Saturday, May 16, 2009

OMOH

Troubled Diva points out that the acronym for Russia's riot police is the mirror image of "homo", an irony probably not lost on the dozens of gay activists arrested this morning at Moscow Pride. OMOH's motto: "We know no mercy and do not ask for any."

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Norway Wins Eurovision

Norway's entry, the Belarus-born Alexander Rybak, aka "the singing eybrows", has won the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. Insanely cheesy, but very typically Eurovision.

UPDATE: After earlier (apparently erroneous) reports that Rybak had refused to pose for a photo with gay fans, Norway's winner had this to say at the post-ceremony press conference: "Why did they (the Moscow police) spend all their energy stopping gays in Moscow when the biggest gay parade was here tonight?"

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Past Eurovision Winners

The Eurovision finals are tonight, so let's review some winners of years past that should be known to you. Here's the full list of winners since the contest began in 1956.

BELOW: The UK's 1969 winner, Lulu - Boom Bang-A-Bang. Sweden's 1974 winner, ABBA - Waterloo.

BELOW: The UK's 1976 winner, Brotherhood Of Man - Save Your Kisses For Me. Switzerland's 1988 winner, Celine Dion - Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi.

BELOW:
The UK's 1997 winner, Katrina And The Waves - Love Shine A Light. Israel's 1998 winner Dana International - Diva.

Dana International's win was quite controversial as some in Israel objected to having a transsexual representing their country. Dana was discovered in 1992 by Black Party 2006 DJ Offer Nissim while working as a pre-op drag queen in a Tel Aviv gay bar.

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PhoboQuotable - James Dobson

"I want to tell you up front that we're not going to ask you to do anything, to make a phone call or to write a letter or anything. There is nothing you can do at this time about what is taking place because there is simply no limit to what the left can do at this time. Anything they want, they get and so we can't stop them.

"We tried with [Health and Human Services Secretary] Kathleen Sebelius and sent thousands of phone calls and emails to the Senate and they didn't pay any attention to it because they don't have to. And so what you can do is pray, pray for this great nation... As I see it, there is no other answer. There's no other answer, short term. [snip]

"The radical left controls the executive branch through the president, and the Congress... and the Judiciary through the courts... now they control it all, including every department of government. As a result, the legislation that should shock the nation, if people were paying attention, is being rushed into law." - Focus On The Family head James Dobson telling his radio audience that the wingnut fight against the Matthew Shepard Act is lost. Dobson has spearheaded a massive letter writing and phone campaign against what he dubbed "the Pedophile Protection Act."

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Police Break Up Moscow Pride, Peter Tatchell Among Arrested

In an embarrassment for Eurovision organizers, Moscow police are cracking down hard on today's gay pride parade.
Between 20 and 40 activists have been arrested at Slavic Pride in Moscow by anti-riot police, early reports indicate. According to a statement released by Pride organiser Nikolai Alekseev, violence was used to break up the peaceful march, which had been banned by Moscow authorities. It was held to coincide with the Eurovision final which will be hosted by the city tonight. Attempts to hold a Pride march in previous years have been met with violence. Among those arrested were British gay rights activist Peter Tatchell, and Chicago campaigner Andy Thayer. It is not yet clear how many campaigners braved threats of extremist violence to join the parade. Nikolai Alekseev was allegedly held down by five armed riot officers and arrested. In a statement, Alekseev called on artists due to perform at tonight's Eurovision final to boycott the event to "send a message that Russia's state oppression of human rights is not acceptable."
UPDATE: Peter Tatchell has twittered that he has been released, but that he's worried about Moscow Pride organizer Nikolai Alekseev, who is missing. Go to UK Gay News for a live blog from Moscow. Pet Shop Boys are also twittering updates. Below, police break up another protest.

UPDATE II: YouTube appears to be down at the moment.

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Friday, May 15, 2009

Eurovision - Ukraine's Svetlana Loboda

Paging Xtina, somebody in the former USSR time-traveled to 2003 to bite your schtick. For an extra freaky version of this, check out the commercial video of this track at the bottom.

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Hackers Take Down Gay Sites

A number of popular gay sites were taken down today in DDOS (distributed denial of service) attacks originating in eastern Europe. Among the affected sites is Gays.com, which says the attacks are being coordinated to thwart Sunday's International Day Against Homophobia:
Said Kenneth Tan, spokesperson for Gays.com, "It is by no means a coincidence that this DDoS attack on Gays.com came today. We have been working for weeks on a high profile video campaign called 'Take Up the IDAHO Challenge' together with the Committee for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The final product of this campaign, a public awareness video, was going to be launched on the campaign site at http://gays.com/idaho on Sunday. This is a well-timed, well-orchestrated assault by a large botnet with tens of thousands of PCs sending requests to our site. Engineers with our Internet Service Provider remarked they have never seen an attack of this intensity before. We deplore these unscrupulous actions by an organised group to harrass, intimidate and silence us for what we are doing."
These attacks are increasingly frequent and the standard operating procedure for the burgeoning Russian/Slavic anti-gay movement. And another example of why JMG continues to reside in relative safety on its outre' Blogger domain.

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Eurovison - United Kingdom's Jade Ewen

Written by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Diane Warren, Jade Ewen's entry for the UK sounds more like a song justifiably cut from the second act of Wicked than the usual over the top Eurovision fare. Show queens will lurve it, of course.

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One Year Ago Today....

..and one day, AGAIN.

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Sunday: Intn'l Day Against Homophobia

Learn more about the International Day Against Homophobia. The goal: "To make the general population and, more specifically, ethno-cultural communities of all backgrounds more aware of gay and lesbian issues, and sexual diversity."

