Tweet Of The Day - Joseph Farah

World Net Daily founder Joseph Farah just can't give up on his birther nonsense. You might also know Farah as the current Just For Men Olympics gold medalist (Mustache Division.) Farah gave up on dyeing his hair (but not the pornstache!) in late 2008, probably because Wikipedia kept describing him as a "noted homosexual."

01-02-2010

Happy Palindrome Day.

Here's one Palin-drome to get you started: Harass Sarah.

Homo Sex On One Life To Live

A few days ago One Life To Life aired what some are calling the first gay sex scene in the history of daytime television. "Kish" is what the show's fans call the two gay characters Kyle and Fish.

CNN's Rick Sanchez Ambushes Sen. John Ensign Over Ethics

Rush Limbaugh: I'm OK

Speaking at a press conference held at his Honolulu hospital minutes ago, Rush Limbaugh announced that an angiogram had "found absolutely nothing wrong" with his heart. Speculation about worse news had been mounting after Limbaugh's team remained silent on his condition for more than a day. At the press conference, Limbaugh added, "I don't think there's one thing wrong with health care system." Not if you're a multimillionaire, at least.

NH Couples Ring In 2010 With Weddings

Fifteen gay couples celebrated the New Year by wedding on the steps of the New Hampshire statehouse last night, as same-sex marriages became legal at 12:01am.

After 19 years together Linda Murphy and Donna Swartwout tied the knot at 12:01 a.m. Friday, when New Hampshire's law legalizing same-sex marriage took effect. They were among several couples early Friday who married under a full moon on the steps of the New Hampshire Statehouse in Concord. At midnight, New Hampshire became the fifth state to allow same-sex couples to marry, joining Connecticut, Vermont, Massachusetts and Iowa. The couple, who live in Hudson, New Hampshire, said they wanted to be married as soon as they could. "We were thrilled and proud of New Hampshire ... it was a such a historic moment," Murphy said. Swartwout said the marriage gives them "words and language that the rest of the world uses." "When my nephew asks, 'Who's Linda?" I get to say, 'she's my wife,' " she said.

My Feelings Exactly

Happy Nivea Year!

And a Merry Toshiba!

First Trans Person Appointed By Obama

The Obama administration has appointed transwoman Amanda Simpson to a position in the Department of Commerce, the first such hiring by a U.S. president.

Amanda Simpson, who has served on NCTE’s Board of Directors for the past 3 years, has been appointed by the Obama Administration as a Senior Technical Advisor to the Department of Commerce. She’ll be working in the Bureau of Industry and Security. I’m truly honored to have received this appointment and am eager and excited about this opportunity that is before me. And at the same time, as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others.” Simpson brings considerable professional credentials to her new job. For thirty years, she has worked in the aerospace and defense industry, most recently serving as Deputy Director in Advanced Technology Development at Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona. She holds degrees in physics, engineering and business administration along with an extensive flight background. She is a certified flight instructor and test pilot with 20 years of experience.

Friendly Voices - Jason Mraz

"As a straight man I really have nothing to gain by standing up for equal rights for Gays, Lesbians, Bisexual, and/or my Transgender friends. Except for the fact that I have many friends who are still subjected to hurtful comments by a society that hasn’t yet embraced fully the nature of… nature. Supporting a limiting system of rules for specific people to follow is prejudice. It’s the Antithesis of Christ Consciousness and (like smoking) it’s Soooo last century.

"Allowing love to freely flourish will only enhance the life experience - For All. Imagine telling cyclists to stay off the road. 'These roads are for cars only! Those who dare to pedal on the shoulder will most likely get hit! Drivers will not expect to see you. It will not be the drivers’ fault if you get hurt.' Yet, by sharing the road, the same rules get to apply to all of us. And surprisingly, we all get somewhere. No one has to sit at the back of the bus." - Pop singer Jason Mraz, writing on his personal blog.

Kathy Griffin's Live NYE F-Bomb

To promote last night's New Year's Eve show on CNN with Anderson Cooper, Kathy Griffin made the rounds of talk shows, where she reported that a stipulation in this year's contract required her to return her paycheck if she swore on the air, as she did last year. You be the judge of what was said at 0:57.

Happy 2010, Y'All

It was a year of homophobes and haters, but also one of heroes, milestones, and some pretty terrific victories. I cranked out about 6000 posts on this here website thingy and you folks responded with over 300,000 comments as traffic more than doubled. JMG got some great notice from the Anti-Violence Project, the Advocate, Instinct Magazine, and After Elton, although I'll admit that I took special pleasure from that whole FBI terrorist threat nonsense.

I marched in the NYC Pride parade for the first time (with 50 other LGBT bloggers) and covered many marriage rallies, protests and celebrations, Broadway fundraisers, and other LGBT charity events. And sadly, a sobering number of hate crime vigils. On a more personal note, accompanied by two dozen dear friends, I had an unbelievably great 50th birthday trip to San Francisco, where I was stunned with the city's Joe Jervis Day proclamation, then followed that up with a fabulous week-long press junket to Key West. And wahoo, my interview with Rachel Maddow made the cover of the national Pride Magazine.

So, yeah, it was an exciting, aggravating, fun, angry-making (but overall groovy) year here on JMG and for me personally. I humbly thank all of you for being there for the ride. Here's to 2010! Raise up our heroes and screw the asshats!

NJ Assembly Speaker: No Vote On Marriage Until Senate Approves It First

And that, folks, is that.

