DC Anchor: "I'm Not Sorry" For Threatening To Punch Mike Rogers

As a follow-up to yesterday's show in which DC news anchor Doug McKelway threatened on the air to punch gay activist Mike Rogers, today the talking head vowed that he will never apologize.

Caption This

The View Slams Joe The Plumber

Even Elizabeth Hasselbeck chimes saying, "Joe The Plumber is not invited anywhere around ME," referring to his statement that he wouldn't let his children be around his mythical gay friends.

Entertainment Weekly Picks Their Winner

Note the subhead: "*And not just because he might be gay."

Font Fight

For my pal Tom and his "Hel Fucking Vetica" t-shirt.

(Tipped by JMG reader Wilson)

Michael Savage To Sue UK Over Travel Ban

Radio host Michael Savage says he's going to sue UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith for defamation after she included him on list of persons banned from visiting the country.

UK tabloid Daily Mail:

Michael Savage, who has up to 10 million listeners, branded Home Secretary Jacqui Smith a 'lunatic' and a 'witch' after being named alongside hate preachers and a member of Hamas. Last night lawyers suggested he had a strong case as he had not advocated violence, unlike others on the list. It was thought he could claim up to £200,000 in damages.

Michael Savage:

"I have been banned from Great Britain. I had not planned on going there, I had not been there in over 25 years. When I woke up this morning I just thought I could not be true. The point is that today it is me, tomorrow it will be somebody else. For her to link me up with skinheads who are killing people in Russia, to put me in league with mass murderers who kill Jews on buses, is defamation. I thought this was a joke or a mistake. How could they put Michael Savage in the same league with mass murderers when I have never avowed violence? As a result of this, I am going to sue. When has this witch heard my show, since it's not syndicated in England? She has painted a target on my back, linking me with people who are in prison for killing people. Does she not think people might hunt me down?"

An attorney for the ACLU described the travel ban as a form of censorship, saying, "While some of these people may express views that others find disagreeable, often the cure is worse than the disease. It also deprives the citizens of that country of their ability to hear dissenting views."

Jacqui Smith defended her actions, saying that Savage "is actually likely to cause inter-community tension or even violence" if allowed in the country. Smith: "Coming to this country is a privilege. If you can't live by the rules that we live by, the standards and the values that we live by, we should exclude you."

Now let's see if the litigation-loving Phelps join the lawsuit.

Where Is Our "Fierce Advocate"?

Today the New York Times wonders when our president, who promised to be a "fierce advocate" for LGBT causes, is going to step up to the plate.

President Obama was noticeably silent last month when the Iowa Supreme Court overturned the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. But now Mr. Obama — who has said he opposes same-sex marriage as a Christian but describes himself as a “fierce advocate of equality” for gay men and lesbians — is under pressure to engage on a variety of gay issues that are coming to the fore amid a dizzying pace of social, political, legal and legislative change. Two of Mr. Obama’s potential Supreme Court nominees are openly gay; some advocates, irked that there are no gay men or lesbians in his cabinet, are mounting a campaign to influence his choice to replace Justice David H. Souter, who is retiring. Same-sex marriage is advancing in states — the latest to allow it is Maine — and a new flare-up in the District of Columbia could ultimately put the controversy in the lap of the president. Mr. Obama’s new global health initiative has infuriated activists who say he is not financing AIDS programs generously enough. And while the president has urged Congress to pass a hate crimes bill, a high priority for gay groups, he has delayed action on one of his key campaign promises, repealing the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule.

On Monday the president tried to allay the growing fears of abandonment and invited reps from major LGBT organizations to the White House for a chat. Afterwards, the HRC's Joe Solmonese emerged to say, "They have a vision. They have a plan."

We're waiting.

Trippin' On The Moon!

OMG, you guys! A Saint reunion party!

Sunday May 31st, original Saint DJs Micheal Fierman and Robbie Leslie will perform at Trippin' On The Moon: Remembering Dancing Under The Dome at Manhattan's Santos House Party.

Advance tickets $30, $40 at the door (if available.) $20 admission to those with an original Saint membership card. The evening benefits Gay Men's Health Crisis and LifeBEAT.

I am SO freekin' there. I can guarantee you that the same song will not play all night long.

Jackie Beat On Corn Syrup

If you've seen the ad touting the "healthiness" of high fructose corn syrup, you'll love these parodies starring drag legend Jackie Beat.

Student At Christian College Appeals Suspension Over Appearance In Gay Porn

A student at a Christian college in Pennsylvania is fighting his school for suspending him because he's done gay porn.

Twenty-two-year-old John Gechter, of Philadelphia, was suspended for one year pending appeal from Grove City College after a student saw him last month in a video posted online. Gechter is appealing the suspension and says he may sue claiming that the gay porn job isn't any of the school's business, especially since he performed using the name "Vincent DeSalvo." Gechter says he used his porn income to pay for his schooling. School officials say Gechter is suspended because Gechter was well aware his porn involvement "exhibited behavior contrary to the values" of the school about 50 miles north of Pittsburgh.

And what about the fuckwit fellow student who narced him out? What was HE doing watching gay porn?

(Via - Dan Savage, who has a NSFW screenshot)

The Prince's Rainforest Project

The Roots Of Carrie's Hate

Carrie Prejean's homophobia may have its origin in her parents' divorce and protracted custody battle in which her mother accused her father of being gay. TMZ has the court records.

