GOP Rep. John Shimkus: Don't Worry, God Will Take Care Of Global Warming

And this guy wants to be the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. How terrifying is that?

SLIDESHOW: Blowoff NYC

Another fantastic Blowoff party last night, where I hung out for a bit with Alan Cumming and singer/songwriter Aiden James, and met lots of handsome JMG readers. And Rich Morel even played his smoking remix of Cumming's Next To Me, one of my favorite tracks of the year. Full-screen photos are here. Enjoy the hotties.

Texas Radio Host Attacks Joel Burns

The day after openly gay Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns made his now-famously impassioned speech about bullying and gay suicides, local radio host Chris Krok launched a vile and homophobic attack on Burns that is just now getting wider attention. "Stop lying, you don't have a 'husband.'" Etc, etc.

Bathhouse Art

A new book about Michelangelo speculates that his inspiration for all the nude male figures in the Sistine Chapel's Last Judgment mural came from his frequent visits to Rome's gay bathhouses and brothels.

Elena Lazzarini, a researcher from Pisa University, believes the enormous fresco is replete with homosexual imagery, including a man being dragged into Damnation by his testicles and kisses and embraces between male figures. She has explored the theory in a new book, claiming that Michelangelo drew much of his knowledge of male anatomy from his frequent visits to gay brothels and 'Turkish baths' in 16th century Italy. "The virile male bodies are inspired by the physiology of labourers engaged in physical exertion, with taut muscles, strenuous exertion and pain etched into the expression on their faces," said Miss Lazzarini. Michelangelo's explicit depiction of naked male bodies caused outrage in the Roman Catholic Church when the fresco was unveiled, with the artist accused of indecency and obscenity. Biagio da Cesena, the papal master of ceremonies, said the fresco was more suited to "public baths and taverns" than to a place of worship.

One art critic is unamused.

Some art critics like to say that the Last Judgment reflects Michelangelo’s own tortured relationship with his faith, in particular his belief that suffering is vital to finding faith in God. here is no light entertainment in this intense masterpiece, one which stretches across the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, the building traditionally used for papal elections. It seems almost heretical to link such a masterpiece to a common bathhouse.

(Tipped by JMG reader Vivian)

PhoboQuotable - Tony Perkins

"You can almost smell the desperation of the pro-homosexual crowd as the clock ticks down on the 111th Congress. One sign of their anxiety over 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' seems to be cropping up in the form of one-sided leaks from the Pentagon on the content of a report due to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and President Obama on December 1. Another sign is a strange effort to discredit Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the former Vietnam POW who has led efforts this year to maintain the existing 1993 law (usually referred to as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell").

"Several media outlets have reported as fact that Sen. McCain once supported repeal of the law but has reversed himself. This is completely false. Where could they have gotten such an idea? Perhaps from Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, who also said recently that Sen. McCain 'previously expressed support for the repeal of this law.' The truth is, while Sen. McCain has not always taken the same position as FRC on some issues, he has been entirely consistent on this one. These liberal activists should give up on their push to use the military to ram radical social change through the lame-duck Congress--and stop lying about an American hero while they're at it." - Family Research Council head Tony Perkins.

FACT CHECK: In the past McCain has said that he only supported keeping DADT because that's what military leaders wanted.

My opinion is shaped by the view of the leaders of the military. The reason why I supported the policy to start with is because General Colin Powell, who was then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the one that strongly recommended we adopt this policy in the Clinton administration. I have not heard General Powell or any of the other military leaders reverse their position, just like when on other issues, that people are expert and knowledgeable of, I rely on their opinion.

But once military leaders said that they DID support the president's call to repeal DADT, McCain decided that their opinion wasn't so important after all. Once again, Tony Perkins makes the Baby Jeebus cry.

Tired Old Queen At The Movies #57

1940's Pride And Prejudice, starring Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier, Maureen O'Sullivan, Melville Cooper, and Marsha Hunt.

Jon Stewart: Stop Saying "Teabagger"

Jon Stewart says the word "teabagger" was funny "for maybe a day" and that the left should stop using it. Never!

Catholic Church: We Need More Exorcists

More than fifty Catholic bishops and priests are in Baltimore this weekend for a training event on how to perform exorcisms.