The head of the New Jersey Assembly says he won't post a bill to legalize same-sex marriage unless the Senate approves the measure first. Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts said Thursday that all sides had a chance to be heard during seven hours of Senate debate earlier in December. The bill eked through the Senate Judiciary Committee 7-6 but was hastily pulled from the full Senate because it seemed doomed to fail. The Senate sponsors then asked that the measure be sent to the Assembly for a committee hearing.

I'll spare you the celebratory press release from NOM this time.

Megan Phelps-Roper Sings Gaga

Westboro Baptist Church's Megan Phelps-Roper doesn't just think she looks like Lady Gaga, she actually does a not-terrible parody of Poker Face. (I totally LOL'd at the first "God hates you" aside.) Let's give some holiday props to the clown circus that is the Phelps family, they help us in so many ways!

(Via - Good As You)

Jackie Beat - Don't Tell Me You're Gay

The legendary Jackie Beat is really really NSFW.

Tonight: Gay Marriage In New Hampshire!

Same-sex marriage rights go into effect at midnight tonight in New Hampshire. While everybody already with a civil union in New Hampshire will automatically convert to a legal marriage by the end of 2010 (if they do nothing), some folks are getting hitched tonight to speed the process along.

Lesbian Sister Of Prop 8 Mastermind Announces Run For Superior Court Judge

Proposition 8 and Yes On 1 (Maine) campaign manager Frank Schubert has a domestically-partnered lesbian sister with two kids, not that he cared about his own family when he went about wrecking and ridiculing the lives of gay people. The Bay Area Reporter notes that Anne Schubert is now running for Superior Court judge in Sacramento, but she says that campaign rules prevent her from commenting on Prop 8 or her rotten brother.

"Because I am running for a judicial seat, I am bound by the California Code of Judicial Ethics. This code applies to both sitting judges and attorneys running for judicial office," Anne Marie Schubert said in an e-mail. "This code makes it clear that 'Candidates may not make statements that commit the candidate with respect to cases, controversies, or issues that could come before the courts.' This code also states, 'Judges involved in judicial campaigns must also avoid comment concerning a matter pending or impending in any court.'"

Frank Schubert says that of course he loves his sister and her family. Funny way to show it, fuckweasel. Watch out, Anne - he'll be coming after your domestic partnership next.

Catholic Church Thanks Anti-Gay NY Senators For Their Bigotry

It's that time of year when you thank all the fellow bigots in your life, so New York's Catholic Church has sent Sen. Ruben Diaz and his fellow "No Homo Marriage" voters a note of appreciation for all of their hard work in keeping those dirty queers down.

"On behalf of the Bishops of New York State and millions of other New Yorkers, please know that we are proud of you for taking this stand. Please know that Catholic New Yorkers across the state are deeply appreciative of you for this vote of conscience. May God's blessings be bestowed upon you and your family in abundance this holiday season."

I wonder if NAMBLA has sent the New York Archdiocese a lovely note of thanks for all their work in the field of boy fucking?

Uganda's "Kill Gays" Backer Martin Ssempa Responds To Rick Warren

Box Turtle Bulletin directs us to this new video from Rick Warren's former BFF, Pastor Martin Ssempa, who is mighty pissed about Warren's late-but-welcomed denouncement of Uganda's "kill gays" bill. BTB's Jim Burroway points out that Ssempa outright lies when he claims that child rape is not against the law in Uganda.

Quote Of The Day - Rep. Ed Massa

"I am sick and tired of the former vice president of the United States taking shots not only at this administration, for problems he was largely and personally responsible for, but by an extension at those of us who served in the military and bring that experience. This man suffers from a horrible case of political Tourette's, and it's about time that we stand up and kick right back because I'm sick and tired of him kicking us in our shins." - Rep. Ed Massa (D-NY), responding to Dick Cheney's criticism of the Obama administration's handling of the Underwear Bomber incident.

(Tipped by JMG reader Robert In SF)

Passive-Aggressive Wi-Fi

Via Passive-Aggressive Notes comes mention of how some folks are communicating with their neighbors. I haven't seen any bitchy network names on my block, but I always laugh at the regulars on my list: NuggetSmoke, BumpStation, QueenyBoy, CocoTheWonderDog, and RouxBot (who is a JMG reader, I believe.)

Twenty Ten

The language cops have set up a site demanding that you say the new year their way.

Say the year "1810" out loud. Now say the year "1999" out loud. See a pattern? It's been easier, faster, and shorter to say years this way for every decade (except for the one that just ended) instead of saying the number the long way. However, many people are carrying the way they said years from last decade over to this decade as a bad habit. If we don't fix this now, we'll be stuck saying years the long way for the next 89 years. Don't let that happen!

"Ex-Gay" Lesbian Lisa Miller Still In Hiding With Her Daughter

Lisa Miller (left) has until tomorrow to hand her daughter Isabella over to her ex-partner Janet Jenkins and nobody is saying where they are hiding, especially not the anti-gay Liberty Counsel, Miller's attorneys, who appear to be complicit in Isabella's kidnapping.

"She does not know where her daughter is and she is trying to find her," Sarah Star, an attorney representing Jenkins, told ABCNews.com. Star says Jenkins last saw her daughter in January 2009 and spoke with her in March 2009. In his custody ruling, Vermont Family Court Judge William Cohen said nobody has "seen or heard from" Miller and Isabella since Nov. 20. The judge ordered custody to be switched from Miller to Jenkins after Miller repeatedly failed to allow visitation for her former partner. An assistant to the lawyers representing Miller, Mathew Staver and Stephen Crampton, told ABCNews.com that the lawyers were "on vacation and unavailable for comment on the matter." A Facebook page seemingly set up by Miller appears to show the last posting from the mother being on Dec. 4.