Carrie's parents filed for divorce in 1988 and the divorce and custody fights went on for more than a decade -- it was a divorce filled with homosexual allegations hurled by both sides. In one of the docs, Carrie's dad describes a confrontation he had with her mom in 1996, in which he recounts an argument in a restaurant parking lot, where "Ms. Prejean accused me, in front of our daughter, of homosexuality."

The papers also quote a court-appointed doctor who said "The mother questioned [within hearing of the girls] whether [her father] was a homosexual or had a homosexual roommate." Carrie's mom says the "gay" allegations went both ways. In court papers dated May 16, 2000, a report from the court-appointed counselor says "The mother also alleges the father told the girls their stepfather was gay, that all men with mustaches are gay." The father's response: "The father acknowledges talking with the girls about the stepfather's brother being gay, not the stepfather."

In another court document, Carrie's older sister wrote that she and Carrie once saw their father's roommate in bed with another man, saying, "I don't think it's right for my sister & I to have to live that way."

Gays broke up her parents! I think this explains a lot.

DC Newscaster Threatens To Punch Activist Mike Rogers Over Film Outrage

During a live broadcast, yesterday Washington DC NewsChannel 8 anchor Doug McKelway threatened to take activist Mike Rogers "outside and give you a punch across your face" when the two disagreed over the outing tactics of the film Outrage, in which Rogers appears. McKelway didn't like it when Rogers said that if he felt outing was wrong, then he must be anti-gay. Rogers remained amazingly unruffled. Fireworks start around 2:30. The movie opens nationwide on Friday.

(Via - Pam Spaulding)

Here's the trailer for Outrage.

Porn Star Stormy Daniels May Run Against Sen. David "Diaper Boy" Vitter (R-LA)

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), the hateful gay rights opponent whose name was in the little black book of the DC Madam, may have a challenger in porn star Stormy Daniels.

Stormy Daniels strode onstage at a downtown Baton Rouge restaurant in a tight black blouse with a plunging neckline and a knee-length skirt in the popular purple of Louisiana State University. She introduced herself with a warning. "For those of you who don't know who I am," she told the lunch crowd at The Roux House, "I'd suggest that you don't Google that until you get home from work." She's a Louisiana-born porn star who says she is considering a 2010 run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican David Vitter, whose family-values reputation was marred in 2007 when his name was linked to a Washington prostitution ring.

According to hookers in the employ of the now-suicided DC Madam, Vitter enjoys adult baby roleplaying including wearing diapers. He also enjoys railing against the expansion of LGBT rights.

No Prosecution For Wal-Mart Over Black Friday Death Stampede

After a security guard was trampled to death by an unruly mob stampeding the entrance of a Long Island Wal-Mart, many called for the criminal prosecution of the company for staging the pre-dawn "doorbuster" holiday sales event with little security. Yesterday the company evaded charges.

Mega-retailer Wal-Mart will avoid criminal prosecution for its role in the fatal post- Thanksgiving Day stampede at its Valley Stream store by agreeing to overhaul its statewide safety plan, paying out $400,000 to victims of the melee and donating $1.5 million to community programs, Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice said Wednesday. Rice announced the agreement at a Mineola news conference Wednesday, more than five months after a temporary worker was killed by stampeding shoppers during the sale day. "No prosecution could have achieved what we have been able to do with this agreement," Rice said. "Rather than bringing the world's largest retailer to court and imposing a small fine against them, I felt it was important to require significant safety changes that will affect the whole state."

Wal-Mart admits no wrongdoing under the plea deal. The family of the trampled security guard is continuing with a civil suit against the company.

Openly Gay Justice For SCOTUS?

The Victory Fund's Chuck Wolfe talks to MSNBC's David Shuster about the possibility of President Obama appointing a gay or lesbian person to replace SCOTUS Judge David Souter.

Friendly Voices - Adrian Fenty

''I think you can certainly anticipate that [gay marriage] is in the future of the District of Columbia. How soon, we don't know. But this is a huge step forward in being -- having a law that recognizes marriages from other jurisdictions. And I do believe that nationally there's movement on this issue. Just in the past six to 12 months -- you just announced Maine being the latest state to grant same-sex marriages. I think, just as marriage used to prohibit people from different races from being able to marry each other in this country, and that was done away with; I think prohibiting same-sex marriage will be done away with also in this country." Washington DC Mayor Adrian Fenty predicting marriage equality for his city.

West Point Grad Booted From Army After Coming Out On Rachel Maddow Show

Paging President Obama......

Aerial Virtual Tour Of NYC

If you need a new time suck, check out this aerial virtual tour of NYC. Use your arrow keys to zoom around or click on the lower left boxes for specific destinations. Warning: bad new age music ahead.

(Via - Gothamist)

Perez Hilton Vs. Maggie Gallagher

Again, I'm surprised with Perez Hilton.

Bye Allison

As expected (and predicted by Dial Idol).

Open Thread Thursday

If you didn't have to work until Monday, where would you be today?

Rock Maine Lobster!

For the hardworking folks at Equality Maine!

Victory In New Hampshire! Marriage Bill Now On Governor's Desk

The New Hampshire House narrowly approved its marriage equality bill today by a vote of 178-167, sending the bill to the desk of Gov. John Lynch, who has not said whether he will sign the bill.

Another big win for the good guys! Congrats to all who worked so hard!

McDonald's Settles "Faggots" Complaint

McDonald's has settled a complaint brought by the ACLU on behalf of five gay customers who were verbally abused by a restaurant staffer at a Louisville, Kentucky outlet.

