Gay News Watch

Sheena Easton tries to reinvent herself as gay icon

Mon, 12 May 2008 05:48:00

She's back – not in her native Scotland, of course, but very definitely in the pink. Sheena Easton is launching a bold bid to reinvent herself as a gay icon. The Scottish singer has sold more than 20 million records around the world in a career which has spanned three...

With revenue down, Playboy ready to go a little gay

Mon, 12 May 2008 05:43:00

With its television revenue down $2.8 million already this year, Playboy Enterprises plans to offer 20 hours of softcore gay male programming to Time Warner Cable subscribers, XBIZ.com reports. The new service is expected to begin next month. According to the memo obtained by the adult business news site, Playboy...

Embattled N.Y. congressman shuns lesbian sister

Mon, 12 May 2008 05:37:00

Vito Fossella built a career as a staunch "family values" pol, polishing his image in his predominantly Catholic district with a string of anti-gay votes. He even shuns his gay sister, Victoria Fossella, refusing to go to family events if she and her partner attend, a source close to the...

Lesbian custody battle could set precedent in Texas

Mon, 12 May 2008 05:35:00

The last time Kristie Vowels saw her daughter was on April 25, 2007. And whether she ever will have the legal right to see the nearly-4-year-old child again depends on the 5th District Court of Appeals' decision in what Vowels' attorneys said could be a precedent-setting case. Vowels filed the...

Pro-life MPs threaten limits access to in-vitro in U.K.

Mon, 12 May 2008 05:31:00

Single women and lesbian couples could lose the right to have in-vitro fertilisation treatments if pro-life MPs succeed in their bid to hijack the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill this week, lawyers have warned. The MPs plan to table an amendment during the bill's second reading, which begins tomorrow. The...

Obama guesses wrong on where gays buy clothes

Sun, 11 May 2008 17:01:00

On a five-hour flight from Washington to Oregon late Thursday, Barack Obama came to the back of his charter plane for a spirited word game against reporters, and it was clear he did not intend to lose. In "Taboo," a player under time constraints must prompt teammates to guess words...

Singapore police raid gay sauna and arrest owner

Sun, 11 May 2008 16:33:00

The police in Singapore raided a gay sauna named One Seven two days agor. Though none of the clients were arrested, the 74 year-old owner, Sam was injured by the supervising officer and arrested and jailed overnight for allegedly having assaulted the officer, a charge that he denies. No explanation...

Americans can't stand to read about gay penguins

Sat, 10 May 2008 10:22:00

A children's story about a family of penguins with two fathers once again tops the list of library books the American public objects to the most. And Tango Makes Three, released in 2005 and co-written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, was the most "challenged" book in U.S. public schools...

Ala. legislature is set to vote on gay hate crimes bill

Sat, 10 May 2008 06:29:00

A bill to expand Alabama's hate crimes law will be up for passage on the Legislature's final meeting day. The bill would expand the law to cover crimes committed against people because of their sexual orientation. The bill won approval from the Alabama House on Tuesday and from the Senate...

E.U. backs church discrimination against gay teachers

Sat, 10 May 2008 06:20:00

Trade union groups in the Republic of Ireland have expressed their dismay at a ruling by the European Commission confirming that church schools can sack teachers who are openly gay. Under the Employment Equality Act religious schools can dismiss homosexual teachers. Section 37 of the Act states that schools that...

Catholic leaders pressure Md. gov. to veto D.P. bill

Sat, 10 May 2008 06:11:00

(*WARNING: anti-gay source*): Catholic leaders in Maryland are asking Gov. Martin O'Malley to veto legislation defining domestic partnerships in Maryland. Mr. O'Malley, a Democrat and a Catholic, aligned himself with the church in his opposition to the death penalty, but has split over issues such as gay marriage and abortion....

It's back to gay porn for 'Janice Dickinson' model

Sat, 10 May 2008 06:06:00

Rodrigo De Carli left his gay porn star life at Rascal videos to join the ranks of Janice Dickinson's Modeling Agency. Well, things didn't turn out quite the way he wanted, because the De Carli's gone back to his dick sticking ways: ...De Carli AKA Claudio Martin (who was originally...

Uproar over trans restroom turns straight bar gay

Sat, 10 May 2008 05:54:00

On a recent Saturday night at the Scottsdale club Forbidden, well-dressed, sweaty men are three-deep at the bar and fill the red, glittery dance floor. Outside, the line snakes up the block and the wait can run more than an hour. For 25 years, this was Anderson's Fifth Estate, a...

Brazil launches site for the world's biggest Gay Pride

Sat, 10 May 2008 04:32:00

A new travel site - theloveland.net - offering tourist information, cultural programs and packages has been launched with the aim of encouraging travellers to visit Brazil for the São Paulo Gay Pride Parade. With contents in English, the site - theloveland.net has been launched with information about the São Paulo...

Prosecutor in King murder says school not at fault

Fri, 9 May 2008 14:38:00

A California judge postponed the arraignment Thursday of 14-year-old Brandon McInerney, charged with murdering his 15-year-old gay schoolmate, Lawrence King, last February. McInerney's public defense attorney, William Quest, requested more time to prepare his case. The District Attorney's office has charged McInerney with premeditated murder with a special allegation of...

Gay in China: No rules, no drugs and no judgments

Fri, 9 May 2008 00:06:00

Being openly gay in China is one of the country's biggest taboos, but you wouldn't know it stepping into Destination, Beijing's hottest gay club. Nicknamed "Desperation," this dance club and lounge, with its thumping bass, beautiful people, flowing cocktails and bouncing hydraulic dance floor -- seems at first like a...

Doctors weigh ethics of delaying puberty for trans teens

Thu, 8 May 2008 19:23:00

A small group of doctors around the world have introduced a controversial approach to the treatment of preteens and teenagers who believe they are the opposite sex. Right before puberty begins, they prescribe children hormone-blocking medication. This allows the child to continue growing without developing physical characteristics such as breasts,...

Openly gay black man becomes Va. first to win office

Thu, 8 May 2008 17:28:00

While most political onlookers were watching the race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in Indiana and North Carolina, a Virginia resident quietly made history as he became the state's first openly gay African-American elected to public office. In his first bid for elected office, Lawrence Webb won a seat on the Falls Church...

Madonna stages another lesbian kiss in Paris show

Thu, 8 May 2008 03:13:00

It was a case of recycling rather than reinvention for Madonna last night as she pulled out her tried and tested move - a lesbian kiss - during her show in Paris last night. The singer, who is rapidly approaching 50, locked lips with one of her female backing dancers...

Lawyer claims gay kissing legal in Cayman Islands

Thu, 8 May 2008 03:11:00

The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) is launching an internal investigation into an off-duty officer's detainment of a tourist for kissing his boyfriend at a local bar last Wednesday. The off-duty officer had warned him not to kiss his partner and, according to Mr Chandler, told him, "It is...

Colo. lesbians convicted for marriage protest sit-in

Thu, 8 May 2008 03:08:00

A Denver jury took less than an hour Wednesday to convict a lesbian couple of trespassing for staging a sit-in when they were refused a marriage license. Kate Burns and Sheila Schroeder held hands, sitting quietly as the verdict was read. Schroeder gave Burns a wink after they heard the verdicts. The two, who...

Mich. gay marriage ban blocks health benefits, court rules

Thu, 8 May 2008 03:05:00

Local governments and state universities in Michigan can't offer health insurance to the partners of gay workers, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. The court ruled 5-2 that Michigan's 2004 ban against gay marriage also blocks domestic-partner policies affecting gay employees at the University of Michigan and other public-sector employers. The decision affirms a February...

Gay N.C. Senate candidates loses in Dem primary

Thu, 8 May 2008 02:55:00

The NC primary has produced a Democratic opponent to sitting Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole, but some gay and lesbian leaders are questioning whether a losing candidate deserved more support from GLBT equality organizations. Neither The Human Rights Campaign nor the Victory Fund supported the campaign of openly gay candidate Jim...

