NYC: Marriage Proposal Flash Mob

The girl is the middle thinks her boyfriend just wants to slow dance with her in the park.

Curious Sergey On The Closet

Russian immigrant Curious Sergey asks random New Yorkers if they are in the closet.

Quote Of The Day - Leonard Pitts

"Put yourself in the shoes of the teenager, bewildered and frightened by these feelings he or she is not 'supposed' to have, feelings of sexual attraction to people of the same gender. You try to deny them, try to ignore them, try to suppress them, but they will not go away. You are all alone, isolated behind a secret that presses down on you like weights, a fear of rejection that haunts you like ghosts.

"And here comes Dr. Rekers telling you that you are abnormal, telling you that you are bad, telling you he can cure you, as if you had a disease like measles or the flu. Then, in his off hours, he's trolling rentboy.com looking for young men to handle his, ahem ... baggage. That's more than hypocrisy, more even than self-loathing. It is a betrayal of one's own, a sellout of the most vulnerable. And what's sad is not just that a George Rekers would do this, but that ours is a culture that would encourage and reward such duplicity in the first place.

"He purported to heal homosexuals? One is reminded of an injunction from the book of Luke: 'Physician, heal thyself' (4:23). Rekers would be wise to heed that advice. Homosexual urges are the least of his afflictions." - Nationally syndicated Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts.

Elton John Is A Material Girl

At the annual Rainforest Fund event at Carnegie Hall this week, Elton John observed the night's '80s theme by performing Material Girl and Like A Virgin as a dozen chorus boys in Speedos cavorted around him. The event was created by Sting and his wife Trudy.

Brother Slim

Toting a sign that reads "Adult w/Child Sex Is Okay," a pastor who calls himself "Brother Slim" is touring cities in the south to highlight his claim that same-sex marriage will lead to legalized pedophilia, bestiality, etc etc. This week he's in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Chauncey Killens has traveled through a dozen other cities holding this sign - he says he opposes adults having sex with children, just like he opposes gay marriage – the real reason he's here. "Once you allow same sex marriage, it's only inevitable that the other groups are also going to fight for their rights," said Killens. He sees gay marriage as a slippery slope, and at the bottom of the hill would be laws passed in favor of groups like NAMBLA- the North American Man Boy Love Association. "You're going to have to allow polygamy, incest, bestiality pedophiles," said Killens. "I'm just trying to figure out what this is about," said another bystander. The sign acts as a spark to a fiery debate Killens almost seems desperate for. "I want to agitate people, wake them up," said Killens.

There's news video of this jackass at the link and he's got some typically asinine clips on YouTube.. Killens has also appeared at pro-Prop 8 rallies in California.

The Tyranny Of New York

Conor Friedersdorf writes in an Atlantic piece titled The Tyranny Of New York:

New York City's role on the American scene isn't unhealthy merely because it attracts creative, ambitious people with its dynamism, or because its residents have a healthy ego about the relative merits of their city. The problem is that along with those inevitable traits of great cities, Manhattan and certain of its surrounding boroughs happen to dominate American media, finance, and letters so thoroughly that even the most impressive achievements of other cities are routinely ignored while New Yorkers talk about local matters of comparatively smaller consequence, either tempting or forcing the whole nation to eavesdrop on their chatter depending on the day. [snip] New York is a great city, but in America today, someone who seeks out the best television or novels or magazine writing or art or newspaper reporting is confronted with an even greater degree of NYC centric stuff than is justified. The city is a legitimate giant, yet its shadow somehow reaches much farther than it should. It thereby deprives other cities of the light they need to grow half as tall.

Aren't the French similarly "tyrannized" by Paris? The British by London? Etc?

Pat Buchanan: With Kagan We'll Have Too Many Jews On The Supreme Court

Pat Buchanan is pissed that the Supreme Court isn't 100% white and evangelical.

"Of the last seven justices nominated by Democrats JFK, LBJ, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, one was black, Marshall; one was Puerto Rican, Sonia Sotomayor. The other five were Jews: Arthur Goldberg, Abe Fortas, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan. If Kagan is confirmed, Jews, who represent less than 2 percent of the U.S. population, will have 33 percent of the Supreme Court seats. Is this the Democrats' idea of diversity? But while leaders in the black community may be upset, the folks who look more like the real targets of liberal bias are white Protestants and Catholics, who still constitute well over half of the U.S. population."

All of the Justices are also graduates of either Harvard or Yale! None are from Liberty University! Outrage!

BELARUS: Gays Arrested And Roughed Up By Police At Slavic Pride

Today Minsk cops burst out of a police bus several times to chase and arrest young gay men displaying rainbow flags at the city's Slavic Pride event. Early reports claim riot police beat and arrested several dozen participants. At times, the foreign press outnumbered both the police and the protesters. I'll be updating this post all day, below are the first images.

Weekend Mix - DJ Paul Goodyear

Get your weekend werqing with this progressive house mix from Australia's circuit superstar remixer/producer DJ Paul Goodyear. Setlist. Website. Podcasts. Facebook. Upcoming gigs: May 28th @ The Eagle, NYC. May 29th @ Pavilion, Fire Island Pines. June 12th @ Fierce Angel, Melbourne, June 13th @ Fierce Angel, Sydney.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: DJ Susan Morabito. DJ Seymour Butz. DJ RuBot. DJ Rotten Robbie. DJ Ted Eiel. DJ Herbie James. DJ David Knapp. DJ Dave Huge. DJ Corey Craig.

