” He urged the Government and all concerned citizens to “wake up now before this abnormal practice is made to appear normal as the case has been in the West”. Another former homosexual, Charles Asiimwe, said the practice had spread to government offices, churches, schools and hotels. “Many business moguls are involved,” Asiimwe said. Oundo said the eight men would fight the vice because they were victims with a tormenting experience.

You must now click over to Jim Burroway's piece at Box Turtle Bulletin, where he exposes how American members of the "ex-gay" group Exodus are touring Uganda to support the government's crackdown on LGBT citizens. Exodus members have endorsed the proposed life sentence for gay sex in Uganda. It's an astonishing series of heavily researched articles.

HRC Says No To Gay-Only ENDA

In 2007 the Human Rights Campaign supported a version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that did not include transgender citizens, setting off the biggest rift in the history of LGBT activism as a huge coalition of groups aligned against the HRC. Yesterday the HRC announced that they will not go down that road again.

The board of directors of the Human Rights Campaign approved a policy statement Wednesday saying the group will not support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, or ENDA, if it excludes language protecting transgender persons from discrimination. HRC came under fire from transgender advocacy groups in 2007 when it announced it would not oppose a “gay-only” version of ENDA, which called for banning employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. That decision came after Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives said they did not have the votes to pass a trans-inclusive version of the bill and the bill would be defeated unless trans protections were stripped from the measure.

“It’s the policy of HRC that the organization will only support an inclusive ENDA,” says the statement, which the board approved in a closed meeting in Washington on March 25. “In 2007 House leadership informed us that there were insufficient votes to pass an inclusive bill, so they decided to vote on a sexual orientation only bill,” the board says in its statement. “We made a one-time exception to our policy in 2007 because we strongly believed that supporting this vote would do more to advance inclusive legislation. “We will not support such a strategy again,” the statement says. “We look forward to Congress sending President Obama a fully inclusive ENDA for his signature.”

(Via - Lou Chibbaro @ Washington Blade)

Gay Icons Exhibit For London's National Portrait Gallery

London's National Portrait Gallery will open a show in July titled "Gay Icons", but some of the folks you'd most expect to be on a list of that sort do not appear

The late Diana, Princess of Wales, and former South African President Nelson Mandela are two of the personalities identified as “Gay Icons” in an exhibition bearing that title that will open in July at London’s National Portrait Gallery. While the show’s title may summon up a stereotypical list of performers such as Barbra Streisand or Kylie Minogue, organizers said, neither is represented. Instead, the 10 gay men and women on the selection panel, including singer Elton John, actor Ian McKellen and ex-tennis champion Billie Jean King, have each picked six people who inspired them and helped shape who they are, irrespective of sexual orientation. “We’re very clear that this is an exhibition for everybody,” said the gallery’s director, Sandy Nairne, at a press breakfast. “We want to get out to people who didn’t think they’d want to see it.”

As the portraits in the show had to be photographs, Michelangelo and Alexander the Great were ruled out, said Sandi Toksvig, the comedian and broadcaster who headed the panel. So were William Shakespeare and Leonardo da Vinci, she said. John picked his lyricist Bernie Taupin, as well as the late cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, who battled for freedom and democracy inside and outside Russia. King put Mandela on her list to recognize his struggle for rights. McKellen chose Harvey Milk -- the first openly gay man in California to be elected to political office -- and Toksvig included singer k.d. lang. Princess Diana was one of the six names coming from Waheed Alli, a member of the House of Lords and executive chairman of Chorion Plc, a U.K. producer of Agatha Christie TV dramas.

Who would be on your list, were you asked to be a "selector" for this show?

NH House Votes On Marriage Today

Seems like everything is marriage-related today. One more item: the New Hampshire House makes their vote today on that states's marriage equality bill. Two years ago New Hampshire legalized civil unions. Half of New England is in play this week, isn't it?

Open Thread Thursday

We're just over two months into the Obama administration. What do you think so far?