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Gibbs Put On The Spot Over DADT

A reporter put White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on the spot today, asking about the logical disconnect presented by the president's decision not to release torture photos because "they would endanger troops still in Iraq", yet he'll fire a critical Arab linguist like openly gay Lt. Dan Choi, whose valuable work surely protects the troops. Gibbs pretends not to "understand the analogy."

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Auto-Tune The News: Hillary & Katie

I can't get enough of these.

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Brutal Gay Bashing In West Village

The NYPD is asking for tips if anybody witnessed a gay man being brutally assaulted the near the corner of Christopher and 7th Avenue late on Wednesday night. Alan Williams, 50, is in a coma after the attack.
Roving hoodlums were out for blood when they bashed in the head of an accountant on a West Village street Thursday, possibly because he was gay, police said. "I got him good," one of the punks allegedly boasted after the gang jumped Alan Williams, 50, as he was hailing a cab around 2 a.m. Thursday. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the NYPD is investigating the near-fatal beating as a "possible bias attack." Williams was in serious condition in a surgical ICU room at St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan Thursday night - his swollen head wrapped in gauze, a tube down his throat. Put into a medically induced coma so his brain can heal, Williams has not been able to speak to police. Friends said he was openly gay, and police sources said he had a Gay Men's Health Crisis card. He was standing on Seventh Ave. South when a band of four thugs blocked him from getting into two cabs - then clocked him in the face. The blow dropped Williams to the concrete, and his head bounced off the pavement, Kelly said. Passersby tried to stanch the blood with rags from a nearby bar.
I've hailed cabs at that corner, at that hour, many times without noticing any danger, but locals are saying that thugs have been hassling gay men and drag queens there in recent weeks.

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New From the Liberty Counsel

(Via - Good As You)

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Eurovision - Germany's Alex Swings Oscar Sings

Germany's Eurovision entry is a Ricky Martin-ish big band/pop mashup featuring an orchestra led by German house DJ Alex Christensen. Vocals are by openly gay California-born Oscar Loya, a first generation Mexican-American who resides in Munich. Eurovision doesn't care much about the contestants' actual nationality. After all, Celine Dion won for Switzerland in 1988.

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Federal Suit Filed Against "Gay Anarchists" Over Church Service Disruption

Anti-gay legal group Alliance Defense Fund has filed a federal lawsuit against the "gay anarchists" who last November disrupted a Michigan church service by pulling the fire alarm, dropping pro-gay leaflets, and shouting "Jesus was a homo" at parishioners. Via Christian site The Voice:
“The use of violent threats and criminal behavior to make a political point should never be acceptable in America,” said ADF attorney Gary McCaleb. “Bash Back! revealed how dangerous the homosexual agenda is to our First Liberty, religious freedom. We filed this suit to stop Bash Back! and other activist groups from invading churches, disrupting worship, silencing pastors, and terrifying adults and children who attend religious services.”

The Bash Back! Web site, which features a banner photo of members dressed in terrorist-like garb and wielding various objects as weapons, states on one page of the site that the group’s activities include “Riots, Sex Work, Crime, Insurrection, you know the fun stuff we do.” The Lansing chapter of the group targeted Mount Hope Church because of the church’s well-known Christian views on marriage and homosexual behavior. Through another page of its Web site, the group covertly recruited participants for its plans on Nov. 9, seeking some who would be willing to maintain “a more ‘militant’-looking presence out side [sic] of the building.”
It was a dumbass, pointless, unfocused action directed at hapless nobodies. Nothing but a black eye for our movement.

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Lawmakers Demand 2010 Census Count LGBT Couples

Led by openly gay reps Tammy Baldwin, Barney Frank, and Jared Polis, a coalition of 48 congressional members have sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget demanding the the 2010 census count LGBT couples.
Last year, the Bush administration, citing the Defense of Marriage Act which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex unions, announced that lawfully married same-sex couples who marked “married” on their census forms would be changed to “unmarried partners.” But congressional members are calling on Orszag to reverse course. “We are deeply concerned about the implications of this policy for same-sex couples and for the integrity of the census as a whole and firmly believe the (Census) Bureau’s primary objective should be to collect data and report it, not collect data and alter it,” the Members said in their letter.
Opponents claim that counting LGBT couples amounts to a federal recognition of same-sex marriage. Barney Frank: "We are simply asking the Census Bureau to report the facts as they exist. This should not be controversial."

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FTC Suing Robocall Telemarketers

Remember when I grumbled about getting 20 calls a week from scamsters claiming that my car warranty had expired? The FTC is finally suing the fuckers after NY Sen. Chuck Schumer complained that he had been getting the calls during meetings on Capitol Hill.
In two related complaints filed in federal court on Thursday, the FTC said it was taking action against the promoter of the phony extended auto warranties, as well as the telemarketing company that it hired to carry out its allegedly illegal campaign. The FTC filed complaints against four companies and a handful of individuals related to their operations. "This is one of the most aggressive telemarketing schemes the FTC has ever encountered," said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. The agency, which helps prevent fraudulent and deceptive business practices, said the robocalls have prompted complaints from consumers who are either on the "Do Not Call" registry or asked not to be called. According to the agency, five telephone numbers associated with the defendants have generated 30,000 complaints. If consumers answer the call, a "warranty specialist" would mislead them into believing their company was affiliated with an auto dealer or manufacturer and try to sell a service contract between $2,000 and $3,000, according to the FTC. The seller of these false warranties allegedly took in more than $10 million as a result of the phony service contracts.
The FTC is seeking to freeze (and hopefully, seize) the company's assets.