Nine months after an employee at a McDonald's restaurant in downtown Louisville called a group of gay customers a series of anti-gay slurs, the American Civil Liberties Union announced today that McDonald's has agreed to a cash settlement and diversity training for management at 30 of its Louisville-area restaurants. Ryan Marlatt, Teddy Eggers, and three other friends had stopped for lunch at a McDonald's restaurant on East Market Street on July 26, 2008 while visiting Louisville for the weekend. While they waited for their food to be prepared, an employee behind the counter referred to them as “faggots” to another employee. When Marlatt and Eggers objected to the slur and asked to speak with a manager, the employee who had called them “faggots” started arguing with them, repeatedly calling them “faggots” in front of other customers and calling one of them a “cocksucker” and “bitch.”

After the incident, the offended patrons tried repeatedly to reach McDonald's corporate offices but were ignored, eventually resulting in the ACLU's complaint with the Louisville Human Rights Commission. Although the customers had only requested the refund of their purchase, McDonald's offered them each $2000, which they accepted. All that, plus lawyers' fees, plus diversity training for 30 managers... and all it would have taken is an apology and one shit-canned employee. The customers tell their story in a video clip at the ACLU's site.

Mormon Rep. Jason Chaffetz Vows To Bring Congress Into DC Marriage Battle

Freshman Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), a Mormon, has vowed to have Congress intervene in DC's decision to recognize same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions.

Chaffetz, who is the ranking Republican on the House subcommittee that oversees the district, says he is in discussions with House minority leaders on which of several options they will use to try to thwart the sanction of same-sex marriage within the nation's capital. "I'm in a favor of recognizing marriage as a union between a man and a woman," Chaffetz said. "I'm not in favor of trying to redefine it, or disguise it under another name." Unlike any other American city, Washington has no ultimate control over its own laws and budgets and Congress has 30 days in which to cancel the 12-1 vote by the City Council to recognize same-sex marriage licenses from other states. The district, home to nearly 600,000 residents, has no voting member of Congress.

The Democratic majority in the House may be able to block any action Chaffetz attempts. And how is it that a Congressman in office for three months is already the ranking Republican in charge of DC? Must be a shit assignment.

"Terrorizing" The Ex-Gays

Certified hate group MassResistance is claiming that LGBT activists led by Wayne Besen "terrorized" a meeting of "ex-gay" loonies Exodus International last week at a Boston church. Here's the video MassResistance made of the protest. Besen's group had a permit, police were called, no arrests, no citations. No "terrorism".

RELATED: In November 2007 the teenage daughter of MassResistance founder Amy Contrada came out as a lesbian after her mother picketed her high school's production of The Laramie Project. The next week good ol' mom created a full page on the MassResistance site to announce that her daughter was adopted, emotionally unstable, and a "special needs" student. Last year the Southern Poverty Law Center rated MassResistance as a hate group.

NH House Vote Imminent

The New Hampshire House is voting on concurrence with the state Senate's marriage bill this afternoon. The vote should come shortly and is likely to be close. Live audio/video streams are here.

Lesbian Couple To Attempt First Same-Sex Marriage In Russia

Although they'll surely be rejected, next week a lesbian couple in Moscow will attempt to get a marriage license.

Public relations worker Irina Fyet, 31, and her partner of the same age will apply for a marriage license at a register office on May 12 in Moscow, a city where mayor Yuri Luzhkov once described gay pride marches as "satanic." Gay rights activist Nikolai Alekseyev said it was the first time a gay couple would apply for a license. "I am 99 percent sure there will be a refusal, but maybe later the situation in Russia can change, the political feeling can change," he told Reuters on Wednesday. The pair will most likely legally marry in the coming months in Toronto, or Norway, he added. Neither country requires residency for gay couples wishing to marry. Activists say a loophole exists in Russian law which bans gay marriage at home but does not prevent the recognition of a same-sex marriage that has taken place abroad.

Next week Moscow Pride will coincide with the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest, bringing the couple access to hundreds of probably friendly foreign journalists.

Kylie Minogue Announces 1st U.S. Tour

Six dates were just announced for Kylie Minogue's first ever North American tour.

Sep. 30 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
Oct. 3 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl
Oct. 4 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
Oct. 7 Chicago, IL Congress Theater
Oct. 9 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
Oct. 11 NYC, NY Hammerstein Ballroom

Rainbows! Glitter! Unicorns! Kylie! Tickets go on sale next week. My pal Ken just emailed from LA: "You do realize that I'm breathing into a paper bag right now." This news came via #1 Kylie fanatic Jimbo in DC.

Marriage Comes To Maine! Gov. Baldacci Signs Marriage Equality Bill!

Today Maine became the fifth state to approve marriage equality!

Democratic Gov. John Baldacci today signed into law a bill allowing gay marriage, making Maine the fifth state to allow same-sex marriage. The governor's signature came barely an hour after the measure won final approval in the state Legislature, with a final 31-8 vote in favor in the Maine Senate. Baldacci said in a statement that while he has opposed gay marriage in the past, “I have come to believe that this is a question of fairness and of equal protection under the law, and that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage.

“This new law does not force any religion to recognize a marriage that falls outside of its beliefs," the governor said. "It does not require the church to perform any ceremony with which it disagrees. Instead, it reaffirms the separation of church and state. It guarantees that Maine citizens will be treated equally under Maine’s civil marriage laws, and that is the responsibility of government," Baldacci said. The governor's signature means the law would take effect in 90 days after the end of the legislative session. It may not, however, be the last word: Opponents of same-sex marriage are gearing up to mount a so-called "people's veto" campaign that would put the issue to a statewide vote in November.