Bloomberg Calls For Gay Marriage Bill

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for the state legislature to pass a same-sex marriage bill last night in an appearance at the LGBT Community Center.

Mayor Bloomberg said Wednesday night he stands ready to ask the Legislature to allow gay marriage in New York State, but doesn't know when the time will be right. "We see that the tide is turning, that support is mounting," Bloomberg told the annual dinner of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. "Make no mistake, the time will come ... and we will pass this bill." Bloomberg has made similar pledges to testify in Albany for almost three years, but the GOP-run state Senate blocked any such bill. Democrats now run the Senate but have not been able to round up votes to pass the measure - increasing pressure on Bloomberg to follow through. "I don't know whether it's more likely or not" this year, Bloomberg said before his speech. "If they consider a bill, I think they should pass it, and I would be happy to testify for it."

No Civil Unions For Hawaii

After weeks of the most contentious public displays seen since Hawaii became a state, the Senate has killed the civil unions bill.

An effort to force a vote on same-sex civil unions has failed in the Hawaii Senate, essentially killing the measure. Only six senators supported the legislative maneuver, short of the nine votes required for a full Senate vote. Even though about 18 senators have indicated they support civil unions, they lacked the political willpower to go against Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, who opposed the effort. Hanabusa has supported civil unions but said she didn't want to override the normal lawmaking process by lifting the bill from its committee, where it had stalled following a 3-3 vote.

The Hawaii Senate Judiciary chairman says the bill has a slight chance of being revived next year.

Contact Vt. Gov. Jim Douglas

Vermont Freedom To Marry is asking everybody to directly contact Gov. Jim Douglas and express your outrage/disappointment with his threat to veto the Senate marriage equality bill, S.115.

Do it here.

UPDATE: Here's Sean Chapin's response to Douglas' veto threat.

Dubya Vs. Obama

I denounce myself for posting this.

(Via - JMG reader Castro Craig)

Q: Location? A: Right Behind You, Dude

The Washington Post writes about the latest iPhone app which uses the device's geolocation function so homos can find other homos that happen to be nearby.

We've seen a handful of dating applications that cater to the straight community, and today brings the launch of Grindr (iTunes Link), one of the first iPhone applications geared towards gay and bisexual men. While privacy is an issue for all location based social networks, it is of the utmost importance on gay networks. Without proper security measures, bigots could easily download such applications and use them to pinpoint targets for hateful slurs and potentially even violence. Grindr deals with these issues by obscuring a user's absolute location by default. Rather than plotting each user on the map. Grindr displays how far away they are (distances can range from a few feet to miles away). The application presents users with a list of nearby strangers, arranged in a grid of photos (you can click on a photo to see their personal profile). From here, users can strike up a real-time chat. If they decide they like their new acquaintance, they can they optionally choose to reveal their exact locatio

WaPo's headline: "Gay Dating Makes Its Way To The iPhone." Dating? Grindr?

Adam Lambert - Tracks Of My Tears

Our boy Adam Lambert finally won over even Simon Cowell tonight, who called Lambert's Tracks Of My Tears "the best performance of the night." And a standing ovation from the song's writer, Smokey Robinson, sure doesn't hurt. Ridiculously amazing.


UPDATE: The highly accurate Dial Idol site shows Adam in first place.

Excuse The Mess

Our commenting system host is working through some programming bugs at the moment. A few comments may have been "eaten" today and I'm not sure if they'll reappear or not. But nobody has been banned here in ages, so don't feel like it was something you said if you find your comment gone. Carry on as usual.

UK: Anti-Gay Hate Speech Ban Upheld

In what British tabloids are describing with headlines like "Gay Hate Jokes Get Banned", the attempt to decriminalize anti-gay speech in the UK has failed.