MINSK: Hooded Fascists Gather Outside Gay Pride Headquarters

A gang of hooded fascists gathered tonight outside a Minsk hotel where the first of this weekend's Slavic Pride events are taking place. Police have the situation under control at the moment, but this may not bode well for tomorrow's parade. Follow along on this live blog.

Harvey Milk Day Will Turn Your Children Into Cross-Dressing Pedophiles!

Randy Thomasson of Save California is calling for parents to keep their children home from school during any Harvey Milk Day observations. Because kids will be instructed on cross-dressing! And Harvey Milk endorsed pedophilia!

Randy Thomasson, president of SaveCalifornia.com reports that May 17-28 may include exercises in celebration of Milk, as students will participate in commemorative activities honoring him without parental notification or consent. The exercises could consist of anything teachers or school board members deem appropriate, including in-class reading and writing activities about the politician, or watching the film Milk. Assemblies teaching homosexuality and alternate lifestyles, cross-dressing contests, or mock "gay" parades and weddings could also take place.

Thomasson is alerting parents to contact their child's school and ascertain the specific days and activities that will honor the late homosexual politician. If any celebration is scheduled to commemorate Milk, the pro-family activist urges parents to keep their children home. “It is a moral crime for virtually all the Democrats in the California legislature to force this upon the six-million children in California schools,” Thomason argues. He adds that Milk was one of the worst examples as a role model for children. “Milk believed in adult-child sex; he believed in lying to get ahead. He is one of the worst role models that children could have,” the SaveCalifornia.com president contends. “Teachers, principals, and schools that push Harvey Milk's values are responsible for the degradation of children as human beings.”

Harvey Milk Day is May 22nd.

Chase - Falldown

This is Michael DiMartino, whose sign language dance clips I've posted here several times, performing original music under the stage name, Chase. Here's his site. You may spot him at Joan Rivers, Jackie Beat, and Lady Gaga shows this summer, where he'll be working as an onstage ASL interpreter. And he'll be performing in a NYC concert of his own on June 20th:

Pop singer Chase makes his Times Square debut with an intimate performance at the Laurie Beechman Theatre on Sunday, June 20, at 8 PM. Combining his passions of performance, music and sign language, Chase breaks down barriers between the hearing and deaf communities through choreographed sign-language dance and hit-worthy vocals. Tickets are $10, and may be purchased at www.SpinCycleNYC.com or at 212-352-3101.

British Petroleum: It's Really Just A TINY Spill, Compared To The Entire Ocean

The CEO of British Petroleum would like us all to keep in mind that the Gulf oil spill is tiny, a pittance really, compared to the volume of the ocean. SRSLY.

Tony Hayward, the beleaguered chief executive of BP, has claimed its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is "relatively tiny" compared with the "very big ocean". In an bullish interview with the Guardian at BP's crisis centre in Houston, Hayward insisted that the leaked oil and the estimated 400,000 gallons of dispersant that BP has pumped into the sea to try to tackle the slick should be put in context. "The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume," he said. US authorities estimate that about 5,000 barrels of oil a day are leaking from the damaged pipeline lying on the seabed after attempts to stem the flow failed.

The president has been uncharacteristically blistering in his criticism of BP and Halliburton, saying he was repulsed by their "falling all over each other" to blame other parties.

Obama Makes A Funny

And it's delivered perfectly.

Jedi A-Holes

Things get a little awkward at the end.

The Equality Tsunami Approaches

Today's headline at Washington City Paper: "Gay Marriage Opponents Inch Closer To Death." Hello, Lady Bluntness! The below graph vividly demonstrates how seniors remain the group most strongly opposed to marriage equality. Think of the chart as color-coded waves of acceptance. Still far offshore is the red wave, but it will arrive. (Via - Dan Savage)

Rep. Steve King: Obama's A Racist

Because he opposes Arizona's racist immigration law.

BOSTON: Catholic Archdiocese Comes To Defense Of Banned Student

Well, this is pleasantly shocking. In reaction to yesterday's news that the son of two lesbian moms was denied enrollment at a Catholic school, the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has issued a letter saying that it will not fund any school with a discriminatory admissions policy.

Any such practice “is at odds with our values as a foundation, the intentions of our donors, and ultimately Gospel teaching,’’ said the letter . from the foundation, which relies on corporate executives to help raise millions each year. The letter was signed by the group’s executive director, Michael B. Reardon. Jack Connors chairs the Campaign for Catholic Schools, which has raised nearly $60 million for major capital and program improvements in local Catholic schools. He called the incident an unfortunate aberration and said he was not concerned that it would discourage corporate donors. “But,’’ he said, “I am disappointed that this faith that I love seems to find new ways to shoot itself in the foot.’’ The archdiocese moved swiftly yesterday to clarify its policy and show support for the family. Mary Grassa O’Neill, superintendent of schools for the archdiocese, issued a statement saying that the church does not prohibit children of same-sex parents from attending Catholic schools and that the archdiocese will “work in the coming weeks to develop a policy to eliminate any misunderstandings in the future.’’

The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts is VERY displeased with the Archdiocese's reaction, saying, "The real question here is why two people who radically repudiate the moral teachings of Catholicism would want their child educated in a Catholic school."

