UnMarriage Until Gay Marriage

Popular performance artist and one-time NYC mayoral candidate Rev. Billy will stage a group unmarriage ceremony in Central Park tomorrow in which participants will vow not to get married until everybody can.

Join hundreds of couples at The Bethesda Fountain in Central Park this Valentine's Day for a mass ritual in support of the rights of ALL people to marry whomever they wish. Send a strong message to elected leaders in New York City and the rest of the country. Marriage is a civil right, unmarriage until gay marriage, no marriage until gay marriage. Brides and Grooms will suspend their vows in a ritual officiated by Reverend Billy. Tragic and hopeful love songs will be sung. Participants will be issued an official unmarried certificate suitable for framing. The unwed are also welcome to join the ritual as we declare a moratorium on all weddings until gay weddings are legalized and California Prop 8 is overturned. Marriage is a civil right, unmarriage until gay marriage, no marriage until gay marriage.

Rev. Billy is a freakin' riot, he marched in front of the LGBT bloggers in last year's Pride parade. The unmarriages take place at 1pm at the Bethesda Fountain. I will attend. Join me.

We Are The World 25 For Haiti

Out Lesbian KD Lang Steals Show At Vancouver Olympics Opening Ceremonies

Despite the preceding three hours of high-tech spectacle, it was openly lesbian and native Canadian kd lang's simple, yet soaring take on Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah that stole the show during the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics. Watch video here. Overnight the top three searches on Google were for various punctuations of lang's name, as accolades poured out on the world's blogs and news sites. Twitter reactions here. Last night was the second time in two weeks that Cohen's classic was sung to a global audience by an openly gay performer, as Matt Morris had dueted on the track with Justin Timberlake during the Haiti telethon. It was lang's second Winter Olympics performance, 22 years ago (during her cowgirl schtick period) she performed Turn Me Around at the 1988 Calgary games.

RELATED: Openly gay Canadian fiddle player Ashley MacIsaac also took center stage during the opening ceremonies. Watch his 1995 hit single Sleepy Maggie.

Submitted Without Comment

(Via - Diamond Vendetta)

Christians Discover Grindr

BeliefNet columnist Rod Dreher has read the Daily Beast article about Grindr that I mentioned here two weeks ago. Dreher finds the entire concept "dehumanizing," something a few gay men might agree with, but then he rolls out the usual "Won't somebody please think about the children?"

There's no point in arguing whether we should or shouldn't have the Internet, because many people misuse it for pornographic reasons. The Internet is a fact -- which leaves the rest of us to contemplate how technology is increasing our power to act on our beastly instincts, and what that means for social evolution. Which brings us to the broader questions raised by Grindr, the iPhone app that allows gay men who want to have anonymous sex with strangers to find sexually willing partners within near geographic proximity. Read the whole thing. The writer comes off as monstrous, I must say, because he is so nonchalant about all this. I mean, it would be ugly if he were doing this, but what's shocking to me is that he takes this kind of life as if it were as normal as breathing. Like I said, dehumanizing.

No doubt there will be a heterosexual version of Grindr out soon (the website AshleyMadison.com already exists to connect married people who want to have an extramarital fling), and straights who want to find out who's sexually available can arrange impromptu hook-ups with little fuss. My guess is that most people, after a certain age, will find this sort of thing gross. But let's say there were a Grindr-type app for heteros (or, for that matter, if gay teens put Grindr on their iPhones): does anybody doubt that teenage boys would think of this thing as the greatest thing since the invention of cars? Seriously, it would dramatically lower the barriers to entry into the world of active sexuality, because the jumpy teenager wouldn't have to work up the nerve to talk to potential partners to find out if they are even available.

Dreher doesn't suggest that Apple block Grindr. And it's not an invalid concern that horny kids might make some poor decisions and end up face-to-face with a Grindr predator. Most of the commenters on the relatively moderate BeliefNet board reacted with a "meh" and some advice about restricting internet access for kids. But one bozo suggests that Christians load up Grindr in their iPhones and trick unsuspecting men into a coffee date, where the righteous word of the Lawd can then be laid out and they'll be brought directly to Jeebus. Glory!

Vancouver 2010 Olympics Start Tonight

Here's a reminder to set your DVRs for tonight's opening ceremonies at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Longtime readers may recall how completely nuts I went for the opening ceremonies in Beijing in 2008. Back then I closed with: "You totally have to feel sorry for Vancouver. There's no way the next Olympics can come close to what the Chinese did." Understanding that the Winter Games are never quite the same spectacle of the Summer Games, I look forward to what Canada has on store for us. Coverage begin on NBC at 7:30pm EST.

Tweet Of The Day - Homocon Happy Hour

FLASHBACK: Liza & Chita Do Dinah

We need some gay-ass fabulosity up in this here joint today. Via Broadway World's Pat Cerasaro:

A fantastically fun moment from The Dinah Shore show in which Liza Minnelli performs "Nowadays" from CHICAGO alongside the songwriters who wrote it, John Kander and Fred Ebb. The mutual affection they feel for each other is palpable, but the clip reaches new heights of pathos - and hilarity - when Chita Rivera herself, Liza's co-star in CHICAGO, makes a surprise appearance. Also, watch John Kander pick up the Liza's microphone after she has dropped it and set it back on the piano stool, all whilst pounding out that delicious vamp. Fred Ebb seems to be the only one more surprised than Kander or Liza, and the clip goes even more over-the-top with the improvised ending up the octave.