Congratulations to all our brothers and sisters in Maine for their hard work! Lobster for everybody!!

At Yesterday's DC Marriage Hearing

Marion Barry makes his deluded case. And then after the vote, all the crazies start shouting.

(Via - Washington Blade)
UPDATE: More screaming!

ZOMG! GPS Will Bring The Stormtroopers To Your Front Door!

Wingnutistan is up in arms (again!) because the 2010 Census will include GPS data for the front doors every American home. Via World Net Daily:

"GPS coordinates of your front door will make it easier for the government to monitor you. The U.S. Census Bureau is simply an excuse – a harmless looking means of obtaining the front door coordinates. The creation of GPS coordinates for front doors has nothing to do with the census, in all honesty, no matter how much the United States government tries to convince you that it does. The Obamites, thirsty to serve their new messianic figure, have lost enough of their objectivity to be willingly recruited into such an insidious program like gaining these coordinates for the U.S. government."

And then he took his Google Maps print-out and got into his GSP-equipped car to find the nearest titty bar.

WND readers respond:
-"Obama is really scaring me..swine flu outbreak..air force one incident..now he is tracking us to our front door?..i have a very bad feeling that we are in a lot of trouble and it's just starting..he wants to control the radio and internet..i fear for america and the american people..i don't think obama is as foolish as he wants everyone to believe..he has an agenda and he knows exactly what he's doing..i think he is more evil than anyone can imagine.."
-"Well, once they have the GPS coordinates for everybody in the USA then they just need to match that info up with Janet Napolean's list of the "domestic terrorist troublemakers" and voila! Properly programmed smart weapons can then be used to eliminate any opposition to Obummer's dictatorship."
-"They'll be wearing blue helmets, won't be able to read English or an American map, but they'll be marginally intelligent enough to follow GPS coordinates and read the number of 'anti-U.N./NWO Christian extremists' occupying the dwellings. Yes, they will kill me because I do plan to take a few with me. (but of course I will leave the 'coordinates' immediately with family at the first word of emergency or GPS aerial attack.)"

Tonight: NY Marriage Equality Meetings

Tonight at the NYC LGBT Center:

Both Marriage Equality New York and Civil Rights Front will be having their monthly meetings tonight at the LGBT Center. MENY is at 6:30pm, CRF at 7:30pm. These may be the last meetings before the Prop 8 decision is issued, so I'd strongly urge you to attend one or both. Both meetings will also talk about the counter-demonstration that's being planned against the National Organization for Marriage (Sunday, May 17, 1pm, 3rd Ave & 40t St)

(Via - Eric Leven)

HomoQuotable - David Ogden Stiers

"From the late 1980s until about seven or eight years ago, you would find certain individuals coming up to you, me, and advocating the position that since we were doing family fare that it would be best were the actors to maintain a certain palatability to parents. These parties likely had heard rumors or harbored suspicions about me and wanted to make sure no embarrassing incidents were forthcoming. I could claim noble reasons as coming out in order to move gay rights forward, but I must admit it is for far more selfish reasons. Now is the time I wish to find someone and I do not desire to force any potential partner to live a life of extreme discretion for me." - Actor David Ogden Stiers coming out, because he wants a husband.

About Yesterday

If you visited yesterday's Carrie Prejean posts you noticed an avalanche of anti-gay trolls as this here website thingy saw about ten times its normal traffic from people Googling variations on "Miss California topless." Some of the conversation threads no longer "track" because I had to delete and ban so many "your all sick fagets" types of comments. My apologies to loyal JMGers who took on the trolls, but that stuff had to go. I think yesterday I banned more people in one day that in the previous five years of JMG*. However, I will admit taking no small pleasure in wiping out 500-word opuses (that probably took an hour to craft) merely after reading the first few words. "As it says in the Book of Revela.." GONE. Insert Muttley laugh here.

*I did allow some of their ridiculousness to remain if your riposts were especially zingy.

The Mormon Church Has Posthumously Baptized President Obama's Mother

John Aravosis at Americablog went digging through the Mormon Church's online records and discovered that the LDS posthumously baptized Barack Obama's mother during the 2008 presidential campaign. Remember the scandal last November when the LDS was caught posthumously baptizing Holocaust victims even after they said they would stop? Read Aravosis' first and follow-up posts on this latest revelation.

PETA By The Numbers

According to the website PETA Kills Animals:

PETA’s “Animal Record” report for 2008 (PDF), filed with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, shows that the animal rights group killed 95 percent of the dogs and cats in its care last year. During all of 2008, PETA found adoptive homes for just seven pets. Just seven animals -- out of the 2,216 it took in. PETA just broke its own record. Why would an animal rights group secretly kill animals at its headquarters? PETA’s continued silence on the matter makes it hard to say for sure. But from a cost-saving standpoint, PETA’s hypocrisy isn’t difficult to understand: Killing adoptable cats and dogs – and storing the bodies in a walk-in freezer until they can be cremated – requires far less money and effort than caring for the pets until they are adopted. PETA has a $32 million annual budget. But instead of investing in the lives of the thousands of flesh and blood creatures in its care, the group spends millions on media campaigns telling Americans that eating meat, drinking milk, fishing, hunting, wearing leather shoes, and benefiting from medical research performed on lab rats are all “unethical.”

A couple of things. When this site says "killed", they mean "euthanized." And I don't necessarily see anything wrong with storing dead animals in a freezer pending cremation. (What's the alternative?) Otherwise, these numbers are horrifying.