Goodwill employee claims he was fired for being gay

Wed, 7 May 2008 17:57:00

A former Goodwill Industries employee says that he was fired for being openly gay. Bryan Simms came out as gay while still living in Cal. Two years later, he moved to Colo., where for the last three years he has lived in Colorado Springs, partly because he has relatives in...

N.Y. high court leaves in place gay marriage victory

Wed, 7 May 2008 17:52:00

Gay marriage advocates have won a partial victory in New York, as the state's highest court has left in place a lower court ruling that recognized a lesbian couple as being married. The Court of Appeals declined yesterday to review the mid-level appellate court's decision to recognize the couple's Canadian marriage, the...

An amendment to ban gay marriage stalls in Pa. Senate

Wed, 7 May 2008 16:17:00

The state Senate this evening voted to table a bill that would have amended the state constitution to ban gay marriage. The main sponsor, Sen. Michael Brubaker, R-Lancaster, said it had become clear to him that the bill would not pass in the House and he therefore saw no point...

HRC president sorry for 'misspeaking' on trans issue

Wed, 7 May 2008 16:13:00

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese met with a handful of transgender activists in Atlanta last week and apologized for "misspeaking" at last year's Southern Comfort conference, where he promised HRC would only support an Employment Non-Discrimination Act that included gender identity, according to people attending the meeting. Southern Voice...

McGreevey divorce lawyers report settlement hopes

Wed, 7 May 2008 07:27:00

Lawyers representing the nation's first openly gay governor and his estranged wife ended the first day of their scheduled divorce trial reporting progress in settlement talks. "We are happy to report on behalf of both of our clients that they have made progress toward settling their case," lawyers for Gov....

Kenyans finding love where being gay is still a crime

Wed, 7 May 2008 07:23:00

With all the attention the political strife and violence have brought Kenya this year, most probably don't think of its capital city as a party town. But Nairobi is considered one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Africa. Kenyans and ex-pats alike pour into numerous clubs for all-night dancing to the latest American, reggae...

Surrogate moms fulfill gay men's parenthood hopes

Wed, 7 May 2008 07:18:00

An ever-growing number of gay couples are paying tens of thousands of dollars to have surrogate mothers carry their babies, turning America's concept of traditional family on its head. It took two women and two men for two-year-old twins Katherine and Connor to come to life. Their fathers, Michael Eidelman and A.J. Vincent,...

Pa. school takes up the challenge of transgender 9-year-old

Wed, 7 May 2008 05:42:00

For school officials in Haverford Township, the challenge was daunting: What do you do when a 9-year-old student, with the full support of his parents, decides that he is no longer a boy and instead is a girl? Parents of a third-grade student at Chatham Park Elementary School approached the administration on April...

Gay marriage in Holland costs French man his citizenship

Tue, 6 May 2008 19:10:00

Frenchman Frederic Minvielle has been a productive, happy resident of the Netherlands for the past six years, and even married a Dutch national in 2003. But his placid existence took on Kafkaesque twist earlier this year, when French authorities informed Minvielle that his expatriate idyll had cost him his French citizenship. The main reason, according...

Caymans official apologizes for gay kiss detention

Tue, 6 May 2008 18:29:00

The gay man who was detained by the Royal Cayman Islands Police last week for kissing his male partner on a dance floor, received a written letter of apology from Director of Tourism Pilar Bush. Although 23–year–old Aaron Chandler of Massachusetts was not actually arrested, he was detained by police...

Hate crime evidence lacking in Newark triple slaying

Tue, 6 May 2008 12:50:00

A New Jersey prosecutor last week said investigators have yet to find sufficient evidence to classify as hate crimes the execution-style slayings of three college students in a Newark schoolyard last August hours before they planned to attend a Gay Pride festival. Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Thomas McTigue responded to...

Ohio college suspends administrator for writing 'ex-gay' column

Tue, 6 May 2008 11:37:00

At the University of Toledo, a column in a local paper by Crystal Dixon, the associate vice president of human resources, has set off such a debate and resulted in her being placed on a paid leave, pending possible further action. In the column in The Toledo Free Press, Dixon asserted that gay people...

Gay powerlifter to compete in world championships

Tue, 6 May 2008 10:30:00

Chris Morgan, defending Gay Games powerlifting gold medalist, has qualified for both this year's European and World drug-free championship Finals. He was lifting in the British Championships, held in Tamworth, England, on April 20, with a total weight lifted of 1,226.5 pounds to place second in the 181.5-pound class, reclaiming...

Brazilian soccer star denies trans prostitute's claim

Tue, 6 May 2008 06:34:00

Brazilian soccer superstar Ronaldo cried foul when three prostitutes he booked turned out to be transgender. The AC Milan striker says he cried foul when he realized they weren't women. But the trio of transvestites saw a chance to net some cash. They claimed Ronaldo — back in Rio de...

Author booed for arguing that people aren't born gay

Tue, 6 May 2008 06:17:00

The idea that a person can change their sexual preference is beginning to become a major debate with gay activists because of an upcoming book, "The Born Gay Hoax". Author Ryan Sorba was speaking at Smith College about his upcoming book, "The Born Gay Hoax," when gay protesters began taking...

Mixed opinions on health of gay and lesbian book publishing

Tue, 6 May 2008 06:14:00

The state of gay publishing is deathly ill and quite possibly terminal, but that the literature itself is as vibrant, compelling and, arguably, groundbreaking as at any other point in its history. In my view, it is clear that today there is less and less visible publishing of gay and...

Manila bishop calls for ban on gays in flower festival

Tue, 6 May 2008 06:11:00

The head of Manila's Roman Catholic Church has frowned on the participation of gay men in the "Santacruzan" flower festival held across the Philippines every May in honor of the Virgin Mary. "Gays should not be allowed to participate in Santacruzan since it defeats the true meaning of the celebration,"...

Pa. Senate set to vote on marriage ban amendment

Tue, 6 May 2008 06:07:00

The Pennsylvania Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. The Appropriations Committee voted 18-8 today to move the bill to the Senate for a vote. The bill seeks to add to the state Constitution these words: "No union other than a marriage...

Fireworks are expected at gay ex-gov's divorce trial

Mon, 5 May 2008 03:23:00

The divorce settlement talks began more than three years ago, not long after New Jersey's most famous gay American came out of the closet. Back then, friends close to former Gov. James E. McGreevey and his estranged wife, Dina Matos McGreevey, depicted the discussions as quiet and discreet -- which...

Caymans police detain gay U.S. tourist for public kiss

Mon, 5 May 2008 03:18:00

The Royal Cayman Islands Police detained a visiting homosexual man for kissing his partner on a dance floor last week. The man, 23–year–old Aaron Chandler from Amherst, Massachusetts, was dancing at the Royal Palms last Wednesday night with his partner. His partner's sister and brother–in–law also came along to the...

Gay Dead or Alive singer rejects marriage for gays

Mon, 5 May 2008 03:07:00

When he flashed his engagement ring on the sofa with Richard and Judy, pop star Pete Burns told of his happiness at the prospect of becoming the latest celebrity to marry his male partner. But now, just ten months after the big day, the singer has split from Michael Simpson,...

Israeli court rules domestic violence law doesn't protect gays

Mon, 5 May 2008 03:05:00

A Tel Aviv family court rejected a request by a homosexual man to issue a protection order against his partner. The judge, Gershon German, determined that a homosexual couple is not a family and thus is not entitled to protection based on the Law Against Violence in the Family. The...

Federal veto forces Australian capital scrap civil unions

Mon, 5 May 2008 02:54:00

Same-sex couples in Canberra have lost a legal battle for civil unions, after the ACT Government was forced into a humiliating backdown on the issue during tense negotiations with the Federal Government. ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell said the Commonwealth threatened to veto its bill on same-sex unions, leaving the ACT...

Memphis principal allegedly outs high gay students

Sun, 4 May 2008 13:35:00

A Memphis high school principal, fed up with public displays of affection in the hallways, allegedly displayed a list of couples -- including some who are gay -- in the school, publicly outing the boys and violating their privacy, according to one of the students involved. "I really feel that...