So what year was this?

Queer Rising: Four Arrested At NYC Marriage License Bureau Protest

According to Queer New York, four members of the new LGBT activism group Queer Rising were arrested at this morning's protest at the NYC marriage license bureau in Manhattan. Their statement, in part:

On Friday, February 12 from 8:00-10:00am, LGBT activist group Queer Rising lead a crowd of impassioned protestors in a Valentine’s Day action outside the new 24,000 square-foot New York City Marriage Bureau Office (141 Worth Street) to make a powerful statement in support of marriage equality for all LGBT Americans. Resulting in their arrest, Alan Bounville, Jake Goodman, Justin Elzie and Gabriel Yuri Bollag, all members of Queer Rising, performed a non-violent civil disobedience. This unprecedented protest, compared to marriage equality protests of the past, significantly raised the stakes in terms of its political organization:

· Alan Bounville, Jake Goodman, Justin Elzie and Gabriel Yuri Bollag chained and pad-locked themselves to the entrance railing, subsequently blocking entry to the marriage bureau.
· A gathering of under 100 same-sex marriage equality proponents for a press conference and rally in the park opposite the bureau.
· The application – and subsequent rejection – of over 20 same-sex couples hoping to obtain a marriage license inside of the bureau.
· The application – and subsequent approval – of a lesbian and gay man, whom according to New York State law may legally marry each other, for a marriage license.

“New York City is home to the Stonewall Riots and in that tradition we are here to say that equality doesn’t arrive through the ballot box. The bankrupt strategy of putting all efforts into electing so-called ‘friendly’ officials has failed. We must shift to building a grassroots, national movement that demands full equality by any means necessary. Today, through our symbolic marriage applications, rally and civil disobedience, that message was quite clear.

More photos at Good As You.

Infamous Anti-Gay Nutcase Paul Cameron: Gay Soldiers Will Rape You!

"Dr." Paul Cameron, the infamous douchebag who has been booted from every professional psychological association, went on Midweek Politics Radio to claim that gay soldiers already rape at a rate of "4 to 7 times more" than straight soldiers do, therefore allowing openly gay soldiers to serve will result in a non-stop homo rape-a-rama. The radio host does a pretty good job with him.

PhoboQuotable - Archbishop Henry Orombi

"The Church of Uganda associates itself with the concerns expressed in the Anti Homosexuality Bill 2009. However, instead of a completely new bill, the church recommends a bill that amends the Penal Code Act addressing loopholes, in particular: protecting the vulnerabilities of the boy child; proportionality in sentencing; and, ensuring that sexual orientation is excluded as a protected human right. The ideal situation would be one where necessary amendment is made on existing legislation to also enumerate other sexual offences." - Anglican Archbishop Henry Orombi, who wants Uganda's "kill gays" bill rewritten to include bans on lesbianism and a "ban on the procurement of homosexual material and the promotion of homosexuality as a normal lifestyle."

New Poll: Civil Unions Draw Stronger Support Than Same-Sex Marriage

While a new poll shows the public support for marriage equality remains unchanged, support for civil unions is growing.

In a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, 47 percent say gay marriages should be legal, with 31 percent saying they feel that way "strongly." Intensity is stronger among opponents, however: overall, half say such marriages should be illegal, including 42 percent who say so strongly. Civil unions draw broader support. Two-thirds now say they favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to form civil unions that would give them many of the same legal rights as married couples. That's an increase of 12 percentage points since a December 2007 poll that asked about civil unions for "homosexual couples." In the new poll, support for civil unions is at 50 percent or better across party and ideological lines. Support for such arrangements is now 15 points higher than it was a few years ago among conservatives; it's up 13 points among Republicans.

Views on gay marriage are little changed since Post-ABC polling last touched on the topic, in April 2009. Then, 49 percent said they thought it should be legal, 46 percent illegal. In that poll, a wording experiment found little difference between support for legal marriages of "gay and lesbian couples and for those among "homosexual couples." (A CBS News/New York Times survey released yesterday conducted a similar experiment and found the wording did make a difference in their results.)

Acockalypse Now: Fear Of The Gay Penis

From Current TV's Bryan Safi, a look at what folks are really scared about when it comes to the repeal of DADT.

Operation Gay Out: Kenyan Police Rescue Gay Men From Bloodthirsty Mob

Anti-gay violence continues to sweep Africa as today Kenyan police had to rescue three gay men from an angry mob.

Police on Friday rescued three men accused of being gays in Mtwapa town in Kilifi district from hundreds of angry youth baying for their blood. Subsequently, a same-sex marriage that was planned to take place in the coastal town failed to take off as two men who announced the wedding went into hiding. Police were forced to intervene to save the three men who residents had accused of being "notorious gays" who were behind the spread of the practice in the town. Two men suspected of being a couple by residents were flushed out of their apartment within the town and police found wedding rings on their fingers. Police also dramatically rescued a another man and managed to rush him to Mtwapa police post.

An ecumenical group of local religious leaders has launched a campaign called "Operation Gay Out" and are calling for police to arrest homosexuals and close suspicious nightclubs.