Thanks, George!

All the George Rekers buzz pushed this here website thingy into Technorati's Top 100 Blogs this week, a place mostly populated by group blogs like the Huffington Post. I'm way down at #88, but that's still totally braggable. Interestingly, I'm the only blog with a Google domain on the list, but since those busy-busy-busy anti-gay hackers would have to bring down all of Blogspot to get to me, I'm staying put for now.

BELARUS: Slavic Pride To Defy Ban

Organizers of Slavic Pride say that this weekend's parade in Minsk, Belarus will go on despite a government ban. Via Russian activist Nikolai Alekseyev:

Tomorrow dozens of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Belarusians, alongside straight people, will go to the streets of Minsk to defy the ban and assert their constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. They will show that they are against homophobia and discrimination. They cannot expect protection from the European court of human rights because Belarus is still the only country in Europe which is not a member of the Council of Europe. In contrast to Vilnius last Saturday, they will not be joined by dozens of foreign human rights activists. There will be no European parliamentarians taking part in the Slavic gay pride. There will probably be no foreign diplomats to observe the event. But they will be joined by a group of fellow Russian activists who face similar problems and who will come to show their solidarity. And, most importantly, they will have the courage and unstoppable will to live in freedom, respect and dignity. All of them know the risk they are taking, but they are ready to pay the price. Slavic gay pride will be a celebration of courage and will remind us that Harvey Milk's ideals are still alive, and still inspire people all around the world to fight injustice and prejudice, even in hostile and suppressive conditions.

Fascists and anti-gay religious groups are expected to protest the parade, as we saw last week in Vilnius, Lithuania.

REVEALED: The Hypocrisy Of Bill McCollum On Florida's Gay Adoption Ban

Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott Maxwell today reveals Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum's hypocrisy when it comes to gay adoption.

McCollum tried to take my fellow columnist, Mike Thomas, for a ride on this one. After Mike asked McCollum whether he personally supported the ban on gay adoption, McCollum batted his eyes and said he had a gay staffer who had adopted children in another state. "Lets leave it at that," McCollum then said. This was supposed to be McCollum's little wink and nod to the liberal media — not to mention the majority of Americans who oppose Florida's outdated law — that he's really on their side. Horse hockey.

Two years ago, when McCollum was addressing Republicans in Indian River County, he promised to fight as hard as he could to keep gays from ever adopting children in this state. "We're going to go to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and we're going to argue their socks off," he said to a round of applause, according to the Press Journal of Vero Beach. "We happen to believe in this party that this state law is the right law."

Maxwell notes that McCollum also supported a ban on gay adoptions when he was a member of Congress. Call out Bill McCollum's lies at his work office: 850-414-3300.

New Times Releases Rekers Audio

Click over to the New Times to listen to their first phone call to Dr. George Rekers.

World, meet George Alan Rekers. You're catching him at an awkward moment. This conversation was recorded the day after Rekers returned from Europe with his male escort, Jo-vanni, and he was in no mood to chat with the press -- least of all about eight-inch penises and pornographic websites.

In the clip, Rekers says he googled "travel companion" to find his young escort, but can't remember if it was Rentboy.com where they connected. Rentboy.com profiles, of course, do not show up on a Google search.

HomoQuotable - Alan Cumming

"It is my contention that Ramin Seetodeh is not happy with himself. He has particular shame about being gay. He sees gayness, particularly open and unabashed gayness, or effeminacy, as a reminder of what he does not like about himself. And so he attacks it. His own shame translates into his paralysis when thinking of others who might have his own curse and yet be able to function fully and happily within the rest of the world: a child chasing his friends around a playground in high heels; an actor who he knows is publicly gay but feels he needs to re-out to make himself feel better about his own self-loathing and lack of acceptance of his most basic needs and happiness. As someone who is a only a decade or so immigrant to these shores, I have noticed that shame is one of America's biggest exports, imbibed more domestically than overseas, and Mr Seetodeh could easily manage its Gay division." - Alan Cumming, responding to the continuing controversy over Newsweek's "gays can't play straight" article.

Jeebus Was A Teabagger

According to World Net Daily's Molotov Mitchell, Jeebus wasn't the "sissy metrosexual" depicted in religious paintings. No, he was a man's man, baby, a regular He-Man with a sword! In fact, Jeebus was a "blue-collar rightwing extremist radical" and fervent capitalist who fought against big government and taxes. Why, if he were alive today, right now he'd be holed up with his fellow militiamen, ready for war against the godless Obama!

This Weekend: Great Global Kiss-In

The Great Global Kiss-In takes place around the world this weekend as part of the International Day Against Homophobia. Hit the link for times and locations in your town.

CA Assembly Calls For DADT Repeal

Yesterday the California Assembly approved a resolution calling for the repeal of DADT. (The state senate approved the resolution last year.) Speaking in the resolution's support was GOP state Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, a former Marine. Watch his speech.

MINNESOTA: Gov. Tim Pawlenty Vows To Veto Burial Rights For Gay Couples

Minnesota GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty vows that he will veto a bill allowing gay couples to make burial decisions for their partners, saying that such a right is unnecessary.