GLAAD, HRC distance themselves from Calif. hotel

Sun, 4 May 2008 13:22:00

In apparent response to media inquiries, PlanetOut Inc., the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, and the Human Rights Campaign acted swiftly April 22 and 23 to dissociate themselves from the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego. PlanetOut, GLAAD and Global Hyatt Corp. have partnered to offer a Pride 2008 GLAAD...

Phelps clan seen as most hated family in America

Sun, 4 May 2008 13:18:00

Author Paul Theroux has written that as a travel writer at times, "being a stranger was like the evocation of a dream state". His documentary-filmmaker son, Louis, seems trapped in a nightmarish scenario in this compelling exploration of the bizarre Westboro Baptist Church, from Topeka, Kansas. Headed by Fred Phelps...

Despite ban, 200 Methodist ministers attend lesbian ceremony

Sun, 4 May 2008 13:14:00

More than 200 Methodists attended the commitment ceremony Friday of a lesbian couple from Chicago, in defiance of a vote to uphold a church law that says gay relationships are ''incompatible with Christian teaching.'' "The United Methodist Church has been and continues to be both blessing and burden to us,"...

Md. governor's inaction leaves gay rights at standstill

Sun, 4 May 2008 13:09:00

As a progressive mayor in Baltimore, O'Malley attended gay pride parades and signed into law a measure to protect transgender people from discrimination. When he ran for governor, he said he supported civil unions and wanted to extend benefits to same-sex partners of state employees, as he had done for...

Ex-gay junk science panel scrapped by psych. group

Fri, 2 May 2008 17:00:00

A controversial panel about homosexuality, therapy, and religion, planned for next week's American Psychiatric Association's annual convention in Washington has been canceled. The symposium, scheduled for May 5, was titled "Homosexuality and Therapy: The Religious Dimension," but Dr. David Scasta -- a former president and newsletter editor of the Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists...

Two men convicted in U.K. royal gay sex blackmail

Fri, 2 May 2008 16:52:00

Two men who demanded £50,000 from a Royal Family member in exchange for tapes featuring gay sex claims have been jailed for blackmail. Ian Strachan and Sean McGuigan were jailed for five years each for attempting to extort money from the unidentified royal. His identity had been concealed during the...

Judge rules Ga. Tech rights manual discriminates vs. religion

Fri, 2 May 2008 16:45:00

A federal judge says a gay rights Web site sanctioned by the Georgia Institute of Technology cannot use language that discriminates against religions that condemn homosexuality. The Safe Space site, a campus resource for gay and lesbian students, gave an overview of various religions' views toward homosexuality. For instance, it called the Mormon church anti-gay...

Groups secures great leaps forward for Nepal gays

Fri, 2 May 2008 16:35:00

In less than a decade, Sunil Pant's Blue Diamond Society has scaled massive heights in a nation known mostly as the home of Mt. Everest. Despite deep-seated social conservatism, the group has won a landmark Supreme Court anti-discrimination ruling, chalked up support for gay rights from two of the biggest...

Most gay Americans 'ignorant' about their own rights: survey

Fri, 2 May 2008 16:31:00

Few gay Americans understand their basic rights, according to an analysis released this week. Based on the responses of 768 gays, lesbians and bisexuals to a national poll given in November, the analysis found that most respondents could not correctly answer four questions regarding their state and federal rights. "I...

Methodists reject liberalization on homosexuality

Fri, 2 May 2008 06:32:00

Representatives of the United Methodist Church turned back attempts to liberalize its policy on homosexuality. Almost 1,000 delegates to the church's General Conference rejected a proposal from a legislative committee, leaving in place the position that the practice of homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian teaching." The General Conference, which meets...

Nicole Kidman is slated to play bi Dusty Springfield

Fri, 2 May 2008 06:20:00

Nicole Kidman will play Dusty Springfield in a forthcoming biopic. The Oscar-winning Australian actress will play the 60s pop icon in the movie which will document Dusty's troubled life, which included problems with drugs and alcohol, and mental health issues. The 'Son of a Preacher Man' singer was also secretly...

Lesbos island residents claim they own gay name

Fri, 2 May 2008 06:17:00

Campaigners on the Greek island of Lesbos are to go to court in an attempt to stop a gay rights organisation from using the term "lesbian". The islanders say that if they are successful they may then start to fight the word lesbian internationally. The issue boils down to who...

Carly Simon says, 'I don't consider myself not gay'

Fri, 2 May 2008 05:45:00

With This Kind of Love (Hear Music), Carly Simon has created a whole new chapter in her musical career. That's saying something for someone who has made her mark in folk, pop, standards, film scores and more. The music on the new disc has a largely Brazilian influence, and Simon's...

Obama benefits from Calif. couple's 'golden rolodex'

Fri, 2 May 2008 05:42:00

A gay West Coast couple is busy bringing in millions of dollars from California residents to help Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama win the White House. Jeremy Bernard and Rufus Gifford make up B&G Associates, a financial consulting company that assists Democratic candidates with California fundraising activities. The money generated...

N.J. married couple could lose rights after sex-change

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:14:00

The Brunners are like many other middle-aged married couples, but with a twist evidenced by their marriage certificate. The original, from 1980, listed Donald Brunner as the bridegroom and Frances Gottschalk as the bride. But a sex-change operation in 2005 turned Donald into Denise. Fran stood by her spouse, and...

Is the tough surgeon on 'Grey's Anatomy' a lesbian?

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:37:00

Erica Hahn was a recurring character throughout the first few seasons of Grey's Anatomy. She is a rival of former Seattle Grace employee Dr. Preston Burke, as the two are both in the field of cardiothoracic surgery. They attended school together at Johns Hopkins Medical School but since they were...

Presbyterians clear minister in gay marriage case

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:24:00

The highest court of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has ruled that a California minister did not violate denominational law when she officiated at the weddings of two lesbian couples.
The unanimous ruling announced Tuesday by the Louisville, Ky.-based court overturns a decision last year by a regional judicial committee that found...

Australia to remove 100 laws discriminatory to gays

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 03:18:00

The Australian government has announced plans to remove about 100 laws it says discriminate against gay couples. The laws include those preventing them from benefiting from financial and social entitlements. But the government will not include any changes to the Marriage Law to pave the way for gay marriage. Gay...

N.C. gov: Clinton makes Rocky Balboa look like 'pansy'

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:45:00

"This lady right here makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy," said Governor Mike Easley, D-N.C., today, referring to Hillary Clinton. "There's nothing I love more than a strong powerful woman." Clinton accepted a key endorsement from Easley today, as she struggles to stay alive in this nomination contest. She...

Gay Episcopal bishop dissappointed in archbishop

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:42:00

The first openly gay Anglican bishop has accused the Archbishop of Canterbury of failing to confront critics of his appointment. US bishop Gene Robinson, who has received death threats, said Rowan Williams's handling of rhetoric against gay Anglicans could endanger them. He said God was "very disappointed" in the way...

CNN's Larry King offers support to GLBT students

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:50:00

American talk show host Larry King made an emotional plea to viewers that Americans must demand tolerance for LGBT students. The statement comes as thousands of American students took part in a 'Day of Silence'. The yearly event was particularly poignant after the homophobic murder of a gay teenager. Fifteen...

ABC News tests reax to public gay kissing in Ala., N.J.

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:20:00

Two years ago, ABC News hired two actors, a man and a woman, to publicly display their affection for each othere by kissing in public at a restaurant. Reactions varied; some onlookers enjoyed the sight of young love, while others lost their appetite. This year, we decided to explore how...

New protein may stop HIV in drug resistant patients

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:58:00

Scientists have discovered an HIV Aids treatment that may help sufferers avoid the problem of drug resistance. Scientists have found that the virus can be significantly weakened by inactivating a key human protein called ITK. Current treatments target the proteins in the HIV virus. This approach weakens the virus but...

Aussie Labor P.M. won't budge on marriage, unions

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:35:00

For Australian gays the more things change the more they stay the same. Last year when Labor's Kevin Rudd was swept to power there were promises that the federal government would provide some recognition of gay and lesbian couples. So far, that has not materialized and government is showing it...