NH Rep. Nancy Elliott Doesn't Do Anal

New Hampshire state Rep. Nancy Elliott wants to repeal same-sex marriage because "we're talking about taking the penis of a man and putting it in the rectum of another man and wriggling it around in excrement. And you have to think, would I want that to be done to ME?" According to Elliott, now that same-sex marriage is legal in her state, teachers are being FORCED to show fifth graders how to wriggle their penises around in excrement. Or something.

BT & Chicane - Always

Here's the Chicane remix of the first single from Brian Transeau's epic 2-disc set These Hopeful Machines, just out from Nettwork Records. BT and Chicane (Nick Bracegirdle) gave me my two favorite tracks of the 90s, Flaming June and Saltwater (respectively). This song makes me very, very happy. You might also enjoy BT's cover of the Psychedelic Furs' The Ghost In You, also from the new album. Lovely. And if The Emergency isn't a huge club hit, I'll be surprised.

Texas: Conservatives Strong-Arm Textbook Curriculum Advisory Panel

The Texas State Board of Education is easily the most influential group in the nation when it comes to the subjects studied in public schools. Their recommendations directly affect the make-up of the textbooks sold to school systems all over the country. Naturally, therefore, Christianists and assorted wingnuts fiercely lobby the TSBOE, including from within, to ensure that American kids are taught that ours is a purely (and exclusively) Christian nation. Here's what board member Don McLeroy brought to last month's meeting.

McLeroy moved that Margaret Sanger, the birth-control pioneer, be included because she “and her followers promoted eugenics,” that language be inserted about Ronald Reagan’s “leadership in restoring national confidence” following Jimmy Carter’s presidency and that students be instructed to “describe the causes and key organizations and individuals of the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s, including Phyllis Schlafly, the Contract With America, the Heritage Foundation, the Moral Majority and the National Rifle Association.” The injection of partisan politics into education went so far that at one point another Republican board member burst out in seemingly embarrassed exasperation, “Guys, you’re rewriting history now!” Nevertheless, most of McLeroy’s proposed amendments passed by a show of hands. Finally, the board considered an amendment to require students to evaluate the contributions of significant Americans. The names proposed included Thurgood Marshall, Billy Graham, Newt Gingrich, William F. Buckley Jr., Hillary Rodham Clinton and Edward Kennedy. All passed muster except Kennedy, who was voted down.

Got that? The lives of Newt Gingrich and Billy Graham will be studied by high schoolers all over the nation. But not Ted Kennedy, one of the longest serving and arguably the most influential and successful legislator in American history. He was a dirty librul, that's why!

Seven members of the TSBOE are "quite open about their intent to advance the Christian agenda" in the nation's textbooks. Read the extensive article in this weekend's New York Times Magazine which tracks the campaign to rewrite history and train the students of the United States about the "Christian truth" of our nation's founding. Prepare to be depressed.

At The Tea Party Convention

New Left Media talks to attendees at last weekend's Tea Party Convention. Guest appearance by loony Orly Taitz! Enjoy the crazy.

The End Of Camelot

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) has announced that he will not seek reelection this year. In 2011, for the first time in 64 years, there will not be a Kennedy in Congress. The eight-term Kennedy faces high unfavorable ratings at home and would have faced stiff competition from a state GOP lawmaker who announced plans to run for Kennedy's seat. Like his father, Patrick Kennedy was a staunch supporter of LGBT rights. We're losing a good friend.

Tracey Ullman As Everybody

Tracey Ullman does Rachel Maddow, Ariana Huffington, Christiane Amanpour, Meghan McCain, even Barney Frank. Her Ariana kills.

(Tipped by JMG reader Zed)

Broadway Friday

Casting has been announced for Broadway Backwards 5, the fantastic annual Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS show in which performers sing songs written for the opposite sex. Appearing this year:

Nick Adams, Martine Allard, Gary Beach, Dan Butler, Tituss Burgess, Mario Cantone, Len Cariou, Raúl Esparza, Harvey Evans, Tony Goldwyn, Ann Haarda, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Aaron Lazar, Michele Lee, Julia Murney, Becki Newton, Anthony Nunziata, Will Nunziata, Tonya Pinkins, Lee Roy Reams, Lea Salonga, Douglas Sills, and Bruce Vilanch, as well as an ensemble of over 50 Broadway singers and dancers.

Broadway Backwards 5 takes place Monday, Feb.22nd at Lincoln Center. Florence Henderson will host. Get tickets here. My coverage of last year's show (with a photo slideshow) is here.

- Wilson Cruz will receive the 2010 Fusion Achievement Award next month at the Los Angeles LGBT People Of Color Film Festival.

- The revival of Boys In The Band begins previews tonight. Get tickets here. Turning!

- Florence Henderson's one woman show, All The Lives Of Me: A Musical Journey, runs tonight and tomorrow at Joe's Pub. Get tickets here.

- The Times Square live cam has gone HD.

- NYT theater critic Ben Brantley was mortified when his date's cell phone went off during a play he was reviewing. Her ringtone: "Your phone is RINGING. Your phone is RINGING."

- Mayor Bloomberg's experiment to turn half of Times Square into a pedestrian plaza will be made permanent. Broadway is now forever closed to vehicles between 42nd and 47th streets.

- A remake of 1978's Best Little Whorehouse In Texas is in the works. I guess we can't expect Dolly Parton to reprise.