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The Key To Femininity

At Wednesday's blogging panel at the NYC LGBT Community Center, gay blogging pioneer Bradford Shellhammer happened to have a copy of 1965's Always Ask A Man: Arlene Dahl's Key To Femininity, a book he says he frequently seeks on Ebay to give to friends. You may remember the five-times married Dahl (who is Lorenza Lamas' mother) from such bad '50s classics as Women's World and Journey To The Center Of The Earth, and an early 80's run on One Life To Live. I flipped through the book while we were waiting to speak and thought you might enjoy Arlene's "Guide To Chic."

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Eurovision - Azerbaijan's AySel & Arash

Azerbeijan's Eurovision entry totally reminds me of late '80s Miami freestyle - sort of Johnny O & Cynthia go to Baku. Power 96, represent!

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Wisconsin Supreme Court To Hear Challenge To Gay Marriage Ban

Yesterday Wisconsin's Supreme Court added a challenge to that state's ban on same-sex marriage to its calendar.
The state Supreme Court on Thursday said it will hear a challenge to the 2006 constitutional amendment that prohibited same-sex marriage. The order added the case to the agenda for the court's next term, which begins this fall and ends in June 2010. No date for oral arguments was set. The challenge to the constitutional change was filed in 2007 by Bill McConkey, a Door County resident who teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and who has a daughter who is gay. McConkey argued that the constitutional change was improperly put before voters in 2006, but a Dane County judge ruled against him. McConkey said voters should have been asked to vote on two separate amendments, instead of the one put before them. Lester Pines, McConkey's attorney, said the wording of the 2006 constitutional amendment improperly asked voters to do two things: define the only valid marriage as between a man and woman and define the legal rights of the unmarried.
Is this the first state Supreme Court (other than California) to consider overturning these bans?

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NH "Moving Quickly" On Lynch's Changes To Marriage Equality Bill

I'm hearing that New Hampshire's legislature is going to "move quickly" to agree on the changes to the marriage equality bill requested by Gov. John Lynch, meaning the bill could be signed into law within a few days. More when I have it.

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No Cells During The Press Conference!

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San Diego Activists Refuse To End Boycott Of Manchester Hotels

Last week San Diego hotelier Doug Manchester offered the LGBT community a total of $125K in cash and room credits to call off their year-long boycott, which arose over Manchester's financial backing of Proposition 8. The offer came via famed gay PR king Howard Bragman, whom Manchester had hired for the project. But nobody is biting.
The Human Rights Campaign announced it would not accept the $25,000, and Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate says his coalition is not budging. Manchester’s offer of $100,000 in hotel credits and services merely seeks to divide the GLBT community on the boycott, he says. Manchester and Bragman had hoped to bypass such boycott organizers by taking the offer right to gay travel professionals, the press and the blogosphere, and at first some may have been tempted by his offer of $100,000 in free hotel credits to deserving San Diego GLBT groups and puzzled by his sudden concern about local GLBT groups.

After all, it’s a very difficult time for nonprofits, and that kind of gesture is not insignificant. Bragman was banking on groups taking advantage of the free room and meeting credits crossing the picket lines. In turn, he hoped Manchester could claim he was actually helping local groups and thereby marginalize Karger and his coalition.But Karger and his coalition of community and union leaders stood firm. No local organization would cross a picket line or take money. With the boycott as well known as it is, who would even show up for the event, knowing there is an ongoing GLBT and labor boycott?
And the boycott, which insiders say has cost the company millions, rolls on.

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California Town Considers Hosting "Carrie Prejean Day"

Her home town of Vista, California is considering staging a "Carrie Prejean Day" day because she's "such a good role model."
Trustee Jim Gibson said last week that he wanted to make June 1 "Carrie Prejean Day" in the district. He called Prejean, a 2005 Vista High School graduate, a "good, strong role model." Gibson was reportedly a local backer of Propoistion 8, which rolled back gay marriage in California. "We're setting her up as an example," he told the paper. "As far as I'm concerned, she's a great role model, and she's a person who needs to be emulated." Earlier on Thursday, the gossip Web site TMZ.com reported that the plan is running into some opposition from people who "think it's a thinly veiled attempt to promote the anti-gay marriage agenda." It was clear that many of the attendees felt the same. "It is wrong to teach bigotry and discrimination," Evelyn Thomas, a director for a local LGBT coalition, told the board. "The reality is, students ---- your students ---- are part of nontraditional families."
Prejean is reportedly "thrilled" by the idea.

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Eurovision - Sweden's Marlena Ernman

I'm going to post a few of my favorite Eurovision entries over the next few days. Let's start with Sweden's startlingly drag queen-ish Malena Ernman, a mezzo-soprano who regularly performs in Europe's most vaunted opera houses. As my buddy Troubled Diva says, THIS is camp - the dancing gay boys, the disco beat, those higha-than-Mariah notes! The last note literally made me LOL.

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Thursday, May 14, 2009

Singapore's Pink Dot

This video is so frickin' sweet, you might need a tissue. On Saturday, Singapore will see the first public display of support for its LGBT citizens in which thousands are expected to gather in a public park to create a giant pink dot to be photographed from the sky.
"Do you support the freedom of LGBT people to love? Then show your support by joining our smart mob at Hong Lim Park on 16th May! This is NOT a protest nor a parade, just a simple call for open-minded Singaporeans to come together to form a pink dot, of which aerial photographs will be taken. This pink dot is a celebration of diversity and equality, and a symbol of Singapore's more inclusive future.

(Tipped by JMG reader Christina in Singapore)

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Free Viagra For The Unemployed

If being jobless has you down, Pfizer wants to perk you up.
Pfizer Inc. says it will provide 70 of its most widely prescribed prescription drugs — including Lipitor and Viagra — for free to people who have lost their jobs and health insurance. The world's biggest drugmaker said Thursday it will give away the medicines for up to a year to Americans who lost jobs since Jan. 1 and have been on the Pfizer drug for three months or more. The announcement comes amid massive job losses caused by the recession and a campaign in Washington to rein in health care costs and extend coverage. The move could earn Pfizer some goodwill in that debate after long being a target of critics of drug industry prices and sales practices. The program also likely will help keep those patients loyal to Pfizer brands.
Applicants for the free meds must submit their pink slips. Pfizer says it has no idea how much the program will cost them.