HRC endorses 14 for Senate but not gay candidate

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:23:00

The Human Rights Campaign is endorsing 14 contenders for U.S. Senate, but an openly gay candidate from North Carolina is not among them. Jim Neal, who's seeking the Democratic nod to run against Republican incumbent Sen. Elizabeth Dole, was not among the endorsements HRC announced Monday. The organization backed no...

McCain backer Hagee backs off Katrina-gay blame

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:25:00

Pastor John Hagee has revised his view of God's wrath, and chances are John McCain couldn't be happier. Without fanfare, in an e-mail sent the latter part of Friday, Hagee backed off his assertion that Hurricane Katrina was the Almighty's punishment of New Orleans because it had planned to host...

Parents of gay Fla. murder victim lobby lawmakers

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:15:00

The parents of Ryan Keith Skipper, the victim of a gay-hate-crime murder in Polk County, will mark what would have been his 27th birthday Monday by joining others in support of anti-bullying legislation in Tallahassee. Hate crimes against gays can start with bullying of gay students in high schools, said...

British P.M. accused gay pol of spreading gay rumors

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:03:00

The British prime minister, Gordon Brown accused the former minister and European Commissioner Peter Mandelson of spreading rumours that he was gay, Lord Levy's autobiography claims. A Question of Honour, serialised in The Mail on Sunday describes between Lord Levy and Mr Brown over Mr Mandelson. Mr Brown and Mr...

Gay youth are expecting long relationships, raising children

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:45:00

Many lesbian and gay youth have expectations of spending their adult life in a long-term relationship raising children, finds a new study. The first of its kind study has found that more than 90 percent of females and more than 80 percent of males expect to be partnered in a...

Unlikely cities named emerging gay couple hotspots

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:36:00

What do Tulsa; Plano, Texas; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Anchorage, Alaska, and Jacksonville, Fla., have in common? Not much. However, The Advocate, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender magazine, has named Tulsa among those "top five emerging cities for gays and lesbians." According to the magazine, Gary Gates, a senior research...

Bill to add gays to Fla. civil rights law fails in Senate

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:26:00

An anti-discrimination bill that would have added sexual orientation as a protected class under the Florida Civil Rights Act was brought to a halt in the Florida Senate on April 23. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ted Deutch (D. Delray Beach), had a breakthrough moment earlier this month when Sen....

N.Y. inspects sex venues for oral, anal, vaginal sex violations

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 23:12:00

Under an effort begun by Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, New York City's health commissioner, the health department made hundreds of inspections of more than 200 sex clubs, bathhouses, porn shops, bars, and restaurants in 2005 through 2007 looking for violations of a state health code that bans oral, anal, and...

'Ugly Betty,' 'Brothers & Sisters' win GLAAD awards

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 09:13:00

Two ABC series were in repeats - as winners - at the annual awards honoring good work in media presentations of gays and lesbians. "Brothers & Sisters" and "Ugly Betty" received awards for outstanding drama and comedy series during the 19th annual Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Media Awards...

More gay Sikhs learn that they are not the only one

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 09:08:00

Amar Sangha was a 14-year-old Frank Hurt honour roll student in Vancouver, Canada, with a dilemma. He was attracted to men, but he wanted to like women. Putting aside his adolescent crushes on Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth and actor Michael J. Fox, he began seeing a psychiatrist with...

NY Times Magazine looks into rites of young gays

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:53:00

Last November in Boston, Joshua Janson, a slender and boyish 25-year-old, invited me to an impromptu gathering at the apartment he shares with Benjamin McGuire, his considerably more staid husband of the same age. It was a cozy, festive affair, complete with some 20 guests and a large sushi spread...

Controversial DNC leader reaches out to black gays

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:44:00

A top Democratic National Committee official who's faced criticism for her handling of gay issues is now supporting gay Democrats. Leah Daughtry, the DNC's chief of staff, said that she, DNC Chair Howard Dean and other Democrats are striving this year to "increase the numbers of GLBT folks" who attend...

Transgender minister to be part of Unitarian service

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:52:00

Hoping to open the minds of its parishioners and the city at large, the Unitarian Universalist Church's Welcoming Congregation Committee in Newburyport, Mass., is charged each year with organizing one Sunday service with a focus on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and experiences. Toward that end, the path of...

Ala. parents upset over gay Day of Silence protest

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:48:00

When sixth grader Taylor Wynn found out about the "Day of Silence," a national observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered rights, she didn't know what to think. "I thought it was just being respectful of the person who died," she explained. The demonstration--held at schools across the country--honored Lawrence...

N.Y. teenagers stay quiet until Day of Silence rally

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:43:00

Dalton LaBarge, 17, went to Wilson Magnet High School on Friday wearing duct tape over his mouth and a black t-shirt with the words, "Think about the voices you are not hearing today" printed across the front. He was dressed to mark Day of Silence, a national event that draws...

Gay CNN anchor enters rehab after N.Y. drug bust

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:36:00

CNN's UK-born presenter Richard Quest has embarked on a course of drug rehabilitation following his arrest last Friday in New York. The US news broadcaster today issued a statement confirming that Quest, a familiar face on the network, had entered a "drug rehabilitation facility" on the orders of a judge...

Berlusconi makes anti-gay quip about E.U. reshuffling

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:18:00

Premier-elect Silvio Berlusconi risked the wrath of gay rights' groups with a quip making light of Italy's loss of the post of E.U. commission on transport rather than justice. "Some people have complained but it's much better for us to be concerned with infrastructure and transport rather than homosexuality," he...

Discharged gay soldiers fuming over felony waivers

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:14:00

Gay service members recently discharged from the armed forces are fuming over new data showing that recruiters are admitting ex-felons to fill the ranks, while the military continues to expel others for their sexual orientation. The data, released Monday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, reveals that the...

Gay Episcopal bishop plans his own civil union rite

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:55:00

Bishop Gene Robinson, the openly gay Episcopal prelate whose consecration led conservatives to split from the church, said in an interview on Thursday that he and his partner of 20 years were planning a civil union ceremony to be held in his home church in the diocese of New Hampshire...

Gay characters on TV become another slice of life

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:25:00

Gays bow to their comedy queen, Kathy Griffin. Transgendered people celebrate the new All-American Spouse. Lesbians kick ass as Supergirl Superheroes. A lot of straight women just love Jackie Warner. And straight guys are tuning in to Tim Gunn. "Work Out" (Bravo), "Project Runway" (Bravo), "Kathy Griffin: My Life on...

U.K. woman for abusing, driving her car at a gay couple

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:19:00

A mother has been jailed and her daughter given a community order after being found guilty of harassing a gay couple in Kent. Karen Reeves, 44, was sentenced to 150 days in prison and Christie Myles, 22, was given a 24-month supervision order. Canterbury magistrates heard the pair, both of...

Singapore fines TV station for gay-friendly home decor show

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:02:00

A Singapore television station has been fined for airing a show that depicted a gay couple and their baby in a way that "promotes a gay lifestyle," the city-state's media regulator said Thursday. The Media Development Authority fined MediaCorp TV Channel 5 $11,000, it said in a statement on its...

Activists lobby for gay 'Day of Silence' in Iowa schools

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 02:29:00

Two groups called Thursday for Iowa schools to allow students to participate in the national "Day of Silence." The youth-run event highlights bullying and harassment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students. Organizers said this year's event, on April 25, is in memory of Lawrence King, a California eigth-grader who...

Federal court says student can wear anti-gay T-shirt

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:25:00

The third time was the charm for a Neuqua Valley High School student who wants to express his sentiments on homosexuality by wearing a "Be Happy, Not Gay" T-shirt to class. Neuqua sophomore Alex Nuxoll had twice filed for an injunction that would suspend "the school's policy that allows speech...

Court orders DNC leader to testify in gay bias case

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:59:00

A woman at the center of the storm over a discrimination lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee will be deposed this Friday at the law office of the plaintiff's attorney. Investor Claire Lucas, chair of the DNC's Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council (GLLC), had attempted to have the order to...