Campaign Against Black Homophobia Launches On Long Island Rail Road

Sponsored by a Long Island-based LGBT group, an ad campaign against homophobia in the African-American community has been launched on the Long Island Rail Road. Via Newsday (subscription required):

In between ads for TV shows and clothes on the Long Island Rail Road is a different kind of message. These ads feature pictures of young African-American men with their families, at church and on the basketball court. At the top of each poster are the words, "I am gay." The Bay Shore-based Long Island GLBT Services Network sponsored the ads with a $37,000 grant from the state health department. David Kilmnick, chief executive of the group, said he hopes the ads will start a conversation within black communities about homosexuality and homophobia. "This is the first time there's this visible of a campaign and so widespread across the entire Island," he said. "It's in your face in a positive way. . . . It's talking about 'We're gay and this is our home and this is our community.' " Dale Anthony Edmonston, an African-American AIDS activist from Hempstead, said homophobia in the black community has had disastrous results for black Long Islanders who are gay. "In the African-American community, it's taboo to talk about gays and lesbians," he said. "Many members of the African-American community have family members who are gay and lesbian. And it's not discussed and they can't say nothing in their family and so they go outside of the box to find the happiness and support that they think that they need, which is allowing a lot of people to put themselves at risk."

Rev. Reginald Tuggle of Long Island's Memorial Presbyterian Church calls the ad "silly" and "reprehensible."

"There's no movement to single out homosexuals" in the black community, Tuggle said, adding that if homosexuality is discussed, it's usually in a teasing way. Gays are not a topic of discussion in many black churches, he said - especially since other issues, such as unemployment and criminal justice, are more relevant. "People who are gay come in all races," Tuggle said. "And homophobia exists in every community. To say that only black people don't like black people who are gay, that's silly. That's reprehensible."

(Tipped by JMG reader WoodsideMatt)

BREAKING: Bill Clinton Rushed To NYC Hospital With Chest Pains

CNN is reporting that Bill Clinton has just been rushed to a NYC hospital after complaining of chest pains. Clinton underwent a quadruple bypass in 2004 and has been closely monitored for continuing heart problems ever since. Horrible news. I'll post updates here immediately upon getting them.

UPDATE: Clinton has undergone a stent procedure at Columbia New York-Presbyterian in Washington Heights, about 40 blocks north of his Harlem office.

Douglas Band, counselor to Mr. Clinton, issued this statement: “Today President Bill Clinton was admitted to the Columbia Campus of New York Presbyterian Hospital after feeling discomfort in his chest. Following a visit to his cardiologist, he underwent a procedure to place two stents in one of his coronary arteries. President Clinton is in good spirits, and will continue to focus on the work of his Foundation and Haiti’s relief and long-term recovery efforts. In 2004, President Clinton underwent a successful quadruple bypass operation to free four blocked arteries.”

DADT: "Homosexual" Vs. "Gay"

A fascinating CBS poll reveals that support for the repeal of DADT varies greatly depending on whether "homosexual" or "gay" is used in the wording of the question.

In the poll, 59 percent say they now support allowing "homosexuals" to serve in the U.S. military, including 34 percent who say they strongly favor that. Ten percent say they somewhat oppose it and 19 percent say they strongly oppose it. But the numbers differ when the question is changed to whether Americans support "gay men and lesbians" serving in the military. When the question is asked that way, 70 percent of Americans say they support gay men and lesbians serving in the military, including 19 percent who say they somewhat favor it. Seven percent somewhat oppose it, and 12 percent strongly oppose it.

John Aravois at AmericaBlog reacts:

Bottom line: Homosexual is a nasty, clinical-sounding word with nasty connotations for far too many Americans. It's what I've argued for years, and have been routinely beaten up by some in the gay community who claim I'm nuts - namely, that no one should use this offensive word and we should correct anyone who does. It now appears I'm not so nuts after all.

As longtime readers know, I tend to use "homosexual" rather frequently. I have no issue with it. It's what most of us here are. I understand that some resent its almost universal usage by our enemies, who only use "gay" in scare quotes. But when the wingnuts say "homosexual," I'm not remotely insulted, even though that's their intent. Still, this CBS poll result is very interesting.

The Push To Place Prop 8 Repeal On 2010 Ballot Continues

Via Truth And Hope:

Sometimes there is not much to say other than to get right to the point. In the next few weeks, the people of California will decide if we will put Marriage Equality back on the ballot in 2010, or if we will allow Prop 8 to stand and ask the LGBT community to wait at least another two years for full equality. We must deliver 1.2 Million signatures by April 12 if we are to return to the ballot. And frankly, we are behind schedule. If I could share a proven message that moves even Republicans on the subject of marriage equality would that inspire the support we need to make this happen? A week ago Friday this ad was chosen by judges like George Stephanopoulos, Roger Stone, Chuck Todd, Christine Todd Whitman, Robert Traynham, Joe Trippi and more as the Best Television Ad for a Ballot Initiative at the Reed Awards.

Virtually all progressive and LGBT rights groups, including longtime holdout the Courage Campaign, have disavowed or abandoned a 2010 repeal attempt. But Truth & Hope is working to raise the money to put the below (now award winning) ad on the air to help the petition campaign.

Buffalo: Strangers Marry After Denial Of Same-Sex Marriage License

Denied a license to marry her partner Cheryl, Buffalo, New York lesbian Kitty Lambert turned to ask if any random man would marry her. Here's how it went down.