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Gov. Lynch: I Will Sign NH Marriage Bill

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch has announced that he will sign the marriage equality bill if the legislature approves new language.
At 2:15 this afternoon, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch announced that he will sign his state’s gay marriage bill, making New Hampshire the sixth state in the union to legalize same-sex marriage. However, he wants the Legislature to make additional changes, according to New Hampshire Public Radio. Those changes are not yet available, but we will publish them as soon as they are. The much-anticipated news comes eight days after both Houses of the General Court passed the legislation approving marriage equality.
Presuming the legislature agrees to Lynch's changes, same-sex marriage will become legal in New Hampshire on January 1st, 2010.

UPDATE: Lynch says he wants "stronger religious protection" language like that in Vermont and Connecticut where churches are specifically exempted from performing same-sex ceremonies if they hate homosexuals.

UPDATE II: Here is the governor's official statement. The new language he is requesting only applies to religious institutions, not private businesses.

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Pet Shop Boys - Did You See Me Coming?

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Anchorage AK Considers Gay Rights Bill

Alaska's largest city is considering a gay rights bill prohibiting housing and employment discrimination, but as usual, a wingnut group with "family" in their name is fighting for the right to be bigots.
The ordinance would also prohibit discrimination against military veterans, but opponents claim the measure tacked on vets to make it appeal to more people. "There isn't really a tie between those who are veterans of wars and those who are having sexual orientation issues," said Jim Minnery with the Alaska Family Council. Those against the ordinance say it would limit religious liberties, not civil liberties. "We don't believe homosexuals and lesbians are being homeless and without jobs because of their sexual orientation," said Minnery. "There's plenty of businesses and landlords across the community that are more than willing to be tolerant." The same issue came before the Assembly in the 1970s. It was approved, but was vetoed by then-Mayor George Sullivan, father of current Mayor-elect Dan Sullivan.
Anchorage's interim mayor says he'd sign the bill. Hopefully the Assembly will get it to him before the incoming asshat takes office.

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CA Cops In Brutality Scandal

A news copter caught one of California's finest booting a suspect in the face after a high-speed pursuit.

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First Streaker At Mets' Citi Field Faces A Year In Jail Thanks To Calvin Klein


On Monday a man became the first person to streak across the diamond at the Mets new Citi Field stadium. Meh, boring, and I wasn't even going to blog about it. But today comes news that the man faces a year in jail thanks to a 2005 law enacted by the city after a drug-addled Calvin Klein rushed the court at Madison Square Garden to chat with Knicks player Letrell Sprewell. Klein checked into rehab after the incident. The Mets are pressing charges and have permanently banned the fan from Citi Field. The streaker says he had no idea that the penalty was so stiff.

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The Star Trek IMAX Ripoff

Some Star Trek buffs are pissed after paying $17 to see the movie in IMAX at AMC's flagship Times Square megaplex, only to find a normal size screen. The flap really got rolling earlier this week when actor/comedian Aziz Ansari went ballistic on his blog, describing how AMC management refused to refund his ticket. The CEO of IMAX has weighed in, essentially calling Ansari a crybaby. IMAX has been "expanding the brand" into several normal sized theaters around the country.

Wikipedia has a detailed and complicated explanation of the technical aspects to an IMAX presentation, which requires that special cameras be used in the filming. Which weren't used for Star Trek, although the film was digitally remastered using IMAX technology "that eliminates grain, digital artifacts, increases contrast and brightness." But all that is hooey to folks who go in expecting the giant screen.

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How To Greet Donald Rumsfeld

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SC Lawmakers: Gay On Gay Violence Is OK

A bill before the South Carolina legislature would authorize public schools to include information about teen dating violence in student handbooks. But one lawmaker wants to be sure that gay-on-gay violence isn't mentioned.
The bill hit an unexpected roadblock Wednesday when Rep. Greg Delleney, R-Chester, introduced an amendment requiring the material to address only heterosexual relationships. “I don’t want the Department of Education or school districts to teach children in grades six through 12 about (same-sex) relationships,” Delleney said. Objections in the House led to the bill being delayed. Gay rights advocates say Delleney’s amendment is another attempt to ignore the gay and lesbian community. “The fact that the state continually tries to find every way to ignore every other type of family ... it’s just outrageous,” said Ryan Wilson, president of the S.C. Pride Movement.
The bill is expected to pass with the "no gays" amendment attached.

(Via - Holy Bullies)

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Poll: NY Split On Marriage Equality

A Quinnipiac University poll released today shows New Yorkers evenly split on same-sex marriage.
New York State voters are split 46 - 46 percent on whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry, with black voters opposed 57 - 35 percent while white voters tip narrowly in favor of gay marriage 47 - 45 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Voters opposed same-sex marriage 55 - 37 percent in an April 15, 2004, poll by the independent Quinnipiac University. In this latest survey of more than 2,800 voters, New York State voters support same-sex civil unions 65 - 27 percent with 67 - 24 percent support from white voters and 52 - 39 percent support from black voters.
Some interesting breakdowns on where our support lies:
Jews support same-sex marriage 61 - 34 percent as Catholics oppose it 53 - 39 percent and Protestants say no 55 - 38 percent. Voters who attend religious services at least once a week oppose same-sex marriage 66 - 26 percent, while those who attend services less frequently support same-sex marriage 56 - 36 percent. Women support the measure 49 - 42 percent while men oppose it 51 - 42 percent. Democrats support same-sex marriage 59 - 34 percent, but Republicans oppose it 68 - 24 percent while independent voters split with 46 percent in favor and 45 percent opposed. Same- sex marriage wins 61 - 33 percent support among voters 18 to 34 years old and gets 48 - 44 percent support among voters 35 to 54 years old, while voters over 55 oppose it 55 - 37 percent.
Other results:
Gays and lesbians are born that way, 46 percent of New York State voters say, while 29 percent say people choose their sexual orientation and 6 percent say it is decided by upbringing. Same-sex couples should be allowed to adopt children, voters say 60 - 31 percent. While black voters narrowly oppose gay adoption, whites, Hispanics, men and women and all religious groups support the measure.