The Protect Isabella Coalition is screaming "judicial tyranny." Here's a clip they made earlier this year, before full custody was awarded to Janet Jenkins.

Morning View - Second & 70th

Upstate NY Senator Wants To Split State

Sen. Joseph Robach (R-Rochester) thinks it's time to resurrect the old plan to split New York into two states.

Forget the fact that New York State’s boundaries have been largely unchanged since the Constitution was ratified. That only two states have been admitted to the Union by splitting off from other states (Maine from Massachusetts in 1820, and West Virginia from Virginia in 1863). And that if the United States were to add a 51st state, the likeliest candidate would be Puerto Rico, or even the District of Columbia — not New York. State Senator Joseph E. Robach, a Republican who represents part of Rochester, has proposed legislation that would allow each of New York State’s 62 counties to hold a referendum in 2010 to ask voters this question: “Do you support the division of New York into two separate states?” The referendum – if it is even legal – would be nonbinding.

Upstaters always feel ignored in state and national politics, partially due to the fact that for the last century, every governor has been from the NYC area. The two-states idea, of course, has long been a dream in California, too.

Sen. Hiram Monserrate Has His Fans

Elizabeth Benjamin at the NY Daily News reports the above flier is being distributed in Queens' Lefrak City, the same area that saw some anti-gay fliers about newly-elected Councilman Daniel Dromm.

Open Thread Thursday

New Year's resolutions? Anyone?

Rick Warren Needs Money!!!

Rick Warren has sent an emergency email to his followers, claiming that unless his Saddleback megachurch gets $900,000 by the end of today, something terrrrrrrible will happen!

“Dear Saddleback Family,” begins today’s missive from Warren. “THIS IS AN URGENT LETTER unlike any I’ve written in 30 years. Please read all of it and get back to me in the next 48 hours. “I have thrilling news to share with you below but first some seriously bad news: With 10% of our church family out of work due to the recession, our expenses in caring for our community in 2009 rose dramatically while our income stagnated. Still, with wise management, we’ve stayed close to our budget all year. Then… this last weekend the bottom dropped out.

“On the last weekend of 2009, our total offerings were less than half of what we normally receive - leaving us $900,000 in the red for the year, unless you help make up the difference today and tomorrow.” The church does not make its financial information public, so it’s impossible to tell just how big of a hole in the boat this $900,000 represents. A spokeswoman for Warren said the church does not release detail on its finances, so it’s hard to put the shortfall in context. (Suffice to say it may not represent a terribly significant portion of Saddleback’s annual budget, and that his personal appeal may well close the hole, and then some.)

The Strange Gift That Are The Teabaggers

On the one year anniversary of Obama's swearing-in, the teabaggers are planning a national strike against American companies. "The greatest confrontation in the modern history of America." SRSLY.

BREAKING: Rush Limbaugh Rushed To Hospital With Possible Heart Attack

Rush Limbaugh was rushed to a Honolulu hospital tonight after complaining of chest pains.

A Honolulu television station is reporting that conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has been taken to a hospital with chest pains. KITV reported Wednesday that paramedics responded to a call at 2:41 p.m. from the Kahala Hotel and Resort where Limbaugh is vacationing. The station, citing unnamed sources, said paramedics treated Limbaugh and took him to The Queen's Medical Center in serious condition. Queen's spokeswoman N. Makana Shook says the hospital is unable to comment on the report.

JMG Poll: Who Was The Most Detestable Anti-Gay Douchebag Bigot Of 2009?

From marriage equality battles to hate crimes legislation, 2009 brought out the anti-gay bigots like we've never seen before. By whatever criteria you enjoy, select the person below who you think most exemplified homophobic hatred. It was difficult to select a mere eight names for this poll, so feel free to add your write-in candidates in the comments.

Anti-Gay Douchebag Bigot Of 2009

Bishop Richard Malone Carrie Prejean Harry Jackson Jr. Maggie Gallagher Matt Barber Peter LaBarbera Pope Benedict XVI Tony Perkins

View Results

JibJab's Year In Review

Play 'em off, Keyboard Cat.

PhoboQuotable - Linda Harvey

"Get all pro-homosexual and pro-promiscuity programs, literature, teachers, and counselors out of every school now. Remove “gay” clubs, Planned Parenthood at health fairs, and GLSEN- PFLAG- SIECUS activists. Cease all condom demonstrations, abortion referrals, on-site birth control dispensing, sexual orientation affirmation, and messing with children’s hearts, minds and bodies. Demand that schools uphold the traditional value of heterosexual identities, teach abstinence- until- marriage, and celebrate male/ female gender differences.

"Allow—no, welcome-- Christianity back into the American public square...in schools, in community groups, in city council meetings, in the Senate, on city streets, in the courthouse square, in the media, in college lectures. Laugh at the ACLU. Elect judges who agree. Don’t elect presidents who think we are no longer a Christian nation." - Renew America spokes-hag Linda Harvey, from her Ten Ways To Make Kids Truly Safe In 2010. Linda often has her tongue up Peter LaBarbera's ass, whenever Matt Barber isn't around.