Rep. Virginia Foxx Sends Letter Of Apology To Judy Shepard

After standing on the floor of Congress and calling the use of Matthew Shepard's death to advance the hate crimes bill a "hoax", Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) has sent a letter of apology to Judy Shepard, who was in the gallery during the speech.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation acknowledges receipt of the letter, but declined to discuss its contents, saying they prefer to focus on the task of getting the bill passed in the Senate. Foxx has not yet said if she now considers the murder of Matthew Shepard to have in fact been a hate crime.

Rumors

Sources say that the California Supreme Court may issue its Prop 8 ruling tomorrow. We should hear something by the end of today. Notice should pop up on the Court's site here.

UPDATE: False alarm. Tomorrow's notices have gone up and Prop 8 isn't there. Will the Court uphold Prop 8 next week on the very anniversary of the day same-sex marriage was approved last year?

James Dobson: The Religious Rights's Most Outrageous Liar

Focus On The Family head James Dobson goes video with his outrageous lies that the hate crimes bill currently before Congress in fact protects pedophiles and other sexual criminals from prosecution. Watch in disbelief.

"Bisexuality, exhibitionism, fetishism, incest, necrophilia, pedophilia, prostitution, sexual masochism, urophilia, voyeurism, and bestiality. Those are just a few. And I have to ask, have we gone completely MAD? We're gonna protect all thirty of these forms of sexual perversion?

Caption This

Matthews Vs. Rep. Pence On Evolution

Adam Lambert - Whole Lotta Love

Adam Lambert's patented wailing was well-suited to tonight's rock theme, especially for a Led Zeppelin cover. Both Danny and Kris were disasters, but I still wouldn't be surprised to see Alison go tomorrow night.

NH Freedom To Marry Ad, NH House Votes On Marriage Equality Tomorrow

Via Blue Hampshire:

House Bill 436 will be on the House floor this Wednesday, May 6th. We will ask the House to "concur" with the excellent amendments put onto the bill by the Senate. If we are able to earn concurrence, the bill then will be on its way to Governor John Lynch, who we hope will continue to listen to the growing support that marriage equality has received during all these months. We need your help. The opposition is working hard. We have to work harder.

Contact representatives in the New Hampshire House here.

Marion Barry Warns Of "Civil War" Over Same-Sex Marriage

After accidentally voting FOR marriage equality today, then calling for a second vote because he wasn't paying attention, former DC mayor and current City Councilman Marion Barry said that a "civil war" may erupt in the nation's capitol over same-sex marriage. Pandemonium ensued in the council's building after the vote and police and security had to removing screaming evangelicals.

"All hell is going to break lose," Barry said while speaking to reporters. "We may have a civil war. The black community is just adamant against this." Barry made his remarks a few hours after a group of same-sex marriage opponents, led by black ministers, caused uproar in the Wilson Building after the Council voted 12 to 1 to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. They caused such a ruckus that security guards and police had to clear the hallway. The protesters shouted that council members who voted for the bill will face retribution at the polls. Although he has been a longtime supporter of gay rights, Barry said he voted against the bill to satisfy his constituents in Southeast Washington. "What you've got to understand is 98 percent of my constituents are black and we don't have but a handful of openly gay residents," Barry said. "Secondly, at least 70 percent of those who express themselves to me about this are opposed to anything dealing with this issue. The ministers think it is a sin, and I have to be sensitive to that."

Four times married. Convicted crack addict. Three times indicted for tax evasion. One DUI arrest. He is a "moral politician."

Pageant To NOM: Cease & Desist

The Miss California USA pageant doesn't want NOM using images from the contest on their website. Via TMZ:

The Miss Universe Organization just told us they've fired off a cease and desist letter to the National Organization for Marriage -- after NOM used footage from the Miss USA 2009 pageant in an anti-gay marriage commercial. The commercial -- which is currently still playing on NOM's website -- uses Carrie Prejean's pageant response to the gay marriage question as a selling point for the ad. This doesn't mean the MUO is taking sides on the issue -- just saying NOM can't use the copyrighted material to promote their agenda.

When will they snatch Carrie's tiara and crown the runner-up, Tami Farrell - Miss Malibu USA?

Comments Links Alert

Porn site owners and other spammers are bombarding JMG with outgoing comments links today. I'm deleting them as I can, but please take care when clicking on links left in comments. Some of the linked sites appear to be loaded with spyware/malware/adware. If you don't already, you should add alert services for these attack sites to your browser.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of Universal Music, today's Swag Tuesday giftie is the Elton John concert DVD The Red Piano, which goes on sale nationwide today.

Thousands of Elton John fans have traveled to Caesars Palace Las Vegas to see over 200 sold-out The Red Piano shows, helping break attendance records and setting new standards for musical entertainment. Now available everywhere for the first time, the concert DVD or a high-definition Blu-ray format contains the 14-song performance of The Red Piano show, including fan favorites such as “Candle in the Wind,” “Your Song,” “Rocket Man” and “Tiny Dancer.” The Blu-ray features a bonus 50-minute documentary, “The Life and Legacy Of Elton John,” with behind-the-scenes of David LaChapelle’s treatment of the show, plus stage projections, as well as unique raw videos made for the stage backdrop for select songs.

Enter to win The Red Piano by commenting on this post. Only enter once and please remember to leave your email address in the text of your comments. Entries close at midnight Wednesday, west coast time. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

The Big Fat Gay Anti-Hate Collaboration

Two dozen YouTubers collaborated to create this take on Lily Allen's Fuck You. Love it, love it, love it. Big props to Bil Browning at the Bilerico Project for the tip. I'm putting this on repeat for the rest of the day.