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Dan Savage Gives Obama An "F"

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Dreambears On Britain's Got Talent


The third judge gave them a yes, so they did get through to the next round.

(Via JMG reader Marc)

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Nate Silver Breaks Down The NY Senate

Stats geek guru Nate Silver has trained his analytic powers on the marriage vote in the NY Senate.
Based on recent public statements and press accounts, we count 5 Democrats -- Shirley Huntley of Queens and George Onorato of Queens, Ruben Diaz of the Bronx, Darrel Aubertine of Cape Vincent, and William Stachowski of Buffalo -- as definitively being opposed to the measure. We also count 7 Democrats as undecided, one of whom -- David Valesky of Oneida -- we characterize as leaning toward a no vote.

On the other hand, while no Republican has publicly come out in favor of the bill, we have 9 Republicans who we characterize as undecided (although several are thought to be leaning no). A majority of these Republicans are from Long Island, a swing region in New York state politics. The most plausible path to 32 votes involves picking up the 20 definite yes votes, plus the 5 Democrats and 7 Republicans that we characterize as truly undecided or leaning yes. Although a clean sweep of these votes would seem unlikely, there are some backup options in the form of 1 Democrat and 4 Republicans who we describe as leaning -- but not definitively -- against the bill. (Note: we characterize Republicans who sponsored S.2056, a 2006 bill that sought to ban gay marriage in New York state, as definite 'no' votes unless there is more recent information to suggest they have moderated their position).

Democrats may take some solace in the fact that, when gay marriage bills were approved by legislatures in states like Maine and Vermont, they tended to pass with slightly more votes than anticipated. Still, based on the most recently available information, I would guess that their odds of securing 32 votes are not better than about one in three.
Please come to Sunday's rally in midtown Manhattan.

(Via JMG reader William)

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Wanda Sykes Doubles Her Family

Wanda Sykes had some big news she didn't mention at the White House Press Correspondents' dinner.
Wanda Sykes and her wife, Alex, welcomed twins on April 27, her rep tells PEOPLE exclusively. Daughter Olivia Lou weighed in at 6 lbs., 7 oz., and was 19-inches long. Son Lucas Claude debuted at 7 lbs., 9 oz., and was 20-inches long. The comedian's wife gave birth to the babies. "All are happy and healthy and at home," says Sykes's rep Danica Smith.
The twins are their first children.

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Uruguay To Allow Gays In Military

Add Uruguay to the list of nations more progressive than the United States when it comes to the military.
Uruguay is moving to lift a ban on homosexuals joining the armed forces. The defense ministry confirms that Minister Jose Bayardi has signed a decree lifting the ban imposed by the 1973-85 military dictatorship. The army said Wednesday it has received the decree, which has yet to be signed by President Tabare Vazquez. The new decree states that sexual orientation will no longer be considered a reason to prevent people entering the military.

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NOM's Latest NH Ad

"Grandma, why did you put me in that horrible homophobic ad when I was little??

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Open Thread Thursday

What are you reading?

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And Then There Were Two

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

A Cavalcade Of Haters

If you can stand it, Media Matters has put together a medley of hate.

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Gay Fans "Not Safe" At Eurovision

Gay fans traveling to the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow this weekend are being warned that extremists are planning to "roam the streets" of the city looking for homosexuals to assault. Via the Guardian UK:
[T]here is now a distinct possibility that Russian nationalists and neo-Nazis will once again beat up gay demonstrators – as well as visiting Eurovision fans – in what would be a severe blow to Russia's international reputation and to Eurovision, already reeling from eastern European bloc-voting scandals. The Dutch Eurovision entrants, a three-man combo called the Toppers, have promised to boycott the final if the Moscow authorities prevent the march. Few are optimistic that the rally will go off without trouble. "Groups of fanatics and extremists will be roaming the streets in the centre of Moscow looking for people to beat up," Nikolai Alekseev, the organiser of the Slavic Pride rally, told the Guardian. "Nobody will care. Moscow police will do nothing to protect them." Asked whether gay British fans should avoid travelling to Moscow this Saturday, he warned: "Everybody has to make their own choice. But they won't be safe." That Eurovision has a wide gay following isn't much of a secret, even in Russia. "Lots of gays and lesbians are fans of Eurovision. It's a very gay event," Alekseev said.
Moscow's mayor has called gay people "satanic" and "weapons of mass destruction." Taking the lead from his mayor, one Orthodox Christian extremist organizer told the Guardian: "We won't allow this satanic gathering. We don't want Moscow to become Sodom. It's an affront to Russian society and to our spiritual peace."

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HomoQuotable - Andrew Sullivan

"Here we are, in the summer of 2009, with gay servicemembers still being fired for the fact of their orientation. Here we are, with marriage rights spreading through the country and world and a president who cannot bring himself even to acknowledge these breakthroughs in civil rights, and having no plan in any distant future to do anything about it at a federal level. Here I am, facing a looming deadline to be forced to leave my American husband for good, and relocate abroad because the HIV travel and immigration ban remains in force and I have slowly run out of options (unlike most non-Americans with HIV who have no options at all).