Australian gay couple wins challenge to foster parent ban

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:18:00

A Sydney gay couple have won a landmark discrimination case after they were banned from becoming foster parents because they are homosexual. The couple, whose identities have been suppressed, took legal action when their application to become foster carers was refused by a welfare agency linked to the Uniting Church....

Gay Colo. candidate held same stock he now assails

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:46:00

In the year since openly gay Democrat Jared Polis announced he was running for Congress, he has vowed not to take money from special interests and has repeatedly criticized opponent Joan Fitz-Gerald for accepting campaign money from pharmaceutical companies and "anti-environmental industries such as oil and gas and mining." But...

Indian state creates first-ever transgender database

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:39:00

For the first time in India, a special database of transgenders would be created by the Tamil Nadu government to help deal with their problems and demands. In a policy note on social welfare tabled in the Assembly on Monday, social welfare minister Dr Poongothai said the database would have...

Neil Patrick Harris tells all to shock jock Howard Stern

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:34:00

Howard Stern's interview today with openly gay "How I Met Your Mother" star Neil Patrick Harris was probably one of the most interesting Harris will do in his life. He spoke in-depth about his sexuality, but Stern wanted more -- and Harris was more than game to reveal details.
He...

Ariz. gay marriage amendment gets nod from House

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:28:00

Anti-gay marriage lawmakers won a crucial victory in the Arizona House, where lawmakers on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a measure to constitutionally define marriage as solely between one man and one woman. If the bill is approved in the state Senate it will appear on the ballot in November....

Another mixed LGBT rights year in state legislatures

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:14:00

As the 2008 legislative session winds to a close in states across the country, activists are encountering another mixed bag of results, with progress in New Jersey generating much excitement. Steven Goldstein, chair of Garden State Equality, said his state "arguably leads the way in America amongst state legislatures in...

Mich. senator wants defense bill hate crime add-on

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:10:00

A senior Senate Democrat said Tuesday that he wants to use a major defense policy bill to expand federal hate-crimes laws to protect gays, bring troops home from Iraq, and force Baghdad to pay more toward reconstruction costs. The effort would raise the flag on major issues favored by the...

Sex forum focuses on what gay men want the most

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:49:00

Sex and gay men's health were the focal points of a recent rousing discussion at the Center on Halsted. Project CRYSP and Lifelube.org co-sponsored its first community forum about gay men's health. "'Good' Sex? 'Bad' Sex? Just What Do Gay Men Want, Anyway?" was hosted by Fausto Fernos and Marc...

Moscow mayor says nyet to any May Day gay events

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:46:00

The Moscow mayor's office said on Wednesday it would not allow gay pride marches -- previously broken up by ultra-nationalists -- to take place on this year's May Day holiday. The announcement came as a gay rights leader said he planned events throughout May to highlight the repression of sexual...

Clinton, Obama weigh in on plight of Iranian gays

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:55:00

Britain's deportation of gay Iranians has emerged as a minor presidential campaign issue after a gay rights group asked each candidate to take a stand. Equality Forum this month called on Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to encourage British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to...

Ang Lee set to make gay-themed Woodstock movie

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:50:00

"Brokeback Mountain" director Ang Lee is returning to the gay genre with a movie revolving around the Woodstock music festival. "Taking Woodstock" centers on the colorful life of a Greenwich Village-based interior designer and part-time Catskills hotel manager who headed the Bethel, N.Y., Chamber of Commerce. He issued the permit...

McCain endorser repeats claim gays caused Katrina

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:46:00

Pastor John Hagee — whose endorsement Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said this past Sunday he was "glad to have" — told NPR's Terry Gross that "Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans." "New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive...

Male masturbation could cut risk of prostate cancer

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:43:00

Men could reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer through regular masturbation, researchers suggest. They say cancer-causing chemicals could build up in the prostate if men do not ejaculate regularly. And they say sexual intercourse may not have the same protective effect because of the possibility of contracting a sexually...

'Gossip Girl' character to be outed in make-out scene

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:36:00

Sources confirm that the "Gossip Girl" character with the queer eye is none other than little Eric van der Woodsen, little bro to the big S. Now that might not be all that shocking, given that he's one of the only characters on the show who hasn't yet had a...

ACLU, Peace Corps at odds over HIV volunteer ban

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:57:00

Jeremiah Johnson joined the Peace Corps seeking to help people, but he was forced to quit after serving nearly 1½ years because he is HIV positive. Now, Johnson, 25 and openly gay, is working with the American Civil Liberties Union to get the Peace Corps to change its policy on...

Presbyterian minister who weds gays faces hearing

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:26:00

To the Rev. Jane Spahr, the right of a Presbyterian Church minister to marry same-sex couples is a matter of principle and conscience. To her critics, Spahr, 65, a lesbian activist from San Rafael, simply broke the law that governs the Presbyterian Church, a 2.3 million-member mainstream Protestant denomination that...

U.K. Lords amend hate law to exempt anti-gay speech

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:20:00

The British Labor Party's new gay hate laws suffered a devastating blow from rebel peers today. They voted that no-one should face jail for criticising gay lifestyles or urging homosexuals to change their ways. The rebuff for Justice Secretary Jack Straw means ministers must decide whether to launch a battle...

Children of lesbian fertilization win Australian rights

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:16:00

The government of New South Wales (NSW) has announced that children born through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) to lesbian mothers will have the same rights as those of heterosexual couples. A total of 50 laws across NSW covering the Local Government Act, Industrial Relations Act and the Constitution regulation, will be...

Protesters outnumbered at gay bishop's book event

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:11:00

Supporters of gay rights outnumbered protesters last night during an appearance by a renowned and openly gay bishop of the Anglican church in Lebanon, Pa. Gene Robinson, the Episcopal bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire, spoke to a sold-out crowd at the Allen and signed copies of his book,...

Gay relationship fallout may have led to Delhi man's murder

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:03:00

The murder of a New Delhi man, who was stabbed several times late Monday in a south Delhi showroom, could be a fallout of homosexual relations, police officials said today. Narender Kumar, a 50-year-old manager of the Meena Bazaar saree showdown, was found dead with multiple stab injuries on chest,...

U.S. military recruits felons while discharging gays

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:02:00

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today released data showing a dramatic rise in the number of moral waivers issued to recruits joining the Army and Marine Corps. The number of waivers granted to recruits convicted of manslaughter, rape, kidnapping and making terrorist threats, doubled between 2006 and 2007....

Charges dropped in bashing by son of Bush ex-aide

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:50:00

The United States Attorney's office on April 17 dropped an assault charge against a Georgetown University student who had been accused by D.C. police of physically attacking a fellow Georgetown student last fall while shouting anti-gay epithets at him. Police on Sept. 27 charged Philip Anderton Cooney, then a 19-year-old...

Janet to receive GLAAD award, reacts to gay rumors

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:39:00

Janet Jackson, 41, will be presented the Vanguard Award by Ellen DeGeneres at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's 19th Annual Media Awards at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. Jackson is in good company. Past recipients include Charlize Theron, Elizabeth Taylor, Jennifer Aniston, Whoopi Goldberg, Antonio Banderas and Liza Minnelli. I...

Backers of Calif. gay marriage ban ready to submit signatures

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:32:00

The sponsors of a proposed constitutional amendment to outlaw same-sex marriage in California said Monday they have gathered enough signatures to qualify the measure for the November ballot. A coalition of religious groups called Protect Marriage collected more than 1.1 million signatures in support of the amendment, said Brian Brown,...

More gay students coming out on campus in India

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:34:00

For Kyara Vasudev (name changed on request), the closet is where one keeps clothes. The 19-year-old second-year Sophia College student 'outed' herself as a bisexual on campus a year ago, but her friends still hang out with her at the canteen and cannot think of leaving her out of weekend...

Same-sex wedding flourish in a religious stronghold

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:41:00

Salt Lake City, Utah, is known as the seat of Mormonism in the U.S. The religion, established in upstate New York in the 1820s, takes its teachings from the Book of Mormon, an additional scripture of the Bible which tells of a visit by Jesus to North America. In wider...