In an act of civil-sorta-disobedience, local LGBT activist Kitty Lambert received a marriage license to a stranger named Ed at Buffalo’s City Hall today, after being denied a license to marry her same-sex partner. A small group gathered in the lobby before proceeding to the 13th floor. Entering the City Clerk’s office, Kitty and long-time partner Cheryl attempted to apply for a marriage license. Armed with the appropriate documents City employees informed them due to New York State law, they would be unable to grant them a license. As the clerk’s office employees gathered to watch, a tearful Lambert explained the benefits only available to straight couples with a marriage license. With news cameras rolling, Kitty then turned to the crowd and asked for any male who would be willing to get married to her. A gay man named Ed stepped forward and volunteered. They briefly exchanged information and presented the appropriate documents along with $40. City staff verified the information, and proceeded to give them a marriage license.

Tomorrow: Queer Rising Protest At NYC Marriage License Bureau

Brand new LGBT activism group Queer Rising will stage a protest tomorrow morning at the NYC marriage license bureau in lower Manhattan.

This event is a public protest to highlight the fact that LQBTQI individuals in the state of New York and throughout America may not legally bind themselves into the institution of marriage with the person they love. There will be two separate actions at the same time: "OUTSIDE"-There will be a rally outside for all those who support gay marriage. "INSIDE"- same-sex couples who want to get married attempt to go inside and apply for a marriage license.
If you are a couple who want to get married, email us at: queerrising@gmail.com so that we can give you more info on the "inside" action. We hope to see everyone there!!!

Tomorrow is National Freedom To Marry Day. Below is the current state of partnership laws across the nation.

Google Shuts Down MP3 Blogs

Google has shut down a number of popular MP3 blogs on its Blogger service for copyright infringement. More shutdowns are promised.

Over the course of the past day, the Google-owned blogging service Blogger has shut down a number of popular mp3 blogs, including Pop Tarts Suck Toasted, I Rock Cleveland, LivingEars, and It's a Rap. If you follow the links to any of those blogs, you'll see that they've been wholesale deleted. All you'll find is the Blogger message, "The blog you were looking for was not found." The apparent reason? The music posted on the blogs allegedly violates Blogger's terms of services.

From Google's official blog:

Earlier today, word spread about some popular music blogs that were recently removed from Blogger. While we make it a policy to not publicly discuss individual users or their accounts, we wanted to clarify a few things about how and when Blogger enforces its Terms of Service as they relate to our DMCA policy. Last summer, we updated our enforcement of the DMCA. Our current policy is that when we receive a DMCA complaint, we: 1) Notify the blogger about the complaint by e-mail and on the Blogger dashboard. 2) Reset the offending post to ‘draft’ status, allowing the blogger to remove the offending content. 3) Send a copy of the complaint to ChillingEffects.org. When we receive multiple DMCA complaints about the same blog, and have no indication that the offending content is being used in an authorized manner, we will remove the blog.

The blogs being shut down often offer free downloads authorized by labels in order to promote releases. They also post a disclaimer that unauthorized downloads will be removed upon request. Obviously, those disclaimer notices do not protect MP3 bloggers from charges of copyright infringement.

Explosion Rocks Chelsea

An explosion in Chelsea has blown out the windows of a seven story building and destroyed a ground floor Radio Shack.

Firefighters are on the scene of an explosion on 6th Avenue and 20th Streets in Manhattan's Flatiron District. The front of a Radio Shack store at 641 6th Avenue was smoldering in the aftermath. There was damage to several floors above the store. A Bally's Total Fitness and an Apex Technical School location and a Papyrus stationary store was also damaged in the blast. The explosion happened at about 11:30 a.m. in what is normally a busy area. According to witnesses, a massive ball of flames could be seen shooting up from a manhole in front of the building. Fire department officials say the explosion sparked a transformer fire. Sixth Avenue is closed between 14th and 20th Streets. The following bus lines are diverted through the area: M5, M6 and M7. Firefighters were going floor-to-floor in the building. Windows on all seven floors of the building were blown out.

No injuries have yet been reported. The source of the explosion in unknown, but may be related to an underground steam pipe.

Linda Harvey: Protecting LGBT Students From Beatings Is Fascist

Linda Harvey at Mission America is screaming about Rep. Jared Polis' federal bill to protect LGBT students from bullying and assault. Because beating the gay out of kids is the Christian way.

The purpose of this bill is not what is being stated, but is quite simply to mandate in public schools one acceptable viewpoint on the issue of homosexuality, using purported violence or harassment as the rationale, and the power of the feds as the hammer. The goal is to silence those who may warn about or object to student expression of homosexuality or gender confusion. Such warnings might literally save a child’s life. Founder of the radical homosexual group GLSEN, Kevin Jennings, as head of the “Safe and Drug Free Schools" office at the Department of Education, and secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius (a supporter of “gay” rights when she was governor of Kansas), can create pro-homosexual programs and policies to their hearts’ delight if this bill passes. If a school receives federal funds from one of these agencies or any other, it is subject to the new rules that agency devises to conform to this bill. And states can be held liable for violations, so state governments will have incentive to put pressure for compliance on local schools. It doesn’t get much more fascist than this! It’s a sexual revolutionary’s dream.

Yep, protecting students from beatings and harassment is fascist.

VERY FUCKING RELATED: GLAAD is coordinating vigils around the country to mark the two year anniversary of the murder of 15 year old student Lawrence King, who was shot dead in his classroom because he was gay.