"And what is Obama doing about any of these things? What is he even intending at some point to do about these things? So far as I can read the administration, the answer is: nada. We're firing Arab linguists? So sorry. We won't recognize in any way a tiny minority of legally married couples in several states because they're, ugh, gay? We had no idea. There's a ban on HIV-positive tourists and immigrants? Really? Thanks for letting us know. Would you like to join Joe Solmonese and John Berry for cocktails? The inside of the White House is fabulous these days." - Andrew Sullivan, from a lengthy piece criticizing President Obama.

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Less Gay Days: One Mighty Weekend Booted From Disney World

One of the nation's most popular and longest-running series of circuit party events, One Mighty Weekend, will not take place on Disney World property during Gay Days this year in a financial dispute between events producer Johnny Chisolm and the theme park giant. But the details of the dispute are, uh, disputed by two warring circuit party websites. Via South Florida Blade:
Tony Hayden, founder of TheCircuitDog.com and self-proclaimed “watchdog” of the circuit scene, said that Chisholm is not allowed to throw his parties at Disney this year after failing to come up with the necessary cash to make a deposit to hold the venue. “His parties are insulting to the original reputation of the people who founded the circuit parties so many years ago,” Hayden said. “He got all the pieces to the puzzle and within five years completely desecrated the entire franchise.” Hayden said this is not the first year that Chisholm has encountered problems with Disney. [snip] Hayden has also reported on his website about Chisholm’s previous problems with investors, include a $2.8 million lawsuit against him for an event in Paris.
JustCircuit.com, a sponsor of One Mighty Party, says differently:
Victor Mauro, owner Just Circuit, which is a sponsor of One Might Weekend, gave a different story: he said that Disney tried to charge Chisholm additional fees this year that he said were unjustified given the amount of money the theme park has made off the GLBT community over the last two decades. “For all the money that is spent during the Gay Day’s week, Disney has not once given back to the community,” he said.
For his part, events producer Chisolm is now suing (PDF) Tony Hayden (the owner of The Circuit Dog) for $15,000, claiming the site defamed him and published unsubstantiated reports that One Mighty Weekend would not go on as in previous years, which appears to be what will happen after all. (Disclosure: I've known Hayden personally for about 25 years.)

The circuit party scene, which originally developed in the '80s as a series of local AIDS fundraisers at a time when a collective celebration of gay culture was desperately needed, morphed in the '90s into a massive for-profit national juggernaut widely (and often, properly) criticized for drug excesses.

In the 21st century we've seen the end of many of the most popular events for a broad array of reasons, although noted fundraisers such as the Winter Party and Fire Island's Ascension Party, for example, remain very popular. One Mighty Weekend, the big boy on a shrinking commercial party block, will continue at non-Disney venues this year and 150,000 homos are expected to attend the various Gay Days events. But the above news may indeed signal a coming final gasp of the for-profit circuit party scene.

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New From The Pride Agenda

These ads keep getting better. The Empire State Pride Agenda is asking for help in keeping this ad on the air and in the face of our state Senators.

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Miss California's REAL Press Conference


"This was an assault of my freedoms, which should not happen in America unless you are gay. In which case you should quietly understand that God does not agree with you."

(Tipped by JMG reader Durban Bud)

UPDATE: It's a parody, folks.

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Daily Grumble

OK, yeah...Fringe is sort of a retread of X-Files and every show pretty much goes like this:

FBI Agent: Wow, that is a freaky way to die!
Old scientist: Actually, I invented that.
FBI Agent: Oh, how do we cure it?
Old Scientist: I forget!
45 minutes later...
Old Scientist: Wait, I remember!

But last night's season finale? Time travel to the World Trade Center with Spock? Come ON.

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Craigslist Dropping Hooker Ads

After months of nightmarish publicity generated by murders and sexual assaults, the Attorneys General of several states have forced Craigslist to drop their "Erotic Services" category.
Online classified ads service Craigslist will get rid of its "erotic services" category that critics called a front for prostitution, replacing it with an adult category that will be reviewed by Web site employees, state attorneys general announced Wednesday. Pressure to remove the category increased this spring after a Boston medical student was charged with killing a masseuse who authorities say he met through Craigslist. Two months ago, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart filed a lawsuit alleging that Craigslist allowed the solicitation of prostitution and had created the "largest source of prostitution in America." Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the attorneys general of Connecticut and Missouri met with Craigslist officials last week seeking an end to ads they contended were advertisements for illegal sexual activities. Madigan's office said Wednesday such existing ads on the Craiglist Web site will expire in seven days.
Of course, many of these entrepreneurs will merely repost into other Craigslist sections.

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Spitzer On Prostitution

Disgraced former NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer doesn't think he's the right person to ask if prostitution should be legalized. Oh, come on. Who else to ask but a person who both relentlessly prosecuted organized prostitution AND patronized it?

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"The Democrat Socialist Party"

Joe Sudbay at Americablog points us to this gem on Politico:
A member of the Republican National Committee told me Tuesday that when the RNC meets in an extraordinary special session next week, it will approve a resolution rebranding Democrats as the “Democrat Socialist Party.” When I asked if such a resolution would force RNC Chairman Michael Steele to use that label when talking about Democrats in all his speeches and press releases, the RNC member replied: “Who cares?” Which pretty much sums up the attitude some members of the RNC have toward their chairman these days. Steele wrote a memo last month opposing the resolution. Steele said that while he believes Democrats “are indeed marching America toward European-style socialism,” he also said in a (rare) flash of insight that officially referring to them as the Democrat Socialist Party “will accomplish little than to give the media and our opponents the opportunity to mischaracterize Republicans.”
Meanwhile the number of Americans willing to identify themselves as Republican continues to shrink and shrink.