Victory In Maine!

Victory again! Maine's House of Representatives just approved their marriage equality bill by a vote of 89-58. The bill now goes back to the state Senate for final approval before landing on Gov. John Baldacci's desk. Baldacci has been evasive as to his decision.

Maine's in-house haters will have 90 days after the governor's potential approval to gather 55,000 petition signatures to force a November referendum.

Miss Implants Tweets Me

Garsh, Miss California, what is it, exactly, that I'm lying about?

UPDATE: So how do we find out if this Twitter account really belongs to her? A little help!

Traffic Spike

Overnight this here website thingy saw a traffic spike not seen in several years. Along with that traffic comes a few anti-gay trolls, some of whom I've dispatched, some of whom I've allowed to stay just for the fun of mocking them. If this is your first visit to JMG and you are straight, welcome, and the Miss California post is here. If you got here due to last night's Rachel Maddow show, that post is here.

Maggie Gallagher Reacts To Tittygate

Headline: NOM Condemns Personal Attacks On Carrie Prejean.

“Because Carrie honestly said what she believed in answer to a question--marriage is the union of a man and a woman-- she is now the subject of ongoing character assassination. The level of hatred directed at her is astonishing. Even more astonishing is her personal courage and strength of character in the midst of these attacks. Of course Carrie is not perfect. On a personal note, as a former unwed mother, I want to say to Americans: you don’t have to be a perfect person to have the right to stand up for marriage. Nothing gay marriage advocates can do can change the fact—we all saw it on national TV—that Carrie is a young woman who surrendered all the glitter Hollywood has to offer, because she would not become the kind of person afraid to say the truth. Through Carrie, we are also learning, the lengths some people will go to hurt and harass those who speak up for marriage.”- Maggie Gallagher.

DC Votes 12-1 To Recognize Same-Sex Marriages, Marion Barry Loses Mind Again

Marion "I am a moral crack whore" Barry was the only dissenting vote today as the Washington DC City Council voted 12-1 to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Barry initially voted for the bill, but asked for an immediate re-vote saying he didn't know what he had just voted on. He then voted 'no'.

PUT DOWN THE PIPE, MARION.

If Congress does not intervene, DC Councilman David Catania says he will introduce a bill later this year allowing same-sex marriage to be performed in the District. Although there is disagreement, some marriage advocates believe that the city's Human Rights Act forbids putting the issue to a popular vote.

SunTrust Sues Pat Robertson For Millions Over Failed Oil Refinery

Anti-gay televangelist Pat Robertson is being sued by SunTrust bank for $3.6M because he refuses to reimburse them for costs incurred when the bank backed his ill-fated purchase of a Los Angeles oil refinery.

SunTrust said one of its predecessor banks, Richmond-based Crestar, provided a letter of credit to Golden West Refining Co. in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., in 1998 on behalf of the Robertson-controlled company Cenco Inc. Its standby letter of credit for $5 million was intended to protect Golden West against possible environmental obligations involving the Huntington Beach Marine Terminal and related assets that Cenco bought. Cenco's sole shareholder is the Robertson Charitable Remainder Unitrust, and Robertson is the trustee, SunTrust said. Crestar provided the letter of credit because Robertson's trust at the time was thought to have marketable securities worth nearly $100 million, the suit said.

Robertson's company encountered massive environmental problems while attempting to restart the refinery and eventually paid over $1M in fines to the EPA and agreed to remove thousands of barrels of contaminated water, oil, and soil. Robertson claims he owes SunTrust nothing.

So why DOES a televangelist need an oil refinery and a diamond mine anyway?

NOM Panders To DC's Anti-Gay Blacks

Today the Washington DC City Council will meet to give final approval of their April legislation recognizing same-sex marriage from other jusidictions. Jeremy at Good As You notes that NOM has rushed out a re-recorded anti-gay radio ad which is word-for-word the same as the old one, but with a recognizably African-American announcer.

Radio Blowhard Michael Savage And Westboro's Phelps Banned From UK

The UK does not want hatemongers entering their country and have released a "least wanted" list of banned persons.

Fred Waldron Phelps Snr, a 79-year-old American Baptist pastor, and his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper are barred for their anti-gay comments. Both have picketed the funerals of Aids victims and celebrated the deaths of US soldiers as "punishment" for US tolerance of homosexuality. Talk show host Michael Savage - real name Michael Weiner - is also excluded. His views on immigration, Islam, rape and autism have caused great offence in America.

Some in the UK oppose banning visitors based on speech. Expect the U.S. rightwing to leap on this news as an example of the road America is headed down.

RELATED: Martha Stewart was once banned from the UK because of her felony conviction.

Today Show On Miss California Carrie Prejean Topless Photos Scandal

Looks like she'll lose her crown.

Top Wingnut Site World Net Daily Parrots Lies About Hate Crimes Act

The most heavily-trafficked wingnut site World Net Daily is today parroting the lies about the hate crimes act currently before the U.S. Senate. Under the headline "Pedophile Protection Act":

The leader of a pro-family organization says families across the nation need to contact their U.S. senators now to try to derail a legislative plan that already has passed the U.S. House and is being awaited by President Obama – after a Democrat confirmed that it would protect "all 547 forms of sexual deviancy or 'paraphilias' listed by the American Psychiatric Association." WND columnist Janet Porter, who also heads the Faith2Action.org Christian ministry, today cited S. 909, dubbed the "Pedophile Protection Act" as an extreme danger to America. As H.R. 1913, the House version of the so-called "hate crimes" bill was adopted on a 249-175 vote, but not before several amendments were proposed by Republicans trying to mitigate the impact of the draconian law. Democratic Sens. Edward Kennedy and Patrick Leahy immediately introduced a matching plan in the U.S. Senate, and activists say a vote in committee could come as early as tomorrow.