Photo Of The Day - Coping Skills

Illinois GOP Governor Candidate Bill Brady Promises Ban On Same-Sex Marriage

Illinois is one of the dwindling number of states without a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. If GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady gets elected, he plans to correct that.

The GOP gubernatorial front-runner Wednesday proposed changing the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriages, make it more difficult to pass state tax increases, impose term limits on lawmakers and overhaul the process of redrawing legislative boundaries. "I'm trying to give the government back to the people," said Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington), when asked what the package says about him as a candidate for governor. The same-sex marriage prohibition would prohibit gay marriages and civil unions.

Gov. Pat Quinn, the guy who replaced Rod Blagojevitch, is the Democratic nominee.

Alexander McQueen Commits Suicide

Shocking news. Wildly popular fashion designer Alexander McQueen has committed suicide.

British fashion designer Alexander McQueen has been found dead after taking his own life. The 40-year-old committed suicide just days after the death of his mother, Joyce. His death also comes just three years after his close friend, Isabella Blow - who plucked him from obscurity and helped him become a star - killed herself. McQueen was found at his luxury flat in Green Park, central London. It is believed he hanged himself. A source at McQueen’s office this afternoon confirmed his death, saying: ‘It is a tragic loss. We are not making a comment at this time out of respect for the McQueen family.’ His death comes just days before the start of London Fashion Week and weeks before he was due to unveil his new collection at Paris Fashion Week on March 9.

McQueen's Meatpacking District boutique in lower Manhattan is often credited/blamed as having led the reinvention of the neighborhood as a hip destination.

Meet Brian Feldman's Spousal Options

We already know who he picked, but here's a clip of the women who showed up at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando on Monday to apply to randomly marry performance artist Brian Feldman.

Fox News Tea Party Survey Fail

I suspect that the above result is not what Fox News expected. I also suspect that jokers at Daily Kos and Democratic Underground may have freeped the poll

(Tipped by JMG reader Will)

Magnetic Fields - Walk A Lonely Road

From the new album Realism, which came out last week. I had a hard time choosing between this and You Must Be Out Of Your Mind, which seems to be the cut being promoted. The Magnetic Fields' ten date U.S. tour begins later this month. In NYC they play Town Hall on March 10th-12th.

Lt. Dan Choi On Returning To His Unit

The Central Valley Tea Party

The above photos were taken at a teabagger protest in California's central valley last year, but are offered up here today because: 1) We haven't seen them yet, 2) Teabagger photos are ALWAYS funny, and 3) The photography is simply gorgeous. More photos here.

(Tipped by JMG reader Paul)

PhoboQuotable - Matt Barber

"This is no different than having an avid gun collector preside over a Second Amendment case or a frequent user of medical marijuana deciding the legality of medical marijuana. Even his fellow judges on the notoriously liberal 9th Circuit have been forced to step-in and overturn more than one of his inexplicable rulings relative to this case. Based on his demonstrated misbehavior, there’s no reason to believe anything will change.

"At worst, Judge Walker’s continued involvement with this case presents a textbook conflict of interest. At best, it objectively illustrates the unseemly appearance of a conflict. If Judge Walker somehow divines from thin air that the framers of the U.S. Constitution actually intended that Patrick Henry had a ‘constitutional right’ to marry Henry Patrick, then who among us will be surprised? Any decision favoring plaintiffs in this case will be permanently marred and universally viewed as stemming from Judge Walker’s personal biases and alleged lifestyle choices. For these reasons, and in the interest of justice, Judge Walker should do the honorable thing and immediately recuse himself." - Liberty Counsel spokesdouche Matt Barber, writing for Catholic Online.

Virginia Votes To Protect Residents From Microchips (And The Anti-Christ!)

Concerned that employers or insurance companies may one day forcibly implant microchips into people, yesterday the Virginia legislature made such a thing illegal without written consent. But the bill's sponsor had an additional agenda.

Del. Mark L. Cole (R-Fredericksburg), the bill's sponsor, said that privacy issues are the chief concern behind his attempt to criminalize the involuntary implantation of microchips. But he also said he shared concerns that the devices could someday be used as the "mark of the beast" described in the Book of Revelation. "My understanding -- I'm not a theologian -- but there's a prophecy in the Bible that says you'll have to receive a mark, or you can neither buy nor sell things in end times," Cole said. "Some people think these computer chips might be that mark."

Wisconsin and California already ban forced microchip implantation, but as I recall, in California the ban grew out of a campaign to forcibly implant paroled felons, not fear of the Anti-Christ.

Sean Hannity: East Coast Blizzards Mean Global Warming Is Untrue

Rachel Maddow responds in typically hilarious fashion.

Open Thread Thursday

Suggested by a reader in this post, tells us if, where, and how you do volunteer work. Let us know if your volunteerism is part of a corporate or church project. Are you able to use any of your professional skills when you volunteer? Or is it physical labor, like working in a soup kitchen or delivering meals?

Nightclubbing: Will New York City Finally Get Another Gay Mega Dance Spot?

Currently only three* gay nightclubs in NYC have the necessary cabaret license that allows dancing: Chelsea's medium-sized Splash, the basement room of the Monster in the West Village, and Escuelita, the Hell's Kitchen drag and Latin club. This week, the highly anticipated reopening of the legendary Roxy was finally (and probably, permanently) shot down when the backers of a new venture for the property retreated after facing fierce opposition from the venue's West Chelsea neighbors.