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Box Turtle Bulletin Forces Illinois Family Institute To Recant Hate Crimes Claim

One of the most repulsive campaigns currently being spread by the right-wing is that the hate crimes act currently before the U.S. Senate protects a massive list of criminal sexual activities including bestiality and pedophilia. A list of 547 sexual paraphilias has been spouted by every wingnut group out there and was heavily quoted by GOP Congressmen during the U.S. House debate.

Yesterday Box Turtle Bulletin forced the Illinois Family Institute to issue this retraction:
In the article entitled “Hate Crimes Bill Moves to Senate” (5/5/09), we mistakenly stated that the American Psychiatric Association’s actual definition of “sexual orientation” includes paraphilias. The APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) classifies “sexual orientation” as heterosexual, homosexual, and bi-sexual. The 547 mental disorders called “paraphilias” specifically involve non-human objects, physical pain, or unwilling partners as in pedophilia. IFI apologizes for the error.
More excellent digital activism from gay bloggers. Congrats to BTB's Jim Burroway and Timothy Kincaid. Now let's see if any of the other anti-gay groups take note. World Net Daily continues to run headlines about the "Pedophile Protection Act."

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More Lies From World Net Daily

Via World Net Daily:
A publication from the American Psychological Association includes an admission that there is no "gay" gene, according to a doctor who has written about the issue on the website of National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality. A. Dean Byrd, the past president of NARTH, confirmed that the statement from the American Psychological Association came in a brochure that updates what the APA has advocated for years. Specifically, in a brochure that first came out about 1998, the APA stated: "There is considerable recent evidence to suggest that biology, including genetic or inborn hormonal factors, play a significant role in a person's sexuality."
What the APA really said:
"There is no consensus among scientists about the exact reasons that an individual develops a heterosexual, bisexual, gay or lesbian orientation. Although much research has examined the possible genetic, hormonal, developmental, social, and cultural influences on sexual orientation, no findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any particular factor or factors. Many think that nature and nurture both play complex roles. ..."
The most widely-read Christian site in the nation just continues to make the baby Jeebus cry.

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No Gays On SCOTUS Shortlist

Five women made the SCOTUS shortlist, but none are out lesbians.
Despite the hopes of LGBT activists, a leaked shortlist of potential Supreme Court nominees does not contain the names of any out lesbians. The list, which MSNBC’s First Read published on Monday and attributed to a “couple of sources in the know,” contains the following six names: Judge Diane Wood of the 7th Circuit; Solicitor General Elena Kagan; Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the 2nd Circuit; Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm; Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano; and Judge Merrick Garland of the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. Five of the six potential nominees are women, but none are out lesbians.
Well, it was interesting to think about while it lasted.

UPDATE: Towleroad is reporting that shortlistee Elena Kagen may be a lesbian after all.

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Sunday: NYC Marriage Equality Rally!

Via press release:
This Sunday, May 17, stars of Broadway and Television will come out to perform and rally in support of love, peace and marriage equality. Please join us from 5:00pm - 7:00pm ET on Sixth Avenue at 44th street in Manhattan as we let the sunshine in.

“I am thrilled that we are able to come together as a community to urge people to take direct action by calling their State Senators,” said Gavin Creel, current Tony nominee for HAIR and co-founder of Broadway Impact. “This peaceful rally is going to be about love – and the right to marry whoever it is that you love.”

Audra McDonald, four-time Tony winner and star of ABC’s Private Practice will lend her voice and presence to the cause. Cheyenne Jackson, star of Broadway hits such as All Shook Up and Xanadu, and guest star on television’s Ugly Betty, will be singing and speaking out on the issue. Two-time Tony nominee and star of Broadway’s newest hit HAIR, Gavin Creel, will serve as host for the event and will also lead his fellow cast members in a performance of “Let the Sunshine In.” Speakers in attendance will consist of Senator Tom Duane, who is sponsoring the marriage equality bill in the State Senate and New York State Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell, brother of Broadway veteran Rosie O’Donnell. More speakers to come!

Together with Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS, The Human Rights Campaign, Marriage Equality New York, Empire State Pride Agenda and The Civil Rights Front, Broadway Impact will lead the Theatre community in showing their support of Governor Paterson and the marriage equality bill.
This might be our last chance to rally before a vote in the NY Senate, so this show of force could be important, New York. I'll be there, as well as at the earlier anti-gay rally being held that day by Sen./Rev. Ruben Diaz and the Hispanic Clergy Organization. (Note how they themselves describe their rally as "anti-gay."

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O'Christmas Hat

Aretha Franklin's famous inauguration hat is now available as a Christmas ornament.
The hat that dazzled millions of people during the inauguration of President Barack Obama, is now being offered as a Christmas ornament. Aretha Franklin's stylish big-bowed hat was the inspiration for the glittery-glass ornament. The ornament's designer hopes it too will be a big fashion hit. Curtis Posuniak is the brain-child behind the ornament. He says the minute he saw Aretha's hat he knew he wanted to make a tiny glass version of it. They will cost $43 a piece and will be sold at gift shops and by email.
(Tipped by JMG reader Sam)

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Good As You Busts Lying New Hampshire Marriage Poll

Last week the Cornerstone Research Policy claimed to have surveyed every single household in New Hampshire and found that 65% of the state's residents oppose same-sex marriage, a claim immediately adopted by Focus On The Family. Jeremy Hooper at Good As You found that claim extremely fishy and hounded the groups for the statistical backup. Yesterday FOF admitted to him that the story was FALSE. See their letter admitting such on Good As You. Jeremy exults:

So there you have it: An admission that CornerStone Policy Research, New Hampshire's leading anti-marriage group (with ties to NOM) is running a false claim. A claim they are still running on their website and that they have fed to local media outlets, without making note of any margin of error/unreported households. Gary is telling us that he has personnally confirmed it to be faulty! So let's see: That means CPR has both linked to a SPLC-certified hate group and run a deliberately false set of polling data, while our side has simply stated our deserved desire to have our loving monogamy as legally recognized as our heterosexual peers. Tough choice, huh Governor Lynch?