The Democrat quoted above, Rep. Alcee Hastings (FL), actually said: "This bill addresses our resolve to end violence based on prejudice and to guarantee that all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability or all of these 'Philias' and fetishes and 'ism's' that were put forward need not live in fear because of who they are. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this rule…"

Clumsy words, but NOT what was quoted above. Hastings was mocking the American Family Association's list of so-called sexual orientations that they claim are included under the bill. The Senate vote may come as soon as today.

About Van Gogh's Ear....

It looks like he didn't cut it off himself after all. Gauguin did it.

What is not disputed is that Van Gogh lost his ear when the two artists were living in the South of France in December 1888. The Dutch painter, who traveled to France after teaching himself to draw, was attempting to set up an artists' retreat. The two were known to fight about art. Van Gogh believed an artist should paint what he saw, while Gauguin painted according to his memory. But on this occasion, they were fighting over a prostitute named Rachel, outside the brothel where she worked, the book says.

Paul Gauguin cut off Van Gogh's ear, says Hans Kaufmann of Hamburg University. 'To get rid of Van Gogh, who was begging him to stay [in the south of France] Gauguin waved his weapon in the direction of the victim while they were in front of the house of ill repute. 'The left ear fell. We cannot say if it was deliberate or an accident. In this situation, the protagonists vowed to keep silent. Then Gauguin disappeared, abandoning his friend. 'The next day, the police questioned Gauguin. That's when he made up the theory about self-mutilation.'

RELATED: Here's Don Mclean's Vincent.

2009 Tony Awards Noms Announced

The nominations for the 2009 Tony Awards have been announced. Billy Elliot leads the pack with a record-tying 15 nominations. Below are a few of the top categories. Complete list here.

Best Play
Dividing the Estate, Author: Horton Foote
God of Carnage, Author: Yasmina Reza
Reasons to Be Pretty, Author: Neil LaBute
33 Variations, Author: Moisés Kaufman

Best Musical
Billy Elliot, The Musical
Next to Normal
Rock of Ages
Shrek The Musical

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski, Reasons to Be Pretty

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Hope Davis, God of Carnage
Jane Fonda, 33 Variations
Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, and Kiril Kulish, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gavin Creel, Hair
Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek The Musical
Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages
J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical
Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical
Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story

Maine House Votes On Marriage Today

Maine's House of Representatives votes today on the marriage equality bill approved by the Senate last week. A live video stream of the proceedings is here. Things kick off around 10am.

Two Not Really Out TV Stars

In the clip on the left, TMZ ambushes Adam Lambert and he *almost* outs himself. On the right, Anderson Cooper picks Lambert to win and disses Paula Abdul.

Miss California Bible USA Carrie Prejean's Topless Photos Surface

I know many of you have demanded an end to the Carrie Prejean posts, but seriously, how could I pass this by?

Self-proclaimed bible thumper Miss California, Carrie Prejean, should start pointing the finger at herself for her own indiscretions. TheDirty.com has received exclusive images of the homophobic debutante that would clearly strip her of her Miss California crown. So much for being a good role model for the state of California Carrie. Looks like your Dirty photo shoot makes you a sinner too. I decided.

Wanna bet Maggie Gallagher is having a conniption? And judging from the above teaser, there are more photos to come. Hmm, do I run them here even if they're NSFW? I love these dilemmas. And I can't fucking wait for this to break on Christianist blogs, many of which have deified Prejean.

Again, I must quote 1 Timothy 2:9: I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair [extensions] or gold [highlights] or pearl [necklaces] or expensive [lingerie] clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.

UPDATE: Popcrunch has more:

Alicia Jacobs, Entertainment Reporter at KVBC in Las Vegas, has seen all six of the photos and says some are much more revealing. Alicia believes the flicks may have been taken after Carrie’s pageant-financed breast augmentation about six weeks ago. Hmmm…These explosive pictures could be devastating for Miss California, whose anti-gay marriage campaign recently resulted in a partnership with the National Organization for Marriage and helped to make made her increasingly popular with right-wing conservatives. Can you guys believe the nerve of this bozo? Using the Lord Jesus Christ as an excuse to support inequality when she’s just as big a sinner as anyone? Let this be a lesson to us all; you may want to refrain from chastising other people about how they live their lives when there are digital photos of your ass buried on somebody’s hard drive. This reminds me of something my mother always said when I was growing up- Ah, that’s right, something about stones and glass houses. Ring a bell?

UPDATE: Porn site operators are seeing the traffic this post is getting and are spamming with comments with links to their sites. I'm deleting them as I can, but take care not to click on any outgoing links, some of which appear to be loaded with malware/adware.

Maddow On White House Website Changes

Check out the on-screen credits. Very cool, but I'm not too crazy about Maddow's last sentence, especially as my disgust for Cheetos is well documented.

PhoboQuotable - Joe The Plumber

"People don't understand the dictionary—it's called queer. Queer means strange and unusual. It's not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. You know, God is pretty explicit in what we're supposed to do—what man and woman are for. Now, at the same time, we're supposed to love everybody and accept people, and preach against the sins. I've had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children." - Joe The Plumber telling Christianity Today that he opposes same-sex marriage (and considers all gay people to be pedophiles.)