The government has defeated an amendment in the House of Commons that would have created a defence of "free speech" in a bill that is designed to criminalise incitement of hatred in relation to sexual orientation. Campaigners including the Blackadder star Rowan Atkinson and the gay actor Christopher Biggins had argued that the clause relating to hatred in the Coroners and Justice Bill could limit freedom of expression and could lead to prosecutions over gay "jokes". The Coroners and Justice Bill is being used to remove an amendment to legislation passed last year that allowed the "discussion or criticism" of sexual practices last year. The amendment that was defeated today by 154 votes, would have effectively re-instated the defence of free speech.

Gay actor Christopher Biggens laments: "Showbiz, camp theatrics and dazzling wit helped to pave the way for gay rights. They should be cherished, not suppressed. It is bitterly ironic that, in the name of tolerance, the government should be marching towards such a culture of intolerance." The law that criminalizes speech intended to incite "sexual orientation hatred" was passed last year.

VT Governor To Veto Gay Marriage

Bad news.

Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas says he will veto a bill to legalize gay marriage if it passes the Legislature. The Republican had said even before Wednesday's announcement that he was against same-sex marriage. He also has said lawmakers shouldn't have spent their time on the bill this session because of the economy and the state's budget deficit.

The Vermont Senate approved marriage equality earlier this week with the House expected to do the same shortly. There may be enough votes to overturn Douglas' veto.

This Is George Weber's Murderer

The MySpace page of murdered gay newsman George Weber's 16 year-old killer has been found and it's extremely disturbing. From John Katehis' profile:

My name is John, I am sixteen years of age and live in Queens, New York. I enjoy long conversations, drinking, bike riding, hanging out, roof hopping, hanging off trains, any type of Parkour exercise, Extreme Violence (chaos, Anarchy, ect..) Video Games, Violent Movies and listening to my ipod. I am a very easy person to talk to. I like to do crazy and wild things.im like an adrenaline junkie, I'm always looking for a big thrill, I'm a big risk taker and like to live life on the edge.I am an Extremist, an Anarchist,and a Sadomasochist. As long as you show respect for me i will show respect for you, if you disrespect me, then i will fucking break your neck. To learn more about me just send me a message or catch me on aim, my screen name is johnkatehis92, my yahoo is greeksatan92@yahoo.com, johnkatehis92@yahoo.com and my msn is greekjohn92@hotmail.com. You can ask me any kind of questions, I am always happy to chat with a new person.

Katehis' MySpace page features numerous photos of him brandishing various weapons. Did this kid not have parents? How does a 16 year-old amass a large collection of swords and knives? I wasn't even allowed to own comic books.

Shocking! Lesbians! On Oprah!

You know, I really like Oprah - but enough already with the "shocking!" music and crime scene-ish flash cuts. Honey, it's just lesbians, not serial killers.

Too Gay For Theaters?

Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor's latest movie, I Love You, Phillip Morris, appears to be headed direct-to-video, despite getting a generally positive reception at recent film festivals. Micheal Musto speculates that a particular sex scene may have film buyers squeamish, after receiving this message from one marketer:

"The scene is not shocking in the sense that any body parts are actually revealed--both actors are nude, but the way the scene is shot, no pickle is on display. The surprising part is that the 'bottom' is this muscle, bearish type, who is on all fours, getting a really hard pounding by Carey. It was mostly the tone and my perception of Carey as an actor, just because I never looked at Carey in a sexual manner and he was so dedicated to giving it to the muscle-bear and the sexual tone was authentic, it caught me off guard. I eventually got over it and I think Carey is convincingly fantastic in the film. But I think most folks are used to seeing Ewan McGregor naked and engaging in man-on-man sex, but Carey, not so much. So more power to him for going there."

Decapitations, disemboweling, torture porn -all are OK for your local multiplex. Realistic gay sex - unacceptable.

New From Edward Current

Here's the latest from brilliant satirist Edward Current.

Maryland, About Your State Song....

Maryland is considering removing Civil War expressions like "Northern scum" from their state song.