Supporters balked at the governor's rationale, saying his suggestion that same-sex couples could achieve the same rights through a will still leaves gays on unequal footing with their heterosexual counterparts — married couples have those rights without a will. "He's wrong," asserted Rep. Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, a House sponsor of the bill. The bill is the product of Project 515, an advocacy group for gays and lesbians named after the number of Minnesota laws the group says discriminate against same-sex couples. The group is not pursuing marriage rights for same-sex couples. Project 515 got its first bill passed last year, which protected the homes of the surviving partner of a cohabitating couple should the state try to force a sale to cover the deceased's medical bills. Pawlenty signed it. The new bill gives same-sex partners the right to make decisions about how to dispose of a deceased partner's body — something gay couples say is needed because some gays and lesbians are estranged from their immediate families.

Pawlenty announced earlier this year that he won't be seeking a third term as Minnesota governor. Many expect that he will run for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

St. Petersburg Times Blasts McCollum Over George Rekers Scandal

Anther major Florida newspaper is blasting Attorney General Bill McCollum over the payment of $120,000 to Dr. George Rekers as the scandal now threatens to derail McCollum's bid for governor. From a St. Petersburg Times editorial titled Sleazy Deal Snares McCollum (my bolding):

If the attorney general's office had done its due diligence, it would have discovered that an Arkansas judge in 2004 called Rekers' testimony in a similar case "extremely suspect" and that he "was there to primarily to promote his own personal ideology.'' No wonder that the Miami-Dade judge in the Florida gay adoption case called Rekers' testimony "far from a neutral and unbiased recitation of the relevant scientific evidence'' and concluded "the court cannot consider his testimony to be credible nor worthy of forming the basis of public policy.''

For such worthless testimony in a losing case, taxpayers paid Rekers a premium. After an initial agreement to pay him $60,900, McCollum's office approved another payment of nearly $60,000 because Rekers never signed a contract that would have capped his fee. This is not the sort of sloppy staff work a Republican candidate for governor can easily defend. Arkansas wound up in a dispute over fees with Rekers and eventually paid him $60,000, far less than the $200,000 he billed. Florida taxpayers also deserve a refund — and a better explanation from McCollum about hiring such a discredited "expert.''

BAM! By the way, it looks like McCollum's toadies have completely shut down access to his Facebook campaign page for several days now. Well done, all!

Kylie Minogue - All The Lovers

Here's Kylie Minogue's hotly anticipated new single, which was produced by Stuart Price (Madonna, The Killers, New Order.) And it's great! This will be available for download on June 13th, by which time anyone interested will be sick of it or have gotten it illegally. Or both.

(Tipped by the 22 JMG readers who sent this today. SRSLY.)

Glee Cast Joins Pop Chart Royalty

In less than one year, the cast of Glee has scored 43 (mostly minor) hit singles on Billboard's Hot 100, placing them among the top ten most charting non-solo acts of all time. Here's the current ranking of group acts by number of charting Hot 100 singles: Beatles (71), Rolling Stones (57), Beach Boys (55), Temptations (53), Chicago (46), Miracles (46), Four Tops (45), Supremes (45), Bee Gees (43), Glee cast (43).

As a vivid example of the disposability of today's pop music, Billboard notes that the 43 Glee singles have only spent a combined 57 weeks on the chart, with only eight of the singles surviving longer than one week. By comparison, singles by the Beatles spent a combined 617 weeks on the Hot 100.

Quote Of The Day - Ted Haggard

"I know exactly what it feels like to have both sides hating you bitterly. Some Christians will throw him away. Some gays will crusade against him. If there is any truth to the accusations, this may be his opportunity to find a safe environment where he can process the embarrassing, internal battle that conflicts with his Christian ideals. He may need to work through that with someone who won’t judge or tear him apart." - Ted Haggard, speaking to the Advocate about Dr. George Rekers.

Spain Gives The Middle Finger To AIDS

Andres Duque at Blabbeando directs us to the below safe sex campaign from Spain which has just won a coveted Summit International Award for advertising. Andres translates the opening of the clip: "To you, who has fucked us during so many years, who CRUSH us all, young people, older people, women, men, heterosexuals and homosexuals. To you, ABOMINABLE being... we say...FUCK YOU, AIDS!"

Is Law & Order: TOS Canceled?

Rumors began to fly yesterday the NBC is pulling the plug on the 20-season run of Law & Order.

Looks as though "Law & Order" will not beat out "Gunsmoke" as the longest running American TV drama. According to Deadline, NBC has decided to cancel the series, which is currently nearing the end of its 20th season. The "Law & Order" ratings have been dismal this year, but insiders were assuming that NBC would renew the series if only to let producer Dick Wolf break the "Gunsmoke" 20-season record. "Law & Order" will always be notable not just for its long life, but for pioneering the cool procedural approach to crime drama that continues to thrive. Cops and lawyers who reveal little of their personal lives, a step-by-step advance through crimes of the week, bad guys who slip through the law on technicalities -- these and other "Law & Order" trademarks are now de rigueur.

Earlier this year the show's longest-running cast member, S. Epatha Merkerson, announced that she would be leaving Law & Order at the end of the current season. In 2008 Merkerson broke the record for most episodes for an actress in a single series, when she surpassed Michelle Lee's 344 episodes in Knots Landing.

RELATED: I'm pretty sure I hold the world record for most hours of Law & Order reruns watched. I've seen some episodes more than 20 times, easily.