The Eternal Nipple

Did you know that CBS fought their fine over Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction all the way to the Supreme Court? Today SCOTUS ordered a lower court to consider reinstating the $550K fine imposed by the FCC for that 9/16ths of one second of nipplisticated naughtiness.

Bill Johnson of the American Decency Association is pleased: "It is encouraging to see the U.S. Supreme Court send a strong message to what we know is the very liberal Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals."

Thousands of gruesome murders on every channel at every hour, but $550,000 for less than a second of titty. Insanity.

Canada: Ready To Rumble

Famously laid-back Canada is ready start flexing muscle on the world stage, according to a new poll.

A significant majority of Canadians are willing to risk friction with other nations in pursuit of this country's interests, according to a new survey that suggests Canada has "grown feistier" about its role in the world during this decade. The poll of 1,600 Canadians, commissioned by the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies, found 67 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement: "Canada should follow its own interests even if it leads to conflict with other nations.

In a recent poll of Americans, Canada was listed as our second-best ally behind the UK. Are we #1 to Canadians?

More Questions About NOM's Funding

Californians Against Hate has repeatedly requested NOM's financial records with no response. What are they hiding? An LDS pipeline, you say?

Where's the Money Maggie???

Requests for National Organization Marriage Financial Reports Go Unanswered

Californians Against Hate had representatives go by the Princeton, New Jersey offices of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) twice to get copies of their IRS 990 reports, to no avail. NOM is required by federal law to have these available for public view. Then our representative, Ben Katzenberg, sent two certified letters to the NOM office on March 18, 2009 requesting its two 990 forms. Federal law requires NOM to furnish copies of these IRS filings within 30 days after the requested has been received. And 40 days later, still no 990s. We believe that NOM has two committees; the National Organization for Marriage 501(c)4 and National Organization for Marriage Educational Fund 501(c)3. Both certified letters were signed for (see US Postal receipt below) at their Princeton, New Jersey office on March 25, 2009. We have filed a formal complaint with the IRS for their failure to comply with the federal public disclosure laws. The IRS imposes fines of $20 per day up to $10,000 per committee until the financial disclosures are made public.

CAH's Fred Karger: "They now claim to be spending $1.5 million on their outrageous TV commercials. Where is that money coming from? How much are they personally paying themselves? How much 501(c)4 money did they raise to qualify and pass Prop 8? These and many more questions need to be answered, NOW."

More on Maggie Gallagher's financial shenanigans here.

Oprah On Gay Marriage

Oprah, Gayle, Jenny McCarthy, Nate Berkus and Hugh Jackman discussed gay marriage on Friday's episode. (Although I think this was taped at least two weeks ago.)

(Via - Good As You)

Religious Right Escalates Lies In Face Of Possible Passage Of Hate Crimes Act

"30% off jail time for assaulting Grandma or other non-homosexuals." So says the above "coupon for criminals" posted on rabid hater Janet Porter's new site, Faith 2 Action.

When combined with existing law, this bill could have a very chilling effect on free speech. A pastor could be charged with inciting a hate crime for the content of his sermon. An individual could be charged with one for simply resisting the actions or advances of a homosexual or lesbian. Call your two U.S. Senators toll free at 877-851-6437 to vote against H.R. 1913. If that number doesn't work, you can use the regular toll switchboard number 202-224-3121. Please also make some calls to the local offices of your Senators and send him or her some e-mails.

Do like Janet Porter says, call your Senators today. And go to Michael Signorile's post to listen to a clip of Porter's radio show in which "Andrea Lafferty -- daughter of Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition -- tells Janet that if the hate crimes bill is passed it will mean amputee stump fetishists would be able to sexually assault her brother and she tried to stop them she'd be charged with a hate crime!"

(Via - Pam's House Blend)

You Can't Be Gay And Buried In Senegal

Even after death, you cannot escape the gay witchhunt in Senegal.

Senegalese villagers dug up the body of a man at the weekend, saying he was gay and that they did not want him buried in a Muslim cemetery, police said Monday. Police in the village of Thies, in the west of the country, were called out after villagers exhumed the body. The man, born in Dakar in 1975, had died in hospital on Saturday of natural causes, said a police officer in the village. "But after his burial the same day in a Muslim cemetery, four people dug him up. The deceased was considered homosexual," the officer said. "We intervened and the people dispersed. The parents (of the deceased) put the body in the tomb," the officer added.But overnight a group of people once again dug up the body and dumped it in front of the parents' home, the officer added. "The father took the body for burial elsewhere."

Homosexual sex in Senegal is a crime punishable by five years in prison. In recent weeks an anti-gay campaign has seen Muslim leaders there calling for the deaths of all gay people.

PETA Gets Google's Goat

Google is using goats rather than lawnmowers to prune the grounds at their Mountain View, California headquarters and PETA wants these new employees to have perks.

PETA has no problem with letting goats do what goats want to do (e.g., look cute and eat weeds), but we do have concerns about how the goats may be transported, whether they are provided with access to shelter during storms and shade as well as water during hot weather, where they are housed when they aren’t “working,” what kind of veterinary care they receive, and what becomes of old and/or excess goats. PETA has found over and over that whenever animals are used by a business to make money, corners are cut and animals often suffer as a result. And that really gets our goat, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Not too bad a statement, at least by PETA standards. Google responded by saying that while the goats are not technically employees, "they are entitled to a free organic lunch."