Maryland lawmakers are thinking maybe it's time to find a way to scrub "Northern scum" — and a few other sensitive pre-Civil War phrases — from the official state song. "Maryland, My Maryland," set to the traditional seasonal tune of "O, Tannenbaum," was written in 1861 and adopted as the state song in 1939. But now some lawmakers are pushing for a change to the warlike language in what was originally a poem that doubled as a call to arms. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller wants a new commission to examine the song and consider changing some stanzas to reflect the state's diversity and remove offensive phrases. "I love history, but there comes a time when you have to adjust," Miller, a Democrat, told senators Tuesday. A Maryland House of Delegates committee voted down a bill to change the song because members were reluctant to tinker with history.

I believe Florida still has Stephen Foster's Swanee River as their state song. You know, that classic about where "de white folks stay" and the "darkeys" contentedly sing in the fields.

Insurers Offer Reforms In Advance Of Obama's Coverage-For-All Plan

This is an interesting development.

The nation's health insurers offered Tuesday to stop basing people's premiums on their health and extend coverage to all Americans regardless of pre-existing conditions — provided that everyone gets insurance. The suggestion from Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, came at a Senate hearing and in a Newsmaker session with USA TODAY. It marked the first time the insurance industry, which represents nearly 1,300 companies insuring more than 200 million people, has made such a proposal. Since calling for a major overhaul of the nation's health care system last month, President Obama has noted the cooperation of the system's major stakeholders: doctors and hospitals, businesses and consumers, drugmakers and insurance companies. Tuesday's proposal marked one of the first concrete steps forward in the process. "This is a major step, and it changes everything about how the market works," Ignagni told USA TODAY. Insurers, she said, are prepared to "offer coverage to everyone who applies."

The proposal hinges on a requirement that all Americans get health insurance, a system currently in place in Massachusetts only.

Raves For Obama's Press Conference

TV's talking heads are giving President Obama rave reviews for last night's press conference.

(Via - Americablog)

DC's Town Danceboutique Responds

In Monday's post about bachelorette parties at gay bars, I mentioned that when at DC's Town Danceboutique, I'd heard complaints about straight people "rubbing our noses" in their right to marry by holding parties at Town. JMG reader Chad forwarded the post to the owners of Town and here is their response.

"The irony that straight people choose Town Danceboutique in which to celebrate a basic fundamental right that is denied to the very owners, operators, and patrons of that establishment is not lost on those owners and operators. Instead of, in turn, denying straight people a right to celebrate, we choose to embrace the happiness and joy that comes with celebrating an occasion such as marriage.

However, in an attempt to make sure that the irony is not lost on those that are celebrating, Town Danceboutique requires all members of such groups to sign a very straight-forwardly written petition that demonstrates that the those that come to the club to celebrate their marriage or their friend's marriage also support the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere to enjoy those same rights.

We collect these petitions and send them individually to the appropriate congressional representatives in which the respective signers reside. We believe that this process is a far better way of attempting to help gain marriage rights than if we simply were to turn such people away at our door."

Police: George Weber Killed By 16 Year-Old Met On Craigslist

Using the murdered gay newsman's email history, the NYPD has easily found the killer of George Weber, a 16 year-old he met on Craigslist. The killer has confessed.

A 16-year-old confessed to stabbing WABC newsman George Weber during a drugged-up date with the older man, police sources said Wednesday. The emotionally disturbed teenager was arrested early Wednesday morning after he admitted to cops that he had answered an ad Weber placed on the Internet looking for a partner in rough sex, police and law enforcements sources said. "He saw the victim's ad looking for violent sex and said "I can smother somebody for $60" but it got out of hand," a source said. The teen admitted he stabbed Weber, but couldn't remember how many times because he "blanked out" during the violent, drug-fuelled assault. The teen was in custody this morning at Brooklyn's 76th Precinct. Cops found the suspect by combing through Weber's e-mail and Web browser history and tracking calls he made from his cell phone, sources said.

A memorial service for Weber is being planned.

Two Gay Guys Go Into A Sports Bar......