Ladyfingers Musto On The Aughties

For his decade-end roundup, Village Voice gossip maven Michael Musto drags it up as Miss Ladyfingers USA, Susan Boyle, Lady Gaga, and Michael Jackson. From his column:

The Naughty Aughties are over, and I'm LMFAO. It will be remembered, if at all, as the decade of the TMI generation. The 15-second fame gang. The micromanaging maniacs. The attention-whoring-for-lunch bunch. The iPhone, iPod, iMac, IMAX, and eye-lift folks. The people who have already forgotten this paragraph. Breaking news about every possible global brain fart was instantly accessible, and you spent most of your time sneaking a peek down at your BlackBerry to read it during intimate dinner dates. Everyone was a star, a critic, and a victim, and—as traditional media dwindled and reshaped—they were journalists, too, from the guy who dressed like a pimp to entrap ACORN to the man with a camera who got tossed out of Gypsy when Patti LuPone screamed, "Who do you think you are?"

Also check out Musto's Ten Shadiest People, Ten Worst Couples, and Ten Worst Movies.

The Gay State Of The World

(Via - World Focus, tipped by JMG reader Alex)

Clock Running Out For NJ Marriage

As the January 19th inauguration of Governor-elect Chris Christie grows nearer, the odds of marriage equality in New Jersey are dimming.

Earlier this month, the state Senate canceled a vote on the issue when it became clear there was not enough support to pass it. The issue was handed over to the state Assembly, which has not scheduled a hearing on it. Albert Porroni, executive director of the Office of Legislative Services, says the Assembly could take up the measure without a committee hearing. The last-minute decision to pull the gay marriage bill off the voting calender was "disappointing" said Senate President Dick Codey (D-Essex) who spent hours working on his own speech for what he termed "a historic debate." The lack of overwhelming backing for the bill scared supporters, but opponents weren't crowing either. "I don't have a nose count but it's not gonna be a slam dunk, for or against," said Len Deo of the New Jersey Family Policy Council, which opposes gay marriage.

The last session of New Jersey's lame duck legislature is January 11th.

Yale Drops "Sissy" Shirts

To stoke up student fervor for their annual football game with arch rival Harvard, Yale students voted to sell a t-shirt using a quote from F. Scott Fitzgerald: "I think of all Harvard men as sissies." On the back, the students added: "WE AGREE." But after complaints from a campus LGBT group, the shirt has been dropped.

The LGBT Co-op first heard about the T-shirts from a member of the Yale College Council, LGBT Co-op Coordinator Rachel Schiff ’10 said. She followed suit by contacting the dean and master of her college — Silliman — to encourage dialogue among the Co-op, administrators and FCC. Ou said Wednesday that he first heard about the winning T-shirt design when FCC brought the complaints to him. In response, he told the FCC chairs to meet with the concerned students face to face. Shortly after he told FCC to respond to the co-op’s concerns, Ou said, he told Yale College Dean Mary Miller about the issue, and she decided to pull the design. “What purports to be humor by targeting a group through slurs is not acceptable,” Miller said in an e-mail to the News. Still, FCC representatives had concluded they would not make their final decision until they met with the co-op. “Independently of Dean Miller’s decision, our primary concern was that no one was hurt, offended or felt uncomfortable with ourT-shirts,” Levin said. After that discussion, he said, representatives decided to withdraw that design and opt for a different one, featuring a white ‘H’ in the front inside a transluscent white circle, with a white line slashed through it.

Freepers react:

-"F. Scott Fitzgerald called them sissies because had he called them faggots he would have had to have gone to re-education camp."
-"How about a shirt that says “I think queers are filthy and disease ridden”......"
-"These kids need to learn that the queers and weirdos among us wake up in the morning looking to be offended. They know they're perverted, and live life feeling guilty, as they should."

Prop 8 Backers Fight Plan To Televise The Olson/Boies Trial

The backers of Proposition 8 say that the proposed plan to televise next month's trial will scare off the people they have scheduled to testify.

Television coverage could expose witnesses and other trial participants to harassment and intimidation, backers of Proposition 8 said in a court filing Monday. They said some of their witnesses "have indicated that they would not be willing to testify" if the trial was televised. They also argued that a long-standing court rule prohibits cameras and cannot be changed until the court invites and considers public comment. The filing by attorney Charles Cooper hinted that the Yes-on-8 campaign would ask higher courts to intervene if Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker approved TV coverage.

The challengers of Prop 8 are calling the "safety concerns" over broadcasting the trial "unsubstantiated and groundless speculation."

Advocate Writer Don Belton Stabbed To Death In Indiana Home

Indiana University professor and occasional Advocate contributor Don Belton, 53, was found stabbed to death in his Indiana home on Monday. A 25 year-old man has confessed to the slaying, claiming that Belton had expressed no remorse for sexually assaulting him.

Michael J. Griffin, 25, of Bloomington told police he visited Don Belton on Sunday to confront the 53-year-old assistant professor of English over two alleged assaults, the probable cause affidavit said. An argument and scuffle ensued. Griffin told police he stabbed Belton with a 10-inch military style knife after Belton failed to "show or express any type of feeling that what had taken place was a mistake," the affidavit said. Griffin was being held without bond Tuesday in the Monroe County Jail on a charge of murder. An initial court hearing was set for Wednesday. A friend who came to Belton's home in Bloomington on Monday found his body in the kitchen, authorities said. Police who were called to the scene found both doors unlocked and no signs of forced entry. Nothing was missing, said police Lt. David Drake. Drake said Belton was stabbed "at least five or six" times in the back and several times in the front of the torso. The affidavit said police found Belton's journal, which contained an entry saying that he was "very happy" that someone named Michael had entered his life. Police later received a call from Griffin's girlfriend saying she thought her boyfriend might be involved in the slaying.