New book claims to tell gay underworld of hip-hop

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:30:00

The May 13 release of author and former MTV executive Terrance Dean's memoir "Hiding In Hip Hop: On The Down Low in the Entertainment Industry from Music to Hollywood", is sure to cause a firestorm of controversy and spark a discussion about hip-hop artists who have built careers on their...

Italian soccer official insists no gay players in sport

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:22:00

A former managing director of one of the world's best-known football clubs has claimed that "a homosexual cannot do the job of a footballer." Luciano Moggi, formerly with Juventus, is banned from football until 2011 for his role in a corruption scandal and is on currently on trial. He was...

Royal's gay sex blackmail tape played in closed court

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:13:00

Tapes at the center of a royal gay sex blackmail trial have been played to a jury in a restricted court hearing. The court had already been told that the recordings include claims that a royal performed a sex act on a male employee, known as witness D. Press and...

Obama addresses attempt to ban gay marriage in Pa.

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:07:00

A 15 month campaign comes down to the last critical 48 hours before the Pennsylvania primary where this race will either come to its end or be propelled all the way to the democratic convention. On Sunday in Reading, Barack Obama a local issue he has so far been reluctant...

Vermont commission stops short of recommending marriage

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:43:00

A special commission appointed by legislative leaders to study same-sex marriage stopped just short in its final report Monday of recommending that the state become the second in the country -- after Massachusetts -- to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. The Vermont Commission on Family Recognition and Protection...

Gay CNN anchor arrested in N.Y. for meth possession

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:59:00

Richard Quest, a CNN anchor and business travel specialist, was arrested early Friday after a police officer who had stopped him in Central Park for violating the park curfew found a small bag of methamphetamine in his pocket, the authorities said. Mr. Quest later agreed to six months of counseling...

Gay Heathrow airport security guard wins harassment case

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:20:00

A gay airport security guard from Feltham has won his tribunal case that a female colleague harassed him by thrusting her breasts against him and pestering him for sex. Allwyn Rondeau, 46, told the Reading Employment Tribunal he made it clear to Lucy Chilton, from Staines, that he was homosexual...

Doctors tease, video gay patient with canister in his anus

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:09:00

Why is the administration of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) refusing to divulge the identities of the medical team that extracted a spray canister from the anus of a homosexual? Is there a cover-up? I saw the footage of the surgery and I doubt there were only four...

Vigil held at Ground Zero for gay priest killed on 9/11

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:47:00

A special tribute to Fire Chaplain Father Mychal Judge, who died on September 11th, was held Saturday night – ahead of the pope's visit to the World Trade Center site. Those in attendance urged Pope Benedict XVI to remember the openly-gay priest. "He had a heart as big as New...

Crusading Vancouver gay bookstore now up for sale

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:42:00

They've been bombed three times, received death threats and stood before the red-robed justices of the Supreme Court of Canada. No, Jim Deva and Bruce Smyth are not killers or terrorists. The soft-spoken Vancouver men sell books. And in some peoples' eyes, Deva says, that made the gay owners of...

N.Z. TV network tries to kills gay couple storyline

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 16:38:00

TVNZ has been accused of trying to censor Shortland Street by asking producers to pull a gay male couple storyline. South Pacific Pictures producer Jason Daniel says the state broadcaster is concerned about scenes of two men in bed together. He claims they wanted the storyline dropped but eventually accepted...

Trans women sentenced for stabbing two men in Calif.

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:33:00

A transgender woman has had her probation revoked this week and was sentenced to two years in California state prison after stabbing two men last fall. Grace Lawrence, whose actions supporters say were influenced by attacks she's endured in the past - including having hot battery acid poured on her...

Ariz. resurrects constitutional amendment banning marriage

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:14:00

Human Rights Campaign is expecting that an Arizona state constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage, once thought dead, will be resurrected by the state legislature and sent to voters this November. Marty Rouse, HRC's national field director, said his organization is "working hard" with its legislative allies to defeat the amendment...

Groups urge Calif. gay teen's killer tried as juvenile

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:04:00

A group of LGBT activist groups is petitioning the Ventura County, Calif., district attorney not to try a 14-year-old boy accused of murdering his gay classmate as an adult, according to a press release from the coalition. Brandon McInerney, who is being brought to trial for the fatal shooting of...

Chelsea Clinton campaigns in Philadelphia gay bars

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 13:57:00

In her family's non-stop campaigning in Pennsylvania, Chelsea Clinton got the post-midnight duty on Friday night: stumping in Philadelphia's gay bars. Hillary Clinton's big supporter in the state, Gov. Ed Rendell, always heads to four or five of the most popular of them before elections, and he invited the former...

West Palm Beach interior designer, gay activist, believed killed

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:51:00

Friends were mourning the death of West Palm Beach, Fla., interior designer Scott E. Graham, although police had not positively identified the body found at his home two days ago. There were "obvious signs of foul play" at Graham's home at 113 Ellamar Road, police spokesman Lt. Chuck Reed said....

Uruguay weds first gay couple into new 'cohabitation union'

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:11:00

Uruguay on Thursday became the first nation in Latin America to marry a gay couple, after a law allowing couples living together to formalize their union went into effect at the start of the year. Judge Estrella Perez officiated the civil union between Adrian Figuera, 38, and actor and theater...

Royal's blackmail plot called feud between boyfriends

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:05:00

A Royal Family member at the centre of a gay sex blackmail plot told a friend to do "whatever it takes" to protect his family, the Old Bailey has heard. The friend, known as Witness C, helped Scotland Yard set up a sting with an undercover policeman. The move put...

Gay lead cast in 'Will & Grace' creator's new sitcom

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:58:00

Firefly and Death at a Funeral star Alan Tudyk has been cast as the gay lead in the new pilot that Mutchnick/Kohan (the guys behind Will & Grace) are producing for ABC. We're excited because Tudyk is a great comic actor and isn't afraid of taking risks (as his extended...

Gay former N'Sync'er records PSA against bullying

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:52:00

Lance Bass doesn't want others to stay silent as he did. So he's made a public service announcement for the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The spot, which is being distributed virally Friday, debuts in advance of the 11th annual National Day of Silence on April 25, when...

Host of popular U.S. Christian youth show comes out

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:13:00

Local Nashvillian and host of The Remix, a popular Christian youth show, Azariah Southworth, announced today that he has come out. "This has been a long time coming. I'm in a place where I'm at peace with my faith, friends, family and more importantly myself. I know this will end...

Utah court saves gay gym after oral sex arrests in sauna

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:02:00

A Salt Lake City gym popular among gay men won its battle to keep its business license, when the Utah Court of Appeals ruled on April 10 that the city could not close it down after undercover police arrested two men having oral sex in the steam room. According to...

Pope waves to D.C. gay Catholics from pope-mobile

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:19:00

Pope Benedict XVI waved to members of the gay Catholic group Dignity Washington on Wednesday as his motorcade drove along Rock Creek Parkway near Dupont Circle shortly after he attended a ceremony in his honor at the White House. The pope appeared to look directly at about a dozen members...

Gossip site claims to reveal Anderson Cooper's ex

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:54:00

Our friends in the gay mafia here in Hollywood (Yes, it's real) recently introduced us to the very hot J.D. Ordonez, Anderson Cooper's ex boyfriend at a party!!! JD's 22,educated, and is a marine mammal trainer/bartender/student. The two dated for about two months in NYC before Anderson gave him the...

Virginia Supreme Ct. hears Vt. lesbian custody case

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:44:00

The Virginia Supreme Court heard oral arguments in an interstate child custody dispute between two former lesbian partners. A lawyer for Lisa Miller of Winchester argued Thursday that Virginia's law and constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages and civil unions means the state shouldn't enforce a child visitation order from the...

Lawyers maneuver against Md. anti-transgender referendum

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:40:00

Lawyers involved in a challenge to the referendum on overturning the county's new protections for transgender people were in court last week to talk about the scope and timing of the case. The issue has been assigned to Circuit Court Judge Robert A. Greenberg, and arguments are tentatively scheduled for...

Justice Dept. to probe dismissal of 'lesbian' attorney

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:12:00

The Justice Department's inspector general confirmed Tuesday that he is looking into whether a department lawyer was dismissed over a rumor that she is a lesbian. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Hagen was informed in 2006 that her contract working on Indian affairs in the Justice Department's Executive Office for...