Sen. James Inhofe On DADT: Soldiers Won't Fight To Defend Gay Comrades

Speaking to Bryan Fischer on the American Family Association's radio program, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) claimed that American soldiers would not fight to defend openly gay fellow soldiers. And therefore, we cannot allow the appointment of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court.

Subway: We Own The Word "Footlong"

Subway has sent cease and desist letters to mom & pop sandwich shops around the nation demanding that they stop using the word "footlong" to describe anything on their menus that is...footlong.

"You are hereby put on notice to cease and desist from using FOOTLONG (TM) association with sandwiches. You must immediately remove all references to FOOTLONG (TM) in association with sandwiches." NPR asked Subway to explain itself and got this response: "Any legal process we go through is to protect the investment our franchisees have made in the brand," Kane told me. "If 'footlong' is a name that's been associated with us, it would benefit them that we would take an action like this to protect the association."

Read one of the letters here. (PDF)

CLASSIC: Lewis Black Rips Glenn Beck

May 20th: Campaign Fundraiser For Openly Gay NY Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell

Openly gay New York Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell will hold a campaign fundraiser in NYC next Thursday. As regular readers know, it was O'Donnell who successfully guided the state's marriage equality bill through the state Assembly. THREE TIMES, in fact. Embiggen the above image for details about next week's fundraiser. You can also contribute to O'Donnell's campaign via his ActBlue page. Danny's a good man and he's one of ours. Keep him fighting your battles in the New York legislature.

Rachel Maddow Recaps Rekers News

Last night Rachel Maddow recapped the latest news about Dr. George Rekers. The items she mentions were all covered here in the last few days, but as always, everything sounds so much more delicious when coming from Ms. Maddow, so here you go.

NYC: Eight Activists Arrested At Massive Protest Over Obama's AIDS Funding

Eight AIDS activist were arrested in Manhattan late Wednesday night in a massive protest outside a $15K-a-plate Democratic fundraiser featuring an appearance by President Obama. Housing Works has the story:

In addition to those arrested, 500 protesters from around the world chanted and marched holding signs reading “No More AIDS Lies! Treat People Now!” and carrying body bags. “While they are inside sipping champagne and caviar, Obama’s broken promises for global AIDS funding mean people will die because they cannot afford a ‘cocktail’ of HIV/AIDS medication,” said ACT UP Philadelphia member Henry Bennett. “Obama gave them hope, then he took it away.” On the campaign trail, candidate Obama pledged to provide at least $50 billion by 2013 for the global fight against HIV/AIDS and to “at least double the number of HIV-positive people on treatment.”

But, as the New York Times reported, Obama’s commitments to fighting AIDS have not even kept pace with inflation, let alone increased to the level he promised. Flat-funding for the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) means that people who were tested for HIV under U.S.-sponsored programs and promised treatment when they got sick are now being turned away. Although $50 billion was approved for five years, both of the budgets Obama submitted have flat-funded treatment.

Visit photographer Kaytee Riek's site for many more photos of the protest.

Broadway Friday

-Liza Minnelli will release a new album titled Confessions in September. The CD will come in two versions. The track listing for the extended 15-cut deluxe edition is here. The album's producer has not yet been named.

-Christine Ricci makes her Broadway debut in Time Stands Still when it reopens on Broadway in September. Laura Linney will rejoin the cast from the show's limited run at Manhattan Theatre Club earlier this year.

-No more tomorrows. Vintage comic strip Annie will cease production next month after 85 years. Little Orphan Annie launched in the New York Daily news in 1924.

-Antonio Banderas will star in a revival of Zorba, set to open in September 2011.

-Broadway World has launched Critics Report Card, where they collect reviews and assign aggregate scores. This week's top ranked show is the revival of Chicago with a 9.5. At the bottom: The Addams Family with 4.6.

-Broadway-related tourism contributed $9.8B to the NYC economy in the 2008-2009 season. $2B of that was ticket sales.

-Doris Eaton Travis, the last of the Ziegfeld Follies Girls, died this week at the age of 106. Davis was a vocal supporter of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The darling of Broadway's chorus boys, she often appeared in Broadway Cares' annual Easter bonnet contest.

-Tony nominated set designer Christine Jones has created a temporary Broadway theater with just one seat. Shows are running in Times Square for ten days beginning today, featuring plays, stand up comedy, and even a dance piece. One performer, one audience member, multiple shows per day. Tickets are free.

Stars Reenact Prop 8 Trial Testimony

The Courage Campaign has launched Equality On Trial, in which stars reenact the testimony given by the plaintiffs in California's Prop 8 trial. Below are reenactments from Marisa Tomei, Cheyenne Jackson, Michael Urie, Patricia Clarkson, Alan Cumming, and Ellen Greene. The Courage Campaign invites you to download trial scripts and upload your own reenactments to the Equality On Trial site.

Cable News: Softball = Gay

PORTUGAL: Pope Warns Against "Insidious Threat" Of Gay Marriage

Today Emperor Palpatine urged the Portuguese people to oppose the marriage equality bill recently approved by the nation's legislature, calling it an "insidious" threat to society.

The pope, wrapping up his trip to this country where more than 90 percent of the population is officially Catholic, made his appeal in the shrine city of Fatima on a day that started with a Mass attended by up to half a million people. In his afternoon address to Catholic charity and social workers, the 83-year-old German pope said he "deeply appreciated" initiatives aimed at defending what he said were "essential and primary values of life." Among these values, he said, was "the family, founded on indissoluble marriage between a man and a woman," which is Vatican-speak for its opposition to gay marriage. The audience applauded when the pope said abortion -- which has been legal in Portugal since 2007 -- and threats to heterosexual marriage were "among some of the most insidious and dangerous challenges facing the common good today."