Last night ABC's What Would You Do? sent two gay guys into a New Jersey sports bar to see how the customers reacted when the couple became affectionate. Things turned out better than you'd probably think.

Gainesville Does The Right Thing

Yesterday the voters of Gainesville, Florida refused to repeal that city's LGBT discrimination protections. From Equality Florida:

Equality Florida joins with local leaders in Gainesville and fair-minded people across the state and nation in celebrating today's decisive victory over discrimination and fear embodied in Gainesville Charter Amendment 1. Voters rejected the amendment by a vote of 58% to 42%. If passed, Charter Amendment 1 would have repealed existing civil rights protections for Gainesville's gay and transgender community. For over a year, backers of the amendment have waged a fear-based campaign filled with outright lies and media campaigns that dehumanized gay and transgender people. Specifically, these extremists drew a target on the backs of transgender people with bigoted messages intended to instill fear in the hearts of Gainesville citizens.

17 Year-Old Gay Vermont Youth Speaks Out On Marriage Equality

Meet our new hero, James Neiley.

(Via - Bilerico)

Finale: RuPaul's Drag Race

Spoiler alert: If you didn't watch it last night, the winner is revealed in this clip.

Daily Grumble

You know, I was soooo careful not to overdo it this weekend. Twelve hours of sleep before the party. Fully hydrated for the duration. Ten hours of sleep Sunday night. But then last night I had to check out a new UES restaurant whose name starts and ends with a vowel. Four hours later I was Googling "food poisoning" and "guacamole." Dammit.

Gay Radio Reporter Murdered In Brooklyn

Veteran openly gay ABC radio news reporter George Weber was found stabbed to death in his bed yesterday. Police are speculating that Weber was murdered by a someone he picked up on the internet.

WABC newsman George Weber was slain in a struggle so violent that his killer's blood splattered across the reporter's Brooklyn home, police sources said Monday. Weber's lifeless body, his ankles bound with duct tape, was discovered in the bedroom of his Carroll Gardens apartment Sunday. The radio reporter had been savagely attacked, with multiple cuts to his neck, torso, arms and hands, police said. Blood was found throughout the ransacked apartment, but investigators think some of it belonged to the killer, believed to be a date Weber picked up Friday night, sources said. One neighbor heard a scuffle, followed by several loud thumps Friday night, then silence. Witnesses have told cops they saw a man talking on a cell phone outside Weber's home Friday night. Investigators suspect that Weber arranged to meet his companion over the Internet and were searching his e-mail and Web browser history, sources said.

Weber was known for his disarming interview style. He would often bring his pet dachshund Noodles to interviews, as his subjects would calm down and open up after petting the dog.

Kill Bill In One Minute

(Tipped by JMG reader Ohio Bill)

This Is A Republican Congressman?

TMZ is calling 27 year-old freshman Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL) "Congressman Studly."

Gainesville FL Votes Today On Repealing LGBT Discrimination Protection

Today the city of Gainesville, FL will vote on repealing their LGBT discrimination protections.

A charter amendment that would strip this university city's anti-discrimination protections extended to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender residents is before voters Tuesday. The fight began after the city commission last year revised Gainesville's anti-discrimination ordinance to protect transgender people - those who are born one sex but identify with the other. That allows the city's approximately 100 transgender residents to use the public restroom of their choosing, along with protecting them from job and housing discrimination.

Those supporting repeal say their message has remained consistent: "Keep men out of women's restrooms!" "That's our motive, plain and simple," said Jim Gilbert, a spokesman for Citizens for Good Public Policy. On the other side, a group known as Equality is Gainesville's Business is campaigning for a "no" vote on Charter Amendment 1. It argues that the city ordinance does not need amending and that the transgender argument is really a screen for a larger attack on sexual minorities. Home to the University of Florida, Gainesville is generally considered a gay-friendly city surrounded by conservative north Florida. "This is about attacking the gay, lesbian, bisexual community and repealing protections that are in place," said Joe Saunders, a spokesman said. If passed, the measure would void existing city ordinances barring discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It would also prohibit the city from enforcing laws barring the city from adding categories not protected by the Florida Civil Rights Act, which recognizes race, color, creed, religion, gender, national origin, age, handicap, martial and familial status.