The war against Washington's closeted Republicans

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:16:00

Welcome to gay Washington in the 21st century, where the gay Democrats are proud and out on the Hill and in the lobbying firms on K Street, while many gay Republicans still cower in the closet until they trip themselves up with off-color instant messages to teenage pages, or conduct...

Same-sex couples are having troubles with divorce

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:57:00

Gay couples had to struggle mightily to win the right to marry or form civil unions. Now, some are finding that breaking up is hard to do, too. In Rhode Island, for example, the state's top court ruled in December that gays married in neighboring Massachusetts can't get divorced here...

Judy Shepard says her activism keeps Matthew alive

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:54:00

Judy Shepard is an everymom, petite, with a perky blonde bob, wearing jeans and a crisply ironed black button-down shirt. But nearly 10 years ago, her college-student son Matthew was fatally beaten in a gay-bashing murder that shocked the country. In the decade since, Shepard has been traveling the country...

Ill. House rejects benefits for partners of Chicago gay teachers

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:42:00

The Illinois House has rejected a measure aimed at helping gay teachers in Chicago. The measure involves pension benefits that surviving spouses can collect after a teacher dies. The change would have allowed gay teachers to give survivor benefits to their partners, just as married couples can. The legislation failed...

Kern's anti-gay comments spook big biz relocation

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:31:00

A San Francisco Bay-area financial services company has not yet ruled out Oklahoma City for a major office relocation, a vice president of a real estate search firm confirmed. But Tom Maloney, vice president of California-based Staubach Co., would neither confirm nor deny that the 1,000-employee, AAA-rated client company's top...

Stripper egged royal into sex act, drugs, court told

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:27:00

A married U.K. royal said to have performed a gay sex act on his senior aide on a kitchen floor as a Stringfellows stripper egged him on also took drugs, a jury heard today. Ian Strachan (pictured) made the claim about the unnamed royal that he is accused of blackmailing...

Barney Frank says Dem primary should end June 3

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:49:00

Rep. Barney Frank said the trailing Democratic presidential candidate should drop out of the race by no later than June 3 — the date of the two last Democratic primaries — even if it is the candidate he supports, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. "Probably sooner," the Massachusetts congressman added in...

'Brothers & Sisters' actor plays gay and now says he is

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:46:00

Next month, in the season finale of his hit television series Brothers & Sisters, Canadian actor Luke Macfarlane will dress his best and say his vows as his character, Scotty Wandell, marries his partner, Kevin Walker. It's an episode the London, Ont.-born actor is looking forward to, on may levels:...

Calif. Supreme Court set to order full marriage equality?

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:58:00

Sources wishing to remain anonymous in the California Court System indicate that the court, which has until June 2, 2008 to issue it's marriage ruling, is considering issuing it on Friday, May 23, 2008, with the decision being written by Chief Justice Ronald George. The Court is readying itself for...

CNN faulted for presidential forum at anti-gay school

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:06:00

"It is our understanding that CNN chose the venue," Brad Luna, communications director for the Human Rights Campaign, told me in an email, when I asked about the appropriateness of Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who profess to support gay rights, speaking Sunday night at Messiah College...

Gay Eurovision fans feel threatened by Serbian thugs

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:05:00

The honour of hosting the Eurovision Song Contest has fallen to Serbia this year, and fascist groups in the country are already promising violence against people attending the festivities. Gay men are a particular target, according to the president of the fascist organisation Obraz, who announced his violent intentions in...

Pope vows pedophiles, not gays, won't become priests

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:44:00

Pope Benedict XVI said on Tuesday that following the Roman Catholic Church's child sexual abuse scandals in the United States, the church is reviewing candidates for the priesthood with the objective of excluding those with a tendency to molest children. Speaking to reporters on an airplane taking him for his...

As tax time hits U.S., gay couples facing higher bills

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 22:04:00

For gay couples, the April 15 tax filing deadline can be a reminder of the disparities they face, even in a nation that is becoming more accepting of same-sex couples. Gay couples often pay higher taxes because they don't get the federal tax benefits that go with marriage. And for...

Living with HIV long-term raises some health concerns

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:03:00

News that a New Zealand study shows the quality of life of people infected with HIV has significantly improved in recent years is being welcomed by the country's AIDS Foundation, but the organisation harbours concerns for the future regarding the effects of living long-term with the virus and toxic medications...

Kerry and Dem challenger agree on gay-only ENDA

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:10:00

The debate over the Employment Non-Discrimination Act may have caused a schism between the country's LGBT advocacy organizations, but in this fall's Massachusetts Democratic primary race for the Senate both Sen. John Kerry and his challenger, Ed O'Reilly, are on the same page. Both support passing a transgender-inclusive version of...

Texas Log Cabin can't change anti-gay GOP platform

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:49:00

Ten years after the Texas Log Cabin Republicans took to the streets to protest their exclusion from the Texas GOP convention in Fort Worth, Rob Schlein was hoping for another defining moment in the organization's history. Schlein, president of Log Cabin's Dallas chapter, backed a resolution this year that would...

Aussie Anglican leader backs school dance ban on gay couples

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:56:00

The head of the Anglican Church has backed a school's decision to turn down the request of gay students to bring male partners to a school dance. Several of Anglican Church Grammar School's 215 Year 12 students want to take their gay partners to the Brisbane school's end-of-year dance on...

Berlusconi victory in Italy will stall gay rights progress

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:26:00

Exit polls from last weekend's Italian general election are predicting a small majority for former Prime Minister, businessman and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing group. The 71-year-old has had an interesting campaign, at one point mocking his left-wing opponents for not having many attractive female candidates. The public have been...

'Rick & Steve' wins top honors at Italian cartoon fest

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:02:00

"Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in the World," the R-rated animated comedy series produced by Canada's Cuppa Coffee Studios for Viacom's Logo cable net, took the top prize at Cartoons on the Bay, Italy's post-Mip TV toon fest. Cult hit half-hour show depicting the lives of three gay...

Canada rejects asylum from raped gay El Salavadoran refugee

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:58:00

Joaquin Ramirez is afraid to be sent home to his native El Salvador and face the three police officers that he claims raped him in a sugarcane field two years ago. The 39-year-old HIV-positive man said the accused perpetrators have visited his family and threatened to kill him because he...

Lesbian NYC council speaker hires lawyer for probe

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:52:00

Christine C. Quinn, the speaker of the New York City Council, has hired a criminal defense lawyer to represent her in federal and city investigations into Council spending practices, an aide said on Friday. The move comes a week after disclosures that Ms. Quinn's office had appropriated millions of dollars...

Hundreds gather in San Jose to learn about 'ex-gays'

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:15:00

A traveling national conference billed as an event "to provide help for those struggling - and those whose loved ones struggle - with unwanted same-sex attractions," drew about 700 people to a San Jose, Calif., church on Saturday. The gathering at the evangelical Christian church, Abundant Life Christian Fellowship, also...

Schwarzenegger vows to fight Calif. gay marriage ban

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 12:07:00

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told a group of gay Republicans on Friday that an attempt to ban same-sex marriage by changing the state Constitution is a "total waste of time" and promised to oppose such an initiative if it qualifies for the state ballot. Backers of the measure criticized the governor...

Is GOP S.C. senator, top McCain backer, also gay?

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 11:54:00

Is Lindsey Graham gay? At 52, the life-long bachelor has been fodder for such rumors for years, but with the resignation of Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho — the anti-gay politician who pled guilty to disorderly conduct after allegedly soliciting sex in an airport men's room — the internet is abuzz...

'Pushing Daisies' gay writer reveals gay character

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 11:46:00

Stuff you should know about Bryan Fuller: He hates Queer as Folk. He has "a huge lesbian agenda". His beautifully written, eye-popping pilot for ABC's Pushing Daisies was named one of the 10 best television broadcasts of 2007 by The Washington Post. Here are more tidbits from our interview. Topics...