Portugal's president is being pressured by the Vatican to veto the marriage equality bill, although it's widely expected that his veto will be overridden by the parliament.

Sarah Palin: Them Are Fightin' Words

Sarah Palin doesn't like it that an Illinois girls basketball team won't be playing in an Arizona tournament due to the state's racist immigration law. Cover your ears, Palin's voice hits some frequencies only heard by bats.

Orlando Sentinel Calls On Bill McCollum To Drop Gay Adoption Appeal

In a blistering editorial attacking Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum over the Rekers scandal, the Orlando Sentinel has called on McCollum to drop his appeal of the decision to allow gay adoptions as "atonement" for hiring Rekers.

The judge in the Florida case, Cindy Lederman, wound up declaring the state's gay adoption ban unconstitutional. In her ruling, Ms. Lederman wrote that Mr. Rekers' testimony was neither "credible nor worthy of forming the basis for public policy." Yet the attorney general's office appealed the ruling. Incredible. Since the revelations about Mr. Rekers, Mr. McCollum has been on the defensive about hiring him. "There wasn't a whole lot of choice," he said. The dearth of credible experts to defend the ban should have told the attorney general something. Reputable studies have shown parents' quality, not their sexual orientation, is what counts. No wonder Florida is almost alone in barring gay adoption. Mr. McCollum can atone for his mistake by dropping the appeal, and clearing the way for Florida to abandon this archaic law.

PhoboQuotable - Greg Quinlan

"Ms. Nooyi, you lead PepsiCo’s Diversity and Inclusion Governance Council. I don’t want to hear any more words from you about diversity and inclusion -- I want you to actually practice it. As for Peggy Moore, who represents PepsiCo on the PFLAG Board Workplace Diversity Committee, she should be fired because she doesn’t know the first thing about diversity if she can’t respect people like me. And PepsiCo should resign immediately from PFLAG’s so-called Diversity Committee. Why would PepsiCo sit on a committee that defines diversity to only include those people whose religious ideology they agree with?

"Ms. Nooyi and PepsiCo Board of Directors, do you make these decisions because of replicated scientific studies supporting specific biological etiology for homosexuality? I can answer that for you. You can’t because there is zero evidence. ZERO that anyone is born homosexual. Once again, I urge the PepsiCo Board of Directors, yes; each and every one of you, to do your jobs and hold PepsiCo to the ideals and standards it claims to follow. I shouldn’t have to come here year after year asking PepsiCo to stop funding hate against people like me. " PFOX president Greg Quinlan, screaming to PepsiCo's board of directors at their annual shareholders meeting.

"Ex-gay" loser Quinlan has his delicate, finely-laced pink panties in a twist because PepsiCo has contributed to PFLAG and the Human Rights Campaign.

Oil Continues To Spew Into Gulf After Capping Attempt Fails

Here's what it looks like, 5000 feet down on the ocean floor. No end in sight. (No audio on this clip.)

Michelangelo Signorile: Out Them ALL

Activist and SiriusXM host Michelangelo Signorile says that it's time that the gay community stops cloaking anti-gay politicians that are known to us to be gay themselves. Writing for the Advocate, Signorile uses the recent example of California state Sen. Roy Ashburn, who was outed by West Sacramento's openly gay mayor on Facebook, although few took notice.

West Sacramento’s Mayor Cabaldon notes that unnamed gay and lesbian lobbyists and other prominent LGBT people knew Ashburn was gay and protected him. He told me that several of these individuals angrily complained to him after his Facebook update and after he criticized Ashburn in the media following the state senator’s arrest. Those who protected Ashburn were selling out the community. In that sense, they’re just as guilty as Ashburn. Every gay person who knows the truth about closeted antigay politicans has a responsibility to speak up, as Mike Rogers does so fearlessly. This is no longer an issue that is debatable. No one’s privacy deserves respect when that person is working against our rights, and none of us should be complicit in keeping the secrets of these detestable individuals. The message has to be sent loud and clear: You are either with us or you are against us.

To paraphrase NYC's MTA, if you see something, motherfucking SAY something!

John McCain: I Am Outraged That Elena Kagan Blocked Recruiters At Harvard

Luggage Will Be Lifted

NARTH has announced their 2010 convention, which will be held at Philadelphia's Renaissance Hotel on November 5th-7th. This year's "ex-gay" confab will be called "Preserving Personal Freedom: The Scientific & Ethical Treatment of Unwanted Homosexuality." Who's down for a drop-in? The luggage prop opportunities are irresistible!

Missed Connections

Jason Clark is running for governor of Colorado. And since he doesn't have a running mate, he's put an ad on Craigslist.

Clark, who currently serves as the president of the Aurora, CO investment firm Clark Brothers, forked over $25 for a to-the-point listing on the website, calling on average Coloradans to apply for the job, via the standard anonymous Craigslist email address. "There's a complete and total disconnect between politics and the people," Clark told TPM. "We're looking for fresh thinkers, new ideas, and new leadership. We want to invite everyone in."

Clark says he's gotten over 200 applicants, but none have been suitable.