FOF tells him they plan to broadcast a "corrected story" today. Excellent job, Jeremy!

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Outtakes From Outrage

The producers of Outrage send us this amusing clip of outtakes from the movie, asking that time-honored question.

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Solmonese Vs Family Reseach Council

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Maddow On Dan Choi's Letter To Obama

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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Adam Lambert - One & Cryin'

Adam Lambert was typically great tonight covering U2 and Aerosmith, but to my mind, both Danny Gokey and Kris Allen turned in their best performances of the season. Tomorrow will be interesting.

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New York Assembly Passes Marriage Equality Bill 89-52!

FINAL: The New York Assembly has passed Daniel O'Donnell's marriage equality bill by a vote of 89-52. This win was never really in doubt, but the debate still proved riveting - both rancorous and beautifully moving. Congratulations to all and a big thank you to Danny!
UPDATE: The debate on the floor has begun. Daniel O'Donnell is at the podium defending the bill.
UPDATE II: You really should be watching this. O'Donnell is going OFF on Assemblyman Fitzpatrick.
UPDATE III: Openly gay Assemblyman Matthew Titone (pictured above) has delivered a heartbreakingly beautiful plea for equality.
UPDATE IV: Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-BK) is a vile creature. He just diminished anti-gay discrimination, saying that the Holocaust was REAL discrimination. Hikind represents Boro Park, one the largest Orthodox Jewish communities in the world outside of Israel.
UPDATE V: Assemblyman Benjamin (who is black) seems to object to comparing gay rights to civil rights. Benjamin: "Mr. O'Donnell, was it homosexuals or Africans who were brought to this country in slave ships?" O'Donnell: "I'm sure BOTH as I'm sure some of those Africans were homosexual." Benjamin: "Touche'." O'Donnell's response prompted the chair to order the gallery to stop laughing.
UPDATE VI: Holy crap. I would totally gay marry Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi. What a great straight champion we have in him.
UPDATE VII: Assemblyman Phil Boyle (R) supports marriage equality but opposes the bill, because he thinks New York "should be the first state in the country to legalize gay marriage by public referendum." He thinks Prop 8 succeeded because the people of CA felt "imposed upon."
UPDATE VIII: So far two GOP lawmakers have announced they are reversing their 2007 votes to support the bill.
UPDATE IX: Assemblyman Mark Weprin: "I wanna be able to tell my kids and my grandkids that I was part of history. I wanna be able to say 'I was THERE when Danny O'Donnell passed marriage equality in this Assembly.'"
UPDATE X: Assemblywoman Eileen Dugan: "While I am straight, I am proud to go gaily foward and vote in the positive."
UPDATE XI: My assemblyman, openly bisexual Micah Kellner just shot the hell out of the previous speaker who said that bill discriminates against bisexuals "because they can't marry both a man AND a woman." Kellner: "I've only been involved in relationships with ONE person at a time."
UPDATE XII: Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffreys: "Civil rights heroes did not die simply so only African-Americans would be free."
UPDATE XIII: Closing arguments. GOP Assemblyman Teresa Sayward says "science leads us to the truth. Homosexuality is not a sickness or a sin. My son should not be denied his rights."
UPDATE XIV: O'Donnell thanks his supporters and talks about his family's history in Ireland. "My grandmother was a daily communicant, but she CHOOSE to come to this secular nation. We put our hand on the Bible and swear to uphold the Constitution, not the other way around."

The New York Assembly will convene at 3PM today to vote on A07732, its marriage equality bill. NYC-area residents can watch the proceedings live on Time-Warner channel 159 and on Cablevision channel 116. Watch live online here.

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The End Of Gay Porn Mags

Boy Culture is reporting that Mavety Media Group is ceasing the publication their lengthy stable of gay porn magazines, some of which have been around for decades. Among the titles gone are one-time one-handed standards such as Mandate, Honcho, Torso, and Inches.

Boy Culture
author Matthew used to work for Mavety and has some fascinating memories of his time there. Photos there are possibly NSFW. Mavety's flagship straight title Juggs will apparently continue. Because there is no justice in this world.

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Queering The Blogosphere

Tomorrow I'll be participating in a panel discussion at the NYC LGBT Community Center titled "Queering The Blogosphere: Reflections On LGBT Blogging."
Gay blogging has recently experienced a meteoric rise in popularity and now serves as a major new resource for information and entertainment for the LGBTQ community. In fact, a recent study has shown that LGBT adults are now spending more time on the internet and visiting web blogs than their straight counterparts. How important then is gay blogging as an alternate means of communication, and what specifically has been its impact, both positive and negative, on the LGBTQ community? Is its potential to give voice to underrepresented members of our community being fulfilled, or is gay blogging proving itself to be just another medium through which mainstream LGBTQ ideas & images are disseminated. Our panelists will address these questions, as well as share their experiences as bloggers and the contributions they feel they are making to further the interests of the LGBTQ community through this new medium.

Panel members include: Oriol Gutierrez, Jr., Deputy Editor of POZ Magazine and former President of the NY chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association; Bradford Shellhammer, a pioneering gay blogger and founding editor of Queerty.com; Joe My God, 2007 weblog award winner for best lgbt blog; and Erin Mulrooney, Research and Planning Associate at NYC’s LGBT Center.
Wednesday, May, 13, Reception 6PM, Program 7PM, $10.

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