But via Paul Schindler at Gay City News, we learn of a massive project proposed for West 42nd Street that, should it come to fruition, would be the largest and most elaborate gay entertainment complex in the city.

At a time when city officials nervously double-check and then triple-check their once confident projections about tourism growth and more than a few gay locals grumble about the dearth of fresh nightlife choices, a $20 million project could bring nearly 80,000 square feet in tourism and dance club space to West 42nd Street — in the form of New York’s first full-service gay hotel and the first new nightclub serving the LGBT community in more than five years to have a cabaret license, needed if patrons wish to dance. Officially described as “The Out NYC: a hospitality and entertainment destination geared to the gay community,” the project, due to be completed by early next year, is informally dubbed “a hetero-friendly urban resort” by its developers. In addition to 123 guest rooms and a 10,000-square-foot dance club capable of serving 750 patrons, the project — which will renovate a three-story building originally developed as a Travel Inn in 1960 to accommodate the crowds expected at the 1964 World’s Fair and later used by the Red Cross, before it was abandoned several years ago — will also include a gym, spa, restaurant, and 24/7 café, making it the most ambitious commercial development ever to court New York’s gay community.

It should be said that a dance club that holds 750 people strains the definition of what we've known as a "megaclub," but in these days of dwindling and smaller gay dance clubs, that's pretty good. According to Schindler's exhaustive article, seasoned NYC promoter John Blair, the man behind the demised Roxy, will be resurrecting his late Chelsea club XL at the new complex on W.42nd.

*The NYC Eagle may have a cabaret license for its relatively small ground floor, but I've only seen dancing there on the day of the Folsom East Street Fair.

UK Reporter Patrick Strudwick Declares War On "Ex-Gay" Industry

UK-based reporter Patrick Strudwick, whose "ex-gay" undercover investigation was mentioned here last week, has now launched a campaign to expose and end the damaging tactics of the evil reparative therapy industry. Strudwick's group is called the Stop Conversion Therapy Taskforce (SCOTT). Facebook page here. Their first target will be an "ex-gay" conference in Northern Ireland, but that's just the beginning.

The work of SCOTT will therefore not stop at disrupting conferences. We want professional bodies such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy to add into their code of conduct specific stipulations condemning attempts to alter orientation (currently they have more general ones about not letting personal feelings about sexuality affect treatment). We will also continue to expose individual therapists and report them to their professional bodies. It won't be easy. Many operate using euphemisms that cloud what they're really doing. They also defend their techniques vehemently, claiming: "We offer choice! We only treat those who come looking for it!" It's like a Venus flytrap blaming the hungry insect that wanders into its gaping mouth. But we are determined to root them out however long it takes. This won't be a battle. It's war.

Hopefully Wayne Besen at Truth Wins Out, who has pioneered this battle in America, can lend Strudwick his expertise.

Orlando Man To Marry Total Stranger In Protest Of Anti-Gay Marriage Laws

As a Valentine's protest against anti-gay marriage laws, heterosexual Orlando performance artist Brian Feldman announced that he would randomly marry any woman who happened to show up at the Orange County Courthouse this past Monday. Three women appeared! Therefore, having filed the paperwork and paid the license fee, Feldman will marry one Hannah Miller on this Friday. From the Facebook event page:

Is this entire project a mockery of marriage? Not at all! It’s completely within the legal rights of Brian and any other heterosexual couple with $123.50 (plus $6 for a standard marriage certificate). Sound absurd? Not nearly absurd as denying the equal right to marry for same-sex couples who truly care about each other; who’ve been in committed, productive and, most importantly, loving relationships for upwards of 20+ years. That, to Brian, and millions of Americans who believe in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, is truly absurd - to say nothing of a civil injustice.

(Tipped by JMG reader John)

Liza & Aretha Do Snickers Ad

PhoboQuotable - Rick Santorum

"In light of the campaign of harassment and intimidation of Prop 8 proponents, [Judge] Walker's most contemptible ruling would have had this show trial broadcast worldwide. The U.S. Supreme Court found he probably violated court rules in his attempt to take part in a "pilot project" allowing cameras in the courtroom. The Supreme Court blocked the effort, but by then Prop 8 supporters had lost two-thirds of their expert witnesses, who feared they would be harassed and blacklisted. California's voters have spoken. The only point of Walker's rigged trial is to convince appellate courts that voters who passed Proposition 8 are intolerant bigots. But an honest look at the behavior of both sides over the past year tells a very different story." - Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick "Frothy Mix" Santorum, in a Philadelphia Enquirer editorial blasting Prop 8 Judge Vaughn Walker and protesters of the 2008 vote.

Afternoon View - My Street

Things are still in the "isn't this pretty!" stage.

Google's Super Bowl Gets Gay Twist

Here's a take on Google's now-famous Super Bowl ad about Paris, but from the perspective of a gay man. Nice ending.

Gaga & Lauper Team Up For HIV Work

Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper appeared on Good Morning America today to promote the MAC Cosmetics AIDS Fund, which has raised over $150M to date.