HAWAII: Birthers Blocked From Requesting Obama's Birth Certificate

Hawaii has passed a law authorizing state agencies to ignore repeated requests for President Obama's birth certificate.

The law is aimed at so-called "birthers," who claim Obama is ineligible to be president. They contend the Democratic president was born outside the United States, and therefore doesn't meet a constitutional requirement for being president. Gov. Lingle didn't elaborate on her reasons for signing the bill, but state Health Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino previously issued statements saying that she's seen vital records that prove Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born American citizen. Both Fukino and the state registrar of vital statistics have verified that the Health Department holds Obama's original birth certificate.

As you might expect, birthers are claiming that Obama forced the state to pass the bill.

HomoQuotable - LZ Granderson

"The gay and lesbian community has plenty of Uncle Toms trying to blow us up from inside, but what we don't have is our own word or phrase to identify them. Some call them 'closet cases,' but there is a difference between someone who is unwilling to live openly and honestly, and someone who takes that a step further and hurts those who do.

"People in the closet warrant a level of sympathy because we all know how difficult it can be to embrace one's truth. And I do not believe in outing people who are simply living in hiding. But I do believe in revealing the identities of these gay Uncle Toms. People like Rekers, a Baptist minister who was paid to testify against gay adoption and travel the globe preaching that therapy can 'cure' gay people, do not deserve the same sympathy given to those who are afraid of losing their jobs. Not when they consciously morph from being victims of homophobia to attack dogs eating their young." - LZ Granderson, writing for CNN.

Granderson doesn't want us using "warm and fuzzy" names like Uncle Roy (Cohn) to describe people like George Rekers and is looking for a new expression. Suggestions?

Arizona Bans Ethnic Studies

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has signed a bill banning ethnic studies classes for public school students. Because they "promote resentment" of white people.

Gov. Jan Brewer approved the measure without public statement Tuesday, according to state legislative records. The new law forbids elementary or secondary schools to teach classes that are "designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group" and advocate "the overthrow of the United States government" or "resentment toward a race or class of people." The bill was pushed by state school Superintendent Tom Horne, who has spent two years trying to get Tucson schools to drop a Mexican-American studies program he said teaches Latino students they are an oppressed minority. There was no immediate response from the Tucson Unified School District, the law's main target.

RELATED: Yesterday the Los Angeles city council voted overwhelmingly to boycott Arizona businesses. The city has $56M in annual contracts with Arizona-based companies.

GLAAD Demands Apology From Newsweek Over "Gay Actors Can't Play Straight" Flap

GLAAD is asking the editors of Newsweek for an apology after running a column by openly gay writer Ramin Setoodeh in which he claimed that gay actors cannot convincingly play straight characters. The creator of the hit Fox show Glee has also called for a boycott of Newsweek.

"An actor's personal life should not be a factor in their believability in a role," said Jarrett Barrios, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. "That would be tantamount to audiences not buying Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl as lovers in their upcoming film 'Killers' because the two are happily married to different people in real life." GLAAD spokesman Rich Ferraro said the magazine has not offered the apology sought by the group, but that the topic was discussed with Barrios and Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Milk," during a Q&A with Newsweek on Wednesday. He said he believed that discussion would be published in the next issue.

Some Hollywood stars blasted the magazine and writer Ramin Setoodeh for an April 26 story that said it was OK for straight actors to play gay roles, but "it's rare for someone to pull off the trick in reverse." In the story, Setoodeh criticized Sean Hayes' latest leading-man performance on Broadway, writing that the openly gay actor "comes off as wooden and insincere, like he's trying to hide something, which of course he is." Ryan Murphy, creator of the hit Fox series "Glee," called for a boycott of the magazine until it apologizes to its gay readers, Hayes and "and other brave out actors who were cruelly singled out in this damaging, needlessly cruel and mind-blowingly bigoted piece."

Numerous openly gay actors and their supporters have publicly blasted Newsweek and Setoodeh since the story was published.

Liberty Counsel: We'll Back Rekers

The anti-gay Liberty Counsel announced yesterday that they would provide legal support to Dr. George Rekers should he follow through on his vow to sue the Miami New Times and its reporters for claiming that Rekers patronized a rentboy.

"I think [Mr. Rekers] would have a great case to file a defamation action," said Mathew D. Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel said. "I think it was a completely arranged setup," he said, referring to the presence of writers of the free weekly Miami New Times at Miami International Airport when Mr. Rekers and his hired travel companion arrived in the United States April 13. [snip] Mr. Staver said he believes Mr. Rekers' recent court appearances, in which the professor testified in favor of state bans on gay adoption, became "a major focus of people trying to discredit him as an individual." "I think that it's the classic [tactic], 'If you can't destroy the message, you destroy the messenger,' ... and I think this is a personal attack designed to cast aspersions on his character and reputation," Mr. Staver said.

Does Rekers really want to go under oath about this and have his emails to the rentboy read back in open court?

Ten Things Not To Do In NYC

Travel site Concierge lists their ten most over-hyped tourist experiences in NYC.

1. Hansom cab ride through Central Park.
2. Dining at Tavern On The Green.
3. Eating anywhere in Times Square.
4. Comedy shows in Times Square.
5. Shopping at Century 21.
6. Nightclubbing in the Meatpacking District.
7. A pedi-cab ride through mid-town.
8. Eating from a hot dog cart.
9. Visiting the Empire State Building.
10. Cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery.