NY Senate Lays Groundwork To Expel Sen. Hiram "Slasher" Monserrate

Yesterday a New York Senate committee report indicated that the expulsion of Sen. Hiram Monserrate may finally be in the works.

Senator Hiram Monserrate behaved recklessly and callously after his companion was hurt during an argument at his Queens home, failing to call 911, dragging her violently through a hallway and taking her to a hospital miles away, according to a State Senate committee investigating Mr. Monserrate. A draft of the committee’s final report concludes that Mr. Monserrate seemed to be as concerned with keeping the confrontation last December from becoming public as he was with the safety and health of his companion, Karla Giraldo, according to a person familiar with the report. The report also found that Mr. Monserrate, a Democrat from Queens, refused to take full responsibility for injuring Ms. Giraldo, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the report is confidential. While it is not yet clear what sanctions the panel may recommend for a vote by the full Senate, the report’s harsh findings suggest that the committee is laying the groundwork for a stiff punishment for Mr. Monserrate, possibly even his expulsion.

Monserrate has refused to appear before the committee, probably sealing his fate. Stunning LGBT activists, last month the Queens Democrat voted against marriage equality, despite his previous promise of support. Adding assholery to injury, he later complained that just because he slashed his girlfriend's face, causing 40 stitches, he should be allow to see her: "Two adults who are consenting and who are like-minded and within their mental capacities should be allowed to be with each other. I think it's an outrage."

Tavern On The Green Closing

Central Park's Tavern On The Green, the nation's highest grossing and arguably most famous restaurant, will close tomorrow after 75 years in business.

The former sheepfold at the edge of Central Park, now ringed by twinkling lights and fake topiary animals, is preparing for New Year's Eve, when it will serve its last meal. Just three years ago, it was plating more than 700,000 meals annually, bringing in more than $38 million. But that astronomical sum wasn't enough to keep the landmark restaurant out of bankruptcy court. Its $8 million debt is to be covered at an auction of Baccarat and Waterford chandeliers, Tiffany stained glass, a mural depicting Central Park and other over-the-top decor that has bewitched visitors for decades.

The city has awarded a contract to operate a restaurant on the premises to the company that owns the Loeb Boathouse, which is also in Central Park. Next month a court will decide on whether the new owners can use the Tavern On The Green name.

Photo Of The Day - Megan Phelps-Roper

Fierce!

(Via - Oh No They Didn't)

British Columbia Government Reverses Pledge To Support 2011 Outgames

The British Columbia provincial government is reneging on verbal pledges to support the 2011 Outgames in Vancouver.

When planning the games in 2007 and 2008, Outgames chair John Boychuk says representatives from "ministries associated with sport" initially made a verbal promise to contribute $400,000 to the event. Eventually that verbal commitment was reduced to $150,000 to $200,000. "A year later they told us that things were a little bit tight but on track," Boychuk says. "After 18 months they said, 'We can't continue to commit to any amount.'" Boychuk says the uncertainty surrounding government funding pushed Outgames organizers to move from planning a volunteer-run event to working with a corporate partner. International Conference Services (ICS) will now provide secretarial, sponsorship, accommodation, registration and accounting services for the event, according to Boychuk.

The partnership with ICS will also give Vancouver's Outgames the backing it needs to secure facilities for the event. "In order to be secure a hotel contract you have to have money to be able to back up what you're asking for," Boychuk explains. "So if you're asking for 250 hotel rooms for five nights you have to put up a bond or credit card. We don't have the cash to do such a thing so we have to have someone with that line of credit." Boychuk is still hopeful that the 2011 Outgames will receive provincial funding.

The 2006 Outgames in Montreal ended C$5.3M in debt.

Chart Of The Day

(Via - New York Times)

Glenn Beck: Why Weren't The Teabaggers TIME's People Of The Year?

SCOTUS May Hear R-71 Appeal On Release Of Petition Names

On January 15th the U.S. Supreme Court will decide if it will hear the appeal of Protect Marriage Washington over the decision to force the release of the names of those who signed Referendum 71.

The court likely will announce later that day or the following Monday if it will take the R-71 petition case. If the court declines to take the case, the 9th Circuit Court’s decision will stand. If the court accepts the case, it will likely be argued in April, with a decision to be handed down by the end of June. There also is a state court injunction entered by Thurston County Superior Court Judge Richard Hicks that also prevents the release of the R-71 petitions. The case in front of Judge Hicks is stayed pending the U.S. Supreme Court’s action.

Protect Marriage Washington, which used Referendum 71 to seek a public vote on the state’s “everything but marriage” domestic partnership law, filed a lawsuit last summer with the U.S. District Court in Tacoma to block release of the R-71 petitions. U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle ruled to block the petitions’ release, but the 9th Circuit later overturned that decision and unanimously held that the state’s policy of public release does not violate First Amendment free speech. Protect Marriage Washington quickly asked the high court to review the case.

Washington's State District Attorney's office has urged SCOTUS not to hear the appeal, saying that no First Amendment issue is at stake. Protect Marriage Washington says that retaliation against those who supported the failed amendment is likely.

Marriage Protection Act Signature Drive

From the hilarious folks behind the faux drive to ban divorce in California.