The entire campaign is an embarrassing stain on what is normally a relatively progressive college town. Gainesville is home to the massive University of Florida.

VT Senate Approves Marriage Equality

And now we're one step closer in Vermont too.

The Vermont Senate voted 26-4 today in favor of the same-sex marriage bill. The bill will have third reading and vote Tuesday. All bills have three readings. It is designed for people to reconsider or amend an item, but it unlikely that a vote would change on a third reading. A similar measure begins moving through the House on Tuesday with testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. A full vote on that measure wouldn't come before next week. "We're not condoning homosexuality," Sen. John Campbell, D-Windsor, told the Senate just before the vote. "What we're doing is recognizing that some people are homosexuals."

Meghan McCain Supports Gay Marriage

I really like her, but "antithesizes"?

The Defeatocrats Cheer

(Via - Andrew Sullivan)

The Circle Is Unbroken

Sylvia Plath's son has killed himself.

Sen. Chuck Schumer Comes Out For Marriage Equality And Repeal Of DOMA

At an Empire State Pride Agenda dinner in NYC last night, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer reversed his previous stance, publicly endorsing marriage equality and called for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. From our reliable ally Elizabeth Benjamin at the New York Daily News:

Schumer: "It’s time. Equality is something that has always been a hallmark of America and no group should be deprived of it. New York, which has always been at the forefront on issues of equality, is appropriately poised to take a lead on this issue."

It's hard to overstate the significance of this in the eyes of gay marriage advocates. With the ascent of Kirsten Gillibrand to fill Hillary Clinton's vacant US Senate seat, Schumer was the last remaining statewide elected official who backed civil unions over full marriage equality. (Recall that one of the first issues Gillibrand "evolved" on was marriage, although her office has insisted she always personally supported it).

Clinton's departure from the New York political stage arguably gave Schumer some breathing room on this issue. Both Clinton and Schumer were under pressure from the gay community (which includes some very heavy-hitting political donors) to change their position from supporting civil unions to backing marriage, but they both refused to budge. While Clinton was running for president, there was no way Schumer could move on this topic - no matter how much he might have wanted to follow the lead set by then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer and his LG, David Paterson - especially since Barack Obama also took the civil-union-only approach.

Thank you, Senator. Welcome to the light.

In Which I Die Of Shame

About 6am at the Black Party, my buddy Nick and I noticed a young man lying on a bag of trash just off the dance floor. We watched him for a few seconds and when it appeared that nobody was looking after him, we went over and got him to his wobbly feet. "Are you OK?" Yes, yes. "You sure? You don't look OK and you were lying in the dirty garbage. Didn't you take something?" No, no, no! Yes. "Well, which is it? Where are your friends?" Shrug. Stagger. Dr. Jeff ran to the bar to get the kid something sugary while Nick and I kept him moving and talking. Colombian, 23, moved here from Bogata two weeks ago, knows no one in NYC. Sigh. A Roseland staffer came over and repeated the same questions that Nick and I had asked, the kid drank Dr. Jeff's soda, came out of his fog and decided to go home.

Crisis averted.

A few minutes later I headed to the basement to check out the DJ in the Serpent's Lounge. On the crowded stairs I noticed a guy about my age who seemed to be in a similar condition to our young Colombian, as he was gripping the center handrail with both hands and laboriously venturing each step. Emboldened by our earlier Boy Scoutery, I reached across the rail and took his elbow. "You doing OK, buddy? Looks like you're kinda out of it. Let me help you out." Oh, thank you, but I'm fine. I'm just really tired. And blind.

Joe dies of embarrassment.

