Times of London, Posted: 1/22/2010, 11:18 AM
Jay’s foundation had been applied, and his face powdered. The swimming trunks had been laid out and the judges were in place for the inaugural Mr Gay China pageant. Then the police arrived. Less than an hour before the contestants were due on stage, the police scrapped the country’s first gay pageant, showing just how far homosexuality is from winning acceptance in this conservative society. Ben Zhang had gathered a host in drag, some of China’s most prominent gays and a carefully invited audience at a swish, black-walled club designed by Philippe Starck in the heart of Beijing. The eight contestants were in make-up when a group of uniformed police marched into the club. Mr Zhang said that they told him there was nothing wrong with the homosexual content, but: “You did not do things according to procedures.”

Mid-Day News (India), Posted: 1/19/2010, 8:03 AM
The tremendous response to two beauty competitions fails to enthuse those working for rights of sexual minorities. More than 1,000 transgenders from the city are currently participating in two beauty contests being simultaneously run for them. While filmmaker Ganesh Kharwar's Nazakat Queen 2010, has attracted 1,200 participants, Laxmi Narayan Tripathy's contest called India Super Queen will showcase 18 contestants. But the overwhelming response, possibly the greatest among cities in the country where such contests were held or are planned, has not made activists working for the rights of sexual minorities  happy. "I don't believe in judging people's beauty through these competitions as beauty is subjective," said Revathi, director of Sangama, an NGO dealing with sexual minorities. Added Akkai, Sangama's Information Divisional Co-ordinator and one of the judges in Tripathy's contest, "These shows may give exposure to the community, but you cannot discriminate anyone based on beauty. All of us hijras belong to different backgrounds and many are not fair or pretty. Such events may trigger jealousy."

Xinhua Net (China), Posted: 1/15/2010, 10:50 AM
Beijing police blocked organisers from staging China's first homosexual pageant on Friday, organisers said, an event that had been hailed as heralding a new openness towards the gay community.  "This event has been cancelled," Wei Xiaogang, who was to have acted as one of the judges in the Mr Gay China contest, told AFP. "In my opinion, I believe it had something to do with the issue of homosexuality," he said. Contestants in the competition -- which was to have included an underwear segment -- were to vie for the right to represent China at the Worldwide Mr Gay pageant in Norway next month. Steven Zhang, 30, with his strong jaw, looks like he could be a special forces soldier, but he was one of eight men vying to be the first Mr Gay China. "I signed up for the competition to break the stereotype that gays are sissy AIDS spreaders, to show that we can be decent people," Zhang says. "I believe most people will support us though I'm ready for a storm of criticism too." The pageant has triggered heated debate among Chinese Internet users. In a survey conducted by sohu.com, 1,113 people supported the event while 325 opposed it. Thousands of comments were posted on sina.com and other websites. Supportive comments such as "Everyone has the right to choose" and "It shows China is more and more open" vied with vilification, such as "How disgusting! Gays are perverts" and "The gay pageant is a shame for all Chinese."

Sakaal Times (India), Posted: 1/11/2010, 1:48 PM
The first-ever beauty pageant for transgenders – 'Vcare Indian Super Queen' – formally commenced from Monday – and the contestants would be judged on the basic of their creativity, special skill sets and confidence. The grand finale would be held on February 21. The judges of the grand finale would be Bollywood actor Salman Khan, socialite Parmeshwar Godrej, actress Zeenat Aman and fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani. The announcement was made by Laxmi Narayan Tripathi in presence of Bollywood actress Celina Jaitley and Seema Biswas. Tripathi's Twelve Noon Entertainment has tied up with Vcare, a diversified business conglomerate to organise the contest. “The contest would bring the community of transgender to unite and give a positive vibe about what and what they are. It is not about who is the best and most aesthetically beautiful, its about who is willing to proudly display their character, take pride in who they are and to prove they are just as human as all of us,” Tripathi said.

Reuters-U.S., Posted: 6/11/2009, 8:35 PM
Beauty queen Carrie Prejean, who ignited a furor at the Miss USA pageant by taking a stand against gay marriage, has been fired as Miss California for violating her contract. Prejean, who nearly lost her Miss California crown last month following the same-sex marriage flap and revelations that she had posed topless at age 17, failed to fulfill her duties, a pageant spokesman said. "This was a decision based solely on contract violations including Ms. Prejean's unwillingness to make appearances on behalf of the Miss California USA organization," Keith Lewis, the pageant's executive director, said in a statement. The pageant said owner Donald Trump, who had stood by Prejean, 22, despite the uproar over her same-sex marriage remarks and racy photos, backed her dismissal.