We Don't Pump Our Gas, We Pump Our Fists

You really don't pump your own gas in Jersey, ya know.

"Ex-Gay" Lesbian Goes Into Hiding With Child After Losing Custody Battle

It's a complicated story, but let's see if I can break down the major points correctly.

1. In 2000, Lisa Miller and Janet Jenkins get civil unioned in Vermont.

2. In 2002, Miller has a baby girl via artificial insemination.

3. In 2003, the couple breaks up when Miller "renounces" homosexuality, becomes an evangelical Christian, and moves to Virginia, taking the baby with her.

4. In December 2009, Miller turns off her phone and goes into hiding when a Vermont judge awards custody of the now 7 year-old girl to her former partner after Miller refuses to abide by court-ordered visitation rights.

And who's behind this latest development? Matt Barber's Liberty Counsel, who clearly have no respect for the rule of law. But remember, he signed the Manhattan Declaration, which vows disobedience of any law protecting the rights of gay people.

Top Ten Wingnut Lies Of 2009

The wingnuts came up with some doozies this year. Huffington Post counts down the ten biggest lies.

1. The census will result in internment camps.
2. Health care reform = death panels.
3. Obama was born in Kenya.
4. Obama cedes U.S. sovereignty by bowing.
5. Obama indoctrinates school kids with speech.
6. Bill Ayers really wrote Obama's autobiography.
7. Dems are turning the country to socialism.
8. Obama is a Muslim.
9. Terrorist plan electromagnetic pulse attack.
10. The 9/11 planner will be set free in NYC.

e-Books Outselling Print

For the first time, e-books outsold printed books at Amazon over the holidays.

eBooks, some of them free eBooks, outsold print books this Christmas. On December 26, Amazon announced that, for the first time ever, they had sold more eBooks than physical books on Christmas day. In an interview Jeff Bezos was also quoted as saying that he believes that the print book will eventually disappear. And how much money is Amazon making? How much money are authors and publishers making? When GalleyCat examined the Kindle Store bestsellers, they found that 64 of the 100 bestselling eBooks, the majority, were, in fact, free, including the number one bestseller, "Midnight in Madrid", by Noel Hynd.

I've never been one to save books to put them on display as proof of having read them, but I think I'll always prefer a physical book. How do you share a favorite e-book?

Push for Ice Cube

Karl Rove Gets Divorced

The man who launched the national anti-gay marriage movement in 2004, shortly after burying his gay father, has gotten divorced.

After 24 years of marriage, many of which were spent under incredible stress and strain during the White House years, the Roves came to a mutual decision that they would end the marriage. They did spend Christmas together with their son, and they plan to spend time together in the future. They maintain a strong friendship, and they both feel that that friendship is a source of comfort and inspiration for their friends and family.

How long until a tight-faced bottle-blond trophy mistress makes her appearance?

An Interesting Broadway-Sports Promo

Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria and her pro-basketball player husband Tony Parker perform a lip-sync spoof of Summer Nights from Grease to kick off a fan contest to win tickets to see the San Antonio Spurs. The fan with the best musical lip-sync performance gets season tickets.

Tweet Of The Day - Ted Haggard

Step by step, Ted Haggard is plotting his return.

Quote Of The Day - Mick LaSalle

"Guy Ritchie is the worst screenwriter in the world, but, to be fair, he is not the worst director. He is only the worst director of the people who actually get to make movies. As we speak, there are human beings walking the Earth -- perhaps as many as a half dozen of them -- with less directorial talent, but they've been safely diverted into other activities." - Movie critic Mick LaSalle, in his review of the craptacular Sherlock Holmes, which I still can't believe I sat all the way through.

(Via - Andrew Sullivan)

Good Riddance Day 2009

Yesterday was Times Square's annual Good Riddance Day, in which the public was invited to "say goodbye to all those bad memories of 2009." Posted "good riddance" messages and items were ceremoniously shredded and hauled away.

On the positive tip, the Times Square Alliance is also hosting a New Year's Eve Wishing Wall, where your posted dreams and desires for 2009 will also be shredded, but this time to be turned into confetti that will be showered down on the estimated two million attendees of the ball drop at midnight. A sampling of last year's messages from visitors from around the world is here.

New Year's Eve Open Thread

What are your plans for New Year's Eve? Share your traditions, party links, and plans.

Best Video Of 2009: Big Fat Gay Collab

Lots of sites are posting their "Best of YouTube" recaps this week. We loved the parodies of NOM's Gathering Storm ad, we giggled at all the Single Ladies tributes, and we got all teary-eyed over the many inspiring clips of impromptu marriage rallies/protests. But for me, one clip stands out above all the rest. Still makes me laugh, still chokes me up. Best Clip Of 2009: The Big Fat Gay Collab's lip-sync of Lily Allen's Fuck You. The kids are alright.

RELATED: Check out Wayne Anderson's best-of clip recap at World Of Wonder.

Gay USA: Year End Wrap-Up

This week you'll find yours truly on the year-end episode of Gay USA, the nationally broadcast weekly LGBT news show hosted by Ann Northrop and Andy Humm.

Happy New Year! On this week's show, Ann leads an end-of-the-year roundtable discussion of 2009's events and issues. Our guests are Joe Jervis, author of the JoeMyGod.com blog; Pauline Park, veteran transgender activist and chair of the New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy; and longtime gay and civil liberties activist Bill Dobbs. The panel discusses the scary implications of the Uganda anti-homosexuality bill and its evangelical authors, the sins of out LGBT politicians, the political usefulness of blogging, and the role of the fight for marriage equality in a larger liberation movement, among other topics.