Making it worse, I hadn't noticed that the man already had somebody on his other elbow helping him down the stairs. Making it extra extra extra worse, his friend turned out to be a JMG reader, meaning that I couldn't even by an anonymous asshole. They explained that the guy had lost his sight only two years ago due to some chronic condition. So here he is at the Black Party, defiantly holding on to this part of his old world, probably feeling pretty great about it, and some shithead has to come over and let him know that he looks like a fucked up mess. Yeah, yeah, best intentions and all that, but still.

As I departed the party eight hours later, I chatted with one of the EMTs hired for the event and he told me that he only knew of three patrons who had been removed for messiness, which I found quite remarkable considering the immense size of the crowd. On the way home I pondered what the number would have been had it been a straight event and remembered the 80 arrests for public messiness at tiny Hoboken, New Jersey's St. Patrick's Day parade. Since I only do the gay megaparty thing a couple of times a year anymore, I don't have a lot of first-person impressions to draw upon, but it does seem possible that gay folks have finally reined in the excesses that that played a part in ending many annual events like the Black Party.

An asshole can only hope.

Friendly Voices - Paul Rudd

"I always thought I'd be a really good gay guy. I love American Idol. I watch Antiques Roadshow like crazy. Guys like Oscar Wilde, Stephen Fry, Elton John — they're all very bright, with a razor-sharp wit. David Sedaris — who's funnier than David Sedaris? The Saturday Night Live that I hosted was such a gay-heavy show. But it didn't even cross my mind until after. The family that kept kissing each other — I didn't even think of that as being gay...I remember doing interviews for The Object of My Affection, and people would say, 'What was it like to kiss a guy?' Like it was such a shocking thing. I said, 'How many times does anyone ask, 'You had to shoot somebody. Was that weird?'' I love gay guys. I feel pretty gay. I'm certainly not the most macho guy in the room." - Actor Paul Rudd, speaking to Entertainment Weekly about his upcoming "bromance" movie, I Love You Man.

(Via - Towleroad)

40 Years Of Pride

Jon Gilbert Leavitt and Kevin Hannan provide a We Didn't Start The Fire-style gay pride history lesson in this documentary/music video made to mark the 40th anniversary of Pride in NYC. Fantastic!

(Tipped by JMG reader Michael)

Trillions And Still Speding

About 6000 anti-Obama protesters rallied in my hometown of Orlando on Saturday for one of them "revolutionary tea parties." Photo gallery here. I love how the woman above is so proud of her misspelled sign. In the clip below, some bozo reads a declaration that comes perilously close to calling for the overthrow of the government. (He basically reads the Declaration of Independence, substituting "Orlando" and "Lake Eola" where needed and throwing in a few other economy-related modernities.)

Flaunting Their Rights In Our Bars?

"Until same-sex marriage is legal everywhere and same-sex couples are allowed the rights as every heterosexual couple worldwide, we simply do not think it's fair or just for a female bride-to-be to celebrate her upcoming nuptials here at Cocktail. We are entitled to an opinion, this is ours." - From a Chicago bar owner who says that his customers have been complaining that heterosexuals have been "flaunting" their right to marry by holding bachelorette parties in his bar.

When I was last in DC, two dozen women were holding a bachelorette party at Town. While the women were generally delightful to watch as they became the focal point of the drag show, I did hear complaints about them "rubbing our noses in it."

Portia Apologizes For Marrying Ellen

Portia de Rossi: EPIC WIN.

VIDEO: Black Party 2009

ABOVE: One minute of the Black Party's dance floor, shot at approximately 4:15am. The clip starts out a bit dark, but an explosion of strobe light madness brightens things up immensely.
BELOW: My beloved Farmboys arrived shortly after noon, but I never found them as the crowd had scarcely lessened since my arrival around 2am. Below is Father Tony's photo montage/video. You'll note that although these two clips were taken at least nine hours apart, it appears that the same record is still playing. I can promise you that this is not an illusion. More on that issue later today after I've sorted out my thoughts.