Lawsuit Challenges Hillary's Eligibility

A lawsuit has been filed with the Supreme Court charging that Hillary Clinton is ineligible to serve as Secretary of State because as a Senator she had voted to increase the salary of the position she now holds. The litigants claim that vote, made in 2007, is forbidden by an arcane clause of the U.S. Constitution. Before Clinton was confirmed, Congress passed a resolution returning the Secretary of State salary to its pre-2007 level, but that wasn't good enough for the wingnuts.

The suit was filed by Judicial Watch, an extreme right wing group that hilariously describes themselves as a "non-partisan American educational foundation that promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law." Judicial Watch, which has already been laughed out of a lower court, brought the suit on behalf of Foreign Service Officer David C. Rodearmel, a 19-year State Department employee who says that Clinton took the job illegally and therefore he is not obligated to obey any of her commands.

Don't hold your breath for SCOTUS to actually hear the case.

RELATED: Judicial Watch has issued its annual "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" list. Roll call: Barack Obama, Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi, Chris Dodd, Tim Geithner, Eric Holder, etc. Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) is the lone Republican on this year's list. Totally bipartisan!

From Urban Dictionary

Archbishop Of Canterbury "Profoundly Sorry" For Anti-Gay Speeches

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams opened the Church of England's annual meeting with an apology to the gay community over comments he has made in the wake of the church's split on the issue of gay clergy.

"The debate over the status and vocational possibilities of LGBT people in the Church is not helped by ignoring the existing facts, which include many regular worshippers of gay or lesbian orientation and many sacrificial and exemplary priests who share this orientation. There are ways of speaking about the question that seem to ignore these human realities or to undervalue them. I have been criticised for doing just this, and I am profoundly sorry for the carelessness that could give such an impression."

Williams cited the case of American Bishop Gene Robinson, whose 2003 ordination began the rift between Anglican traditionalists and those who advocate for gay and female clergy.

Inevitable: Lady Gaga Grammy Doll

Doll making is apparently the rage among Lady Gaga fans. Other fan dolls here.

(Via - After Elton)

The Hilarious Tweets Of James Hartline

NYC Pride Grand Marshall: Dan Choi

Lt. Dan Choi will be a Grand Marshall of this year's NYC Pride March. Via Queer New York:

This past Monday, February 8th 2010, at a meeting of NYC Pride (aka Heritage of Pride) it was announced that Lt. Dan Choi would be one of the Grand Marshals for the 41st Annual LGBT Pride March, which will occur on June 27th, 2010. When first approached about the request to be the NYC Grand Marshal, Lt. Choi responded with resounding excitement and a sense of honor for all who have struggled under this policy. Lt. Choi’s selection and acceptance of the honor of NYC LGBT Pride Grand Marshal marks the first time in U.S. history that an openly gay male on active service with the U.S. Armed Forces will be an LGBT Pride March Grand Marshal.

Choi was the Grand Marshall of San Francisco's pride parade in 2009.

Maddow On The Myth Of Bipartisanship

The GOP's strategy: "Whatever the president wants, we're against it, no matter how good it may be for the country."

Super Bowl Breaks MASH's Record

Viewership of Sunday's Super Bowl broke the all-time record set by the 1983 series finale of M*A*S*H.

A classic television show just lost its two-decade grip on top of television's all-time viewership heap. Blame it all on the Super Bowl. Sunday's Super Bowl XLIV on CBS drew an average audience of 106.5 million viewers, breaking the record set by the television show "M-A-S-H" after a 26-year domination, making the game the most watched television broadcast in American history. The New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts reportedly topped the "M-A-S-H" series finale "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" that drew 105.97 million viewers in 1983. Sunday's Bowl also eclipsed Super Bowl XVI in 1982, as 49.1 percent of households (40,020,000) tuned in to watch San Francisco defeat Cincinnati according to the Neilson Company.

Analysts says several factors worked in favor of this year's game. There was keen national interest in New Orlean's first appearance. Also, the combination of a poor economy and an east coast snowstorm kept folks at home and out of bars, where their viewership would not be recorded by Nielsen.

Matthews: Sarah Palin Is Frightening

Sarah Palin says the only way Obama can save his second term would be to declare war on Iran.

Flashback: 1967 CBS Report On Gays

Head over to the Advocate for Dave White's take on this 1967 CBS report titled The Homosexuals, which includes an interview with a founding member of the Mattachine Society, America's first gay rights group. Dave White:

This weekend, for my second visit to The Homosexuals, I took notes. And when I was done my pad of paper was a laundry list of every horrible thing you’ve ever heard about the gays: smothering mothers, mental illness, animalistic sexual gratification, society’s repulsion, promiscuity, recruitment, etc.

Some quotes, some from Wallace, some from clergy and other “experts” on the subject:
“They frequent their own bars ... where they can act out…”
“The average homosexual isn’t capable of love.”
“Homosexuality is, in fact, a mental illness.”
“The church has a great deal of sympathy for those who are handicapped in this way.”
“[Being a homosexual] automatically rules out that [the man in question] will remain happy.”

The men (no mention of lesbians is ever made) who aren’t on camera as representatives of fledgling gay rights groups at the time, like the Mattachine Society, are interviewed in shadow or behind plants, and say things like, “I know I’m sick inside ... immature.”

White recommends you hang around until approximately the 30-minute mark, where Gore Vidal declares homosexuality to be as normal as heterosexuality. Mike Wallace: "Who says so?" Vidal: "I say so." Read Dave White's entire essay.