Since I first read the above-linked story last night, the site updated their list to note that, hello, Tavern On The Green is closed. Otherwise, I agree with most of the list. Except for Century 21. And hot dog carts.

PUERTO RICO: Parents React To Guilty Plea From Gay Son's Killer

Activist Pedro Julio Serrano and the parents of murdered gay teen Jorge Mercado spoke to the local news after their son's killer plead guilty. You don't have to speak one word of Spanish to be moved by this.

MASSACHUSETTS: Catholic School Refuses Student With Two Moms

Once again, a Catholic school has refused to admit a student because he has lesbian parents.

A Roman Catholic school in Massachusetts has withdrawn its acceptance of an 8-year-old boy with lesbian parents, saying their relationship was "in discord" with church teachings, according to one of the boys' mothers. It's at least the second time in recent months that students have not been allowed to attend a U.S. Catholic school because of their parents' sexual orientation, with the other instance occurring in Colorado. The Massachusetts woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns about the effect of publicity on her son, said she planned to send the boy to third grade at St. Paul Elementary School in Hingham in the fall. But she said she learned her son's acceptance was rescinded during a conference call Monday with Principal Cynthia Duggan and the parish priest, the Rev. James Rafferty. "I'm accustomed to discrimination, I suppose, at my age and my experience as a gay woman," the mother said. "But I didn't expect it against my child."

Earlier this year a Catholic school in Boulder, Colorado also told two lesbian moms that their child could not enroll.

Morning View - Park Avenue South & 26th

Tired Old Queen At The Movies #31

Marilyn Monroe in 1953's Niagara!

Open Thread Thursday

Summer is almost here. Tell us about your favorite undiscovered secret getaway, that place that turned out to be unexpectedly great. Guesthouses, restaurants, beaches, bars.

Ex-Gay Freeze Tag

Good As You calls this ad from "ex-gay" nutters Stonegate Fellowship "creepy," probably because of the zombies who come to life momentarily to spew "we can save you from the gay" nonsense before turning back into statues. They're from Texas! Zombie, Texas!

Roy Zimmerman: George Rekers Is Completely Heterosexual

Musical satirist Roy Zimmerman updates his classic.

George Rekers: I Am Getting Spiritual Counseling For My Weaknesses

Even though he's still saying the he will sue all the involved parties for saying he is a homosexual, Dr. George Rekers told Christianity Today via email today that he is getting counseling to overcome the "weaknesses" that made him hire Jo-Vanni Roman.

"I confessed to the Lord and to my family that I was unwise and wrong to hire this travel assistant after knowing him only one month before the trip and not knowing whether he was more than a person raised in a Christian home," Rekers said. "I also confessed to the Lord and to my family the sin of thereby putting myself into a vulnerable situation where I tragically became subject to false allegations."

Rekers said that he regrets "unanticipated harm" for his "unwise decision," and briefly mentioned part of the trip. "One thing for which I am grateful is that my travel assistant openly shared his spiritual doubts with me during the trip and he did let me share the gospel of Jesus Christ with him with many Scriptures in three extended conversations."

Rekers said he is being advised by a team of three Christian counselors. "And I have committed myself to ongoing meetings with an experienced pastor and counselor from my church, so I can more fully understand my weaknesses and prevent this kind of unwise decision-making in the future."

Rekers says that his wife will be retiring soon and will be available to lift his luggage in the future. Wait, didn't we all think Rekers is divorced?

Family Research Council's First President Headed Florida's DCF Until The Year Before George Rekers Was Paid $120,000

In 2002 then Florida Gov. Jeb Bush appointed Jerry Regier, another Family Research Council co-founder and a buddy of George Rekers, to head the Department of Children and Families, the very agency now at the center of controversy over Rekers' payment of $120,000 to testify in against allowing gay adoption. Shortly after Regier assumed the top post at DCF, the Miami Herald unearthed a 1989 article co-authored by Reiger and Rekers that made some outrageous claims.

In a 1989 essay entitled The Christian World View of the Family, Regier and co-author George Rekers railed against abortion and gay couples forming families, and emphasized that husbands have "final say in any family dispute.'' And the essay declares that ''biblical spanking'' that leads to "temporary and superficial bruises or welts do not constitute child abuse.'' The essay also said Christians should not marry non-Christians, that divorce is acceptable only when there is adultery or desertion and that wives should view working outside the home as ''bondage.'' The ''radical feminist movement,'' the essay adds, "has damaged the morale of many women and convinced men to relinquish their biblical authority in the home.'' Asked if the governor was aware of Regier's writings before they were raised by The Herald, Bush spokeswoman Katie Muniz said: "I have a simple answer. No.'' But, she added, "Mr. Regier has been an outstanding public servant for over a decade serving two presidents and a sitting governor. His record speaks for itself. Many of our nation's finest public servants past and present have been men and women of faith.''

Regier was the first president of FRC and prior to his 2002 DCF appointment by Jeb Bush, he ran for governor of Oklahoma. He left Florida's Department of Children and Families at the end of Bush's term in 2007. Now we need to find his fingerprints on those checks to George Rekers, even if they came a year after Regier left office. Why does the Family Research Council's co-founder and first president pal around with guys who hire male prostitutes? Call them and ask: 202/393-2100.