Gays face crackdown in Egypt, Kuwait, elsewhere in Mid East

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:13:00

For three months, Egyptian police have embarked on periodic sweeps of downtown streets to clear them of presumed homosexuals. The raids, independent observers and human-rights activists say, reflect not simply official disgust. They're part of an effort by governments throughout the Middle East to out-moralize Islamic parties that have denounced...

S.D. mayor pays visit to gay Republican convention

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:34:00

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders was hailed as a friend of the gay community before he gave a welcoming speech yesterday to a national meeting of the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay and lesbian political organization. Sanders gained the admiration of gay, lesbian and transgender Americans last year when he...

Wis. parents upset health teacher told students she's gay

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:50:00

School officials in Eau Claire say they'll look into the case of a teacher who told five health classes about her sexual orientation. Administrators confirm that South Middle School instructor Stephanie Rowe told her students last week that she's gay. At least one parent said Rowe had no business talking...

McDonald's draws criticism for joining gay biz network

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:42:00

*WARNING: anti-gay source*: McDonald's has come under attack recently over what critics claim to be a high-profile endorsement of homosexuality. Last month, the vice president of communications for the nation's largest fast-food chain joined the board of directors of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), an organization...

Gay businessman has a shot in N.C. Senate primary

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:31:00

The top two North Carolina Democratic challengers vying for incumbent U.S. senator Elizabeth Dole's seat are in a dead heat in polls among likely voters. State senator Kay Hagan and gay businessman Jim Neal are virtually tied, according to a SurveyUSA poll of likely voters. Neal is the preference of...

Singapore fines cable operator for lesbian screen kiss

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:26:00

Singapore's dominant pay TV operator, StarHub Cable Vision, has been fined just over $7,000 for allowing a lesbian kiss on air, according to a notice published Wednesday by the Media Development Authority of Singapore. The kiss aired in a commercial for singer Olivia on MTV's Mandarin channel in November last...

Gay burials set for Hans Christian Andersen cemetary

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:19:00

People who want to be buried next to others who were gay or lesbian have been granted their wish at a cemetery where author Hans Christian Andersen is buried. Other famous people interned at the Assistens Kirkegård, which was founded in 1737 and is the largest in Copenhagen, include dozens...

PFLAG releases tape of disputed meeting with Kern

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:36:00

A gay rights group released a 40-minute audio recording Wednesday of a meeting between members of the group and state Rep. Sally Kern in hopes of shedding light on the content and context of that meeting. Kern and Loyce Newton-Edwards, president of Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays,...

Elton John blasts 'misogyny' at Clinton fund-raiser

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:20:00

Experience is central to Democrat Hillary Clinton's presidential bid, and Wednesday night she tapped one of pop music's most venerable rockers to help fill her campaign coffers with $2.5 million. Elton John, who has sold records and filled arenas for four decades, played a benefit concert for Clinton at Radio...

Lesbian elected top prosecutor in Texas with ease

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:23:00

Riding the endorsement of retiring Ronnie Earle, Rosemary Lehmberg on Tuesday soundly defeated her better-financed opponent to win the Democratic primary runoff for Travis County district attorney. Lehmberg will not face a Republican opponent in November, so barring a successful write-in campaign, she will become Travis County's first female district...

Obama names LGBT rights priorities in interview

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:21:00

Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama has been weathering a small storm lately in the LGBT community for being too tight-lipped with gay and lesbian news media. Unlike his rival Hillary Clinton, who's given interviews to Logo and several local papers since appearing on the cover of The Advocate last fall,...

Task Force leader leaves with pride and frustration

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:08:00

After three decades, Matt Foreman remains one of the most prominent and outspoken figures within the movement for LGBT rights as executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. He announced his resignation in late January to head the Gay and Lesbian Program at the Evelyn & Walter...

Study shows gay youth are more likely to try drugs, suicide

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:32:00

D.C. high school students who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual are four times as likely to contemplate suicide than their heterosexual counterparts and regularly report being bullied and harassed by their classmates, according to a survey released last week by the District's public school system. The Youth Risk Behavior...

Older gay philanthropists are investing in next generations

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 08:15:00

As the first wave of out-of-closet, childless queer baby boomers enter their golden years, many are considering leaving their legacies to charity. Although stigma attached to queer causes has waned and corporations are embracing events like Pride Week and HIV/AIDS fundraiser Fashion Cares, small gay and lesbian groups still struggle...

Planet Out to sell Advocate, Out, books to Here TV

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 19:59:00

Gay and lesbian media portal PlanetOut, Inc. agreed to sell its magazine and book publishing business to Here Networks for $6 million in cash. San Francisco-based PlanetOut signed a letter of intent with Regent Releasing, an affiliate of New York-based Here, which is a gay and lesbian television network. A formal agreement...

Archbishop of Canterbury condemns anti-gay violence

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 16:07:00

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has described the recent violence and threats towards "Christians involved in the debate on human sexuality" as "disgraceful." Responding to a press release from Changing Attitude England announcing that gay leaders of the organization's Nigeria branch were seriously assaulted, Williams said: "The Anglican Communion has...

Federal appeals court rejects lawsuit by anti-gay Ky. student

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 16:05:00

A Kentucky student won't be allowed to proceed with a lawsuit against his school district for instituting a policy that barred him from expressing his opposition to homosexuality, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 vote, said Boyd County High School...

Egypt sentences four HIV-positive men for being homosexual

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 16:03:00

An Egyptian judicial official said four HIV-positive men have been convicted of being homosexual and sentenced to three years in prison followed by three years of close police supervision. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press, said that a fifth...

E-mail campaign targets gay GOP candidate in Texas

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 13:33:00

Plano City Council candidate Justin Nichols was recently the victim of an anonymous e-mail string targeting his sexual orientation after an article about his political race was published in a gay and lesbian magazine. Nichols said as a result of the controversy, County Commissioner Jerry Hoagland asked to place an...

New N.Y. governor pledges support for gay marriage

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 12:59:00

Gov. David Paterson sent a video message in lieu of a personal appearance at last night's National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's 2008 New York Leadership Awards dinner, at which he was supposed to be honored along with filmmaker John Waters. Paterson opted to skip out on the event in...

Kansas City extends non-bias to add trans protections

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 12:42:00

The Kansas City, Mo., city council voted to extend antidiscrimination laws to protect expressions of gender identity. Council member Beth Gottstein, the measure's primary sponsor, said that though she expected some resistance, it was time to pass the measure. "If our city code doesn't protect everyone, it protects no one,"...

Canadian P.M. stands by Tory M.P. despite gay slur

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 12:27:00

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he's being high-minded and generous in refusing to discipline a Conservative MP over a vulgar anti-gay slur. But opposition parties contend the Tory government is betraying its true homophobic colours by pardoning Tom Lukiwski. And a Conservative senator says more must to be done...

Nashville gay and bi students lobby for anti-discrimination rule

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 12:24:00

One Nashville student said he was teased in school and accused of being homosexual because he was in theater. Another girl said students harassed her boyfriend because he was bisexual. A Metro Nashville student coalition will present these testimonials to the school board this afternoon at 5 in support of...

iTunes Canada pulls anti-gay songs from Jamaica

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 11:45:00

iTunes Canada has removed several songs with anti-gay lyrics from its online store, in response to a campaign led by Egale and Stop Murder Music. The songs — by Jamaican dancehall artists Buju Banton, Elephant Man and TOK — contain lyrics that advocate the killing of gays. "iTunes is exercising...

Out since 12, Aussie MTV VJ ready to get on with it

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 02:40:00

MTV Australia VJ Ruby Rose has told of her frustrations with being hounded about her sexuality, and revealed she came out as a lesbian at the tender age of 12. In a live blog, Rose candidly spoken about the public controversy surrounding her sexual orientation, after her recent lip-lock with...

McKellan to shame Anglicans for shunning gay bishop

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 02:27:00

Never one to shy away from controversy, Sir Ian McKellen is secretly plotting to launch a campaign to shame the Anglican Church over its refusal to give equal rights to homosexual clergy. In an act of solidarity with the Rt Rev Gene Robinson, the Church's first openly homosexual bishop, the...