You can view Gay USA podcasts online via their site. To watch on TV:

Gay USA is seen in Manhattan on MNN on Thursdays at 11 PM on Time-Warner 34, RCN 82, and Verizon FiOS 33 and simulcast at www.MNN.org channel 34/84. It is distributed nationally on the Dish Network (Ch. 9415) through Free Speech TV. Go to www.FreeSpeech.org for the schedule. In the Philadelphia area, Gay USA is on Global MiND (35.2 over the air, 265 on Comcast, and 475 on FiOS) Thursdays at 8 PM, Fridays at 2 AM and Saturdays at 9 PM.

I know you probably won't be home at 11pm this Thursday night in NYC, so I'll let you know when the podcast goes up. Recent episodes can be found here.

DC Gays & ACLU: Anti-Marriage Bus Ad Campaign Should Stay

An anti-gay marriage ad campaign on DC's buses should be allowed to remain, says the ACLU and a gay rights group.

It all started with a tweet on Twitter, as so many things do. Someone from a little-known gay rights group called "Full Equality Now DC" sent a Tweet demanding Metro take down ads the group considered offensive. The ads, which read "Let the people vote on marriage," were bought by a Christian coalition called "Stand For Marriage DC." The group opposes gay marriage and wants to hold a city referendum on the issue. "If it's not lewd, pornographic or obscene then the ad will go up," says Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel. "Advertising on the Metro system is covered by the same First Amendment rights that cover other such communications in our society today."

The ACLU agreed -- as did a major gay rights group in D.C. called the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, or GLAA. They put together a coalition of civil liberties groups and sent a letter to Metro telling it to keep the ads. "We are defending our own liberties," GLAA spokesman Rick Rosendall said. "We're defending our own rights. To start carving away at America's Bill of Rights is the absolute opposite of what we should be doing."

The campaign is scheduled to end today. It's not clear if Stand For Marriage will renew their contract.

MALAWI: Gay Couple Arrested For Marriage Ceremony

A gay couple has been arrested and charged with indecency for conducting a marriage ceremony in Malawi.

Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza had a tradiitonal ceremony in the south African country on Saturday. Malawi has severe penalties against homosexual acts, commonly punishing gay sex with up to 14 years in prison. Attempts lin 2007 by human rights lawyers to repeal the code were flatly rejected by the government's legal affairs committee. Police spokesman Dave Chingwalu told Reuters: "We arrested them last night at their home and charged them with gross public indecency because the practice is against the law." He added that the couple would be held pending further investigations and may face other charges.

Malawi has recently been in the news because Madonna is opening a school for orphans there.

Ford To Offer In-Car Wi-Fi

Next year Ford will offer Wi-Fi on selected models.

"While you're driving to grandma's house, your spouse can be finishing the holiday shopping and the kids can be chatting with friends and updating their Facebook profiles," said Mark Fields, Ford president of the Americas. "And you're not paying for yet another mobile subscription or piece of hardware because Ford will let you use technology you already have." Several automakers already offer in-car Internet access -- Japanese drivers have been using it since 1997 -- and many others are rushing to bring it to us. Ford's announcement follows General Motors' promise last week to make in-car connectivity available in seven models of trucks and SUVs. They're the latest automakers to bring the infobahn to the autobahn.

Well, you will need a signal for that Laptop Steering Wheel Desk.

Price Comparison

(Via - Reflection Of Me)

Top 20 Gay TV Moments Of 2009, Pt .1

According to OURSceneTV, here are #11-#20 of the top 20 TV moments of 2009. The top ten comes out tomorrow.

Sen. Joe Lieberman: Invade Yemen Now

Because we need another war.

Swag Tuesday

Courtesy of Art Meets Commerce, this week's Swag Tuesday prize is two tickets to the Broadway smash, Rock Of Ages, starring Tony nominee Kerry Butler (Xanadu) and American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis. The New York Times raves:

You want hair? Big hair? Hair you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley? The champ is unquestionably “Rock of Ages,” a seriously silly, absurdly enjoyable arena-rock musical that thrashed open at the Brooks Atkinson Theater on Tuesday night in front of a bobbing sea of cigarette lighters waved aloft. The frothing piles of pleated, teased, bleached, dyed and fried tresses being tossed around in this new show about the good old days — in this case the 1980s on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles — make “Hair” look tame indeed, virtually Rogaine-ready, the Yul Brynner of musicals. Fortunately, and I must say surprisingly, the attractions of this latest in the ceaseless parade of jukebox musicals on Broadway extend well beyond the extensions. Written with winky wit by Chris D’Arienzo, directed with zest by Kristin Hanggi, sung with scorching heat by a spirited cast, and featuring a towering stack of heavy-rotation favorites from the glory years of MTV — hits from Journey and Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar and Poison, Whitesnake and Twisted Sister — this karaoke comedy about warped-vinyl dreams is about as guilty as pleasures get. Call it “Xanadu” for straight people — and straight-friendly people too.

A special discounted ticket rate for JMG readers is available here. JMG discount rates are $79-$85, depending on the day of the week and are good through February 28th. To WIN two tickets to Rock Of Ages, comment on this post and please remember to leave your email address in the text of your comment. Entries close on Wednesday at midnight, west coast time. If you cannot be in NYC to attend the show, your winning entry is transferable to another party. Publicists: If you'd like to take part in Swag Tuesday on JMG, please email me.