CNN, Posted: 5/7/2009, 8:53 AM
Miss California USA Carrie Prejean has assured pageant officials that a lingerie modeling photo published online this week is the only one she posed for, the state pageant director said. But the Web site that published the first picture said it has several more that it will "slowly roll out" starting Wednesday afternoon. The possibility that racier images could emerge prompted "closed-door meetings" Tuesday to consider stripping Prejean of her beauty queen title, pageant spokesman Ron Neal said. Although Neal said Prejean "breached her contract" by keeping the semi-nude photo or photos a secret, the only picture published so far appears about as revealing as the bikini Prejean wore in the pageant's swimsuit competition. "We have been told by Carrie Prejean there are no other photos other than the one circulating in existence. She should know better than anyone," Miss California USA Director Keith Lewis said Wednesday.

Fox News (anti-gay), Posted: 5/2/2009, 11:15 AM
A national controversy exploded when Miss USA runner-up Carrie Prejean answered a question from a Miss USA Judge Perez Hilton and said she did not support gay marriage. Carrie is not backing down and may be just ratcheting up the controversy. She has joined up with the National Organization for Marriage as part of an ad campaign promoting traditional marriage. "My thought on civil unions? You know what, Greta? I don't have the answers to everything. I'm not running for political office. I don't have the answers to everything, you know, in the world out there. But I think that there should be rights for people, you know, especially in California. I think that people that are homosexual should have some rights, you know, hospital rights, and things like that. But I would like to be more educated on that, so when I do have a better answer for you, I will get back to you on that one. But so far I just support traditional marriage, and that's my main focus."

Posted: 4/30/2009, 6:43 AM
Miss California, Carrie Prejean, who offered memorable opposition (above) to same-sex marriage and a young, attractive new face for the movement against it, will appear tomorrow at a press conference hosted by the National Organization for Marriage at the National Press Club, according to a press release from the group.

She'll be launching a new ad, the second in what the group says is a $1.5 million campaign.

The ad, the release says, will address:

What happens when a young California beauty pageant contestant is asked, "Do you support same-sex marriage?" She is attacked viciously for having the courage to speak up for her truth and her values. But Carrie's courage inspired a whole nation and a whole generation of young people because she chose to risk the Miss USA crown rather than be silent about her deepest moral values. "No Offense" calls gay marriage advocates to account for their unwillingness to debate the real issue: Gay marriage has consequences.

People.co.uk, Posted: 10/20/2008, 10:28 AM
The cannibal chef who killed his gay lover and ate his flesh is working in a prison kitchen. Former Mr Gay UK winner Anthony Morley, 36, was convicted on Friday of murdering Damian Oldfield. He slit Damian's throat then cut off chunks of his body, seasoned them with herbs and fried them in olive oil. Now Morley's best pal has revealed jail chiefs have given him a job as a cook - but will not let him use knives. Michael Graham, 25, said: "I reckon some of the other inmates might get a bit worried if they knew who was serving up their food but I'd eat it. Whatever he's done, Tony can cook. He's a brilliant chef. They obviously knew about his talent with food so they offered him the chance to work in the canteen. "He was really angry that they weren't letting him use any knives. He asked me, 'How the hell am I supposed to do this without knives?'"

Telegraph.co.uk, Posted: 10/7/2008, 4:53 AM
The first winner of Mr Gay UK stabbed a man to death before carving a piece of flesh from his thigh, seasoning it with fresh herbs and cooking it in olive oil, a court heard. Anthony Morley, 36, then attempted to eat a piece of Damian Oldfield's flesh before walking to a nearby takeaway and telling staff he had killed someone, Leeds Crown Court was told. Morley, who worked as a chef, also cut a piece of 33-year-old Mr Oldfield's chest and nipple and left a bank card over the wound, it was claimed. Andrew Stubbs, prosecuting, said the two men had been involved some kind of relationship in the past and that Morley was troubled by his sexuality. It was alleged Morley cutting Oldfield's throat and stabbing him numerous times. The court heard six pieces of cooked human flesh, identified as being from Mr Oldfield's body, were found on a chopping board, while a further piece of flesh, which appeared to have been chewed, was found in a bin bag.