Bristol Sues Levi For Custody

Sarah Palin's whore daughter is suing her baby daddy for custody of their bastard son. And the Palins didn't want anybody to know about it.

A Dec. 23 order from Judge Kari C. Kristiansen denied Palin's motion to close the proceedings and opened the case file to public access, while an order issued the same day by Presiding Judge Sharon Gleason denied Palin's request to use John and Jane Doe in place of Johnston's and her own real names. On Nov. 4, Palin filed for sole custody of Tripp Johnston-Palin, the former couple's son, who celebrates his first birthday today. Kristiansen initially issued temporary orders limiting access to the case file and allowing the parties to file under pseudonyms. Johnston wasn't playing along, however. In an opposition to Palin's motion for a gag order, Johnston's attorney, Rex Butler, said: "Simply put, this matter is public in nature, the courts are not refuges for the scions of the elite to obtain private dispensation of their legal matters because the public at large has an interest in the proceedings."

There's another factor in the mix, of course: Palin's mother, former governor Sarah Palin, with whom Johnston has repeatedly locked horns in the press, and from whom he claims to fear retaliation. "I do not feel protected against Sarah Palin in a closed proceeding," Johnston said in an affidavit accompanying Butler's filings. "I hope that if it is open she will stay out of it. ... I think a public case might go a long way in reducing Sarah Palin's instinct to attack and allow the real parties in this litigation, Bristol and I, to work things out a lot more peacefully than we could if there is any more meddling from Sarah Palin."

You know this is the Rogue One's doing, retaliating against Levi for those horrible, totally true, things he's said about her.

Anti-Gay Irish MP Quits Over Mental Illness

Northern Ireland member of Parliament Iris Robinson, June 2008:

"I have a very lovely psychiatrist who works with me in my offices and his Christian background is that he tries to help homosexuals trying to turn away from what they are engaged in. And I have met people who have turned around to become heterosexual. I do not need to put my hand into the fire to know I will get burned. Homosexuality is not natural. My Christian beliefs tell me that it is an abomination and that is very clear. It is an offence to God, an offensive act and something that God abhors."

Iris Robinson, December 2009, announcing her resignation:

"I have battled against serious bouts of depression. Only those who have faced similar challenges in life will know the ordeal faced by those who are profoundly depressed and the distress caused to those around them as they grapple with personality changing illness. One in four of the population struggle with mental illnesses at one level or another yet few talk about it openly. When I am better able to do so, I want to say more about this period of my life. The stress and strain of public life comes at a cost and my health has suffered."

After her 2008 remarks, a campaign was launched to charge Robinson with hate speech under the UK's stringent laws regarding such comments. In June of this year, Ireland's Public Prosecution Service announced that they were no longer pursuing the case.

First Gay Marriage For Latin America

After being temporarily thwarted by a judge's stay of a Buenos Aires court ruling in their favor, two men in Argentina have become the first gays to marry legally in Latin America.

An official in Argentina's southern Tierra del Fuego province says two Argentine men have wed there in Latin America's first gay marriage. Provincial spokesman Eduardo Porter says the wedding between Jose Maria Di Bello and Alex Freyre took place at the civil registry in Ushuaia. Their marriage plans in Buenos Aires earlier this month were thwarted when city officials refused to marry them because of conflicting rulings. An official representing the federal government's antidiscrimination agency attended the wedding. Claudio Morgado called Monday's marriage "historic." Argentina's Constitution is silent on whether marriage must be between a man and a woman, effectively leaving the matter to state and city officials.

The court ruling allowing their marriage was specifically for this couple only. It remains to be seen if a precedent has been set.

RELATED: Last week Mexico City legalized same-sex marriage, but that law has not yet gone into effect. Civil unions are available to gay couples in several Brazilian and Mexican states, and in the entire nation of Uruguay.

Quote Of The Day - Rep. Pete Sessions

"I love you and believe in you. If you want my ear/voice — e-mail." - Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) to billionaire Ponzi swindler Allen Stanford, hours after Stanford was arrested by the feds. After the arrest, Sessions denied that he knew Stanford at all, despite having been photographed with him many times and accepting $44,000 from Stanford for his re-election campaign.

Wonkette: "So. They're fucking."

Sessions has a 0% rating from the Human Rights Campaign, having voted against every single bit of pro-LGBT legislation ever put before him. He voted for the failed Constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and for banning gay adoptions in DC. But he loves and "believes in" a man who stole $8B. What's going on there? What's with the trips to Antigua?

Obama On Pants Bomber

Today the president addressed the failed attempt to bring down Northwest 253. Calls for the resignation of Homeland Security director Janet Napolitano are increasing, but President Obama focused on the reviewing of no-fly watch lists and the pre-boarding screening process.

The Hilarious Tweets Of James Hartline

For pure entertainment value, I follow the Twitter account of James Hartline, the "ex-gay" multiple felon who crusades against everything gay in San Diego. Here's a few gems from recent days.

-"It is a proven fact that marijuana reduces learning ability. Isn't that why most atheists are pot smokers? They can't see God thru the haze."
-"California let gay activists & socialists run the state government. Results: new $68 billion state debt & 98,798 residents fled state in '08."
-"I've never publicly released the vast majority of the prophetic dreams that God has given me. I've had 3 about Iran I'll soon be revealing."
-"God granted me an assignment to be a prophetic catalyst to reclaim San Diego. 15th porn business shut down on my watch."

It just goes on and on like that.