Signs of demonic possession accepted by the church include violent reaction to holy water or anything holy, speaking in a language the possessed person doesn't know and abnormal displays of strength. The full exorcism is held in private and includes sprinkling holy water, reciting Psalms, reading aloud from the Gospel, laying on of hands and reciting the Lord's Prayer. Some adaptations are allowed for different circumstances. The exorcist can invoke the Holy Spirit then blow in the face of the possessed person, trace the sign of the cross on the person's forehead and command the devil to leave. The training comes at a time when many American bishops and priests are trying to correct what they view as a lack of emphasis on the Catholic teaching about sin and evil after the Second Vatican Council, the series of meetings in the 1960s that enacted modernizing reforms in the church. Many in the American hierarchy, as well as Pope Benedict XVI, believe that the supernatural aspect of the church was lost in the changes, reducing it to just another institution in the world.

Dan Choi On Cindy McCain's DADT Message (Which She Has Now Retracted)

"Mrs. McCain misses the man she married."

UPDATE: Oh, but hang on. Mrs. McCain has apparently been knocked into line by her husband.
John Aravosis goes ballistic on AmericaBlog:

Did she lie today or lie yesterday? Either way, she's a liar, and she should be removed from the NOH8 video because, as of right now, Cindy McCain is a hater. Not to mention, great message she just sent to gay youth. If someone pressures you, cave and support hate. I can't believe I defended this woman over the past 24 hours to people who tweeted me, and messaged me on Facebook, and said she was a fraud. I argued that she had a done a great thing. And now we see the real Cindy McCain: Hateful two-faced homophobic fraud. Her lying homophobic face needs to be yanked from that video immediately.

The Department Of Defense Is EVER So Pissed About The Leaked DADT Survey

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is furious about the leaked DADT survey and has launched an investigation to find its source. In the meantime, today the Pentagon issued a super-annoyed press release.

Secretary Gates is very concerned and extremely disappointed that unnamed sources within the Department of Defense have selectively revealed aspects of the draft findings of the Comprehensive Review Working Group, presumably to shape perceptions of the report prior to its release. The Secretary launched this review in March to objectively ascertain the impact of potential repeal of the ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell’ law on military readiness, effectiveness, recruiting, retention, unit cohesion and families. He made it clear then and throughout this process that it was ‘critical that this effort be carried out in a professional, thorough and dispassionate manner.’ He has also stated clearly that ‘given the political dimension of this issue, it is equally critical that...every effort be made to shield our men and women in uniform and their families from those aspects of this debate.’

For nearly nine months the Working Group has operated in strict accordance to that mandate. Anonymous sources now risk undermining the integrity of this process. The Secretary strongly condemns the unauthorized release of information related to this report and has directed an investigation to establish who communicated with the Washington Post or any other news organization without authorization and in violation of Department policy and his specific instruction. The full report will be made public for all to review early next month. Until then, no one at the Pentagon will comment on its contents.

You gotta wonder how much of a hand Tony Perkins had in this response.

Gwyneth Paltrow - Forget You

Slog's Wm. Steven Humphrey on this "train wreck" from next week's Glee: "This particular train leaps off the tracks, barrels through a kid's chemo treatment center, runs over 37 baskets of puppies, and then explodes in a firestorm of WHAT THE FUCK. (Or rather, what the 'forget.')"

Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber Accuses Courts Of "Kidnapping" Isabella Miller

How's THIS for chutzpah? Matt Barber says it's the COURTS that have "kidnapped" Isabella Miller. And not Lisa Miller, her whackadoodle "ex-gay" biological mother whom many suspect was spirited out of the country by the Liberty Counsel themselves when custody of Isabella was awarded to Miller's former partner, Janet Jenkins. The Liberty Counsel claims not to have seen or heard from Lisa Miller in over a year, yet they continue to represent her in court. Matt Barber, where are YOU hiding Isabella Miller?

Quote Of The Day - Ken Cuccinelli

"Now, Americans endlessly debate the meaning of each part of the Constitution. But one thing that every American should be able to agree on, if you think in terms of Venn Diagrams--I was an engineer before I was a lawyer, so I do things like this--the circle of power that represents federal power under the Constitution must be entirely within the circle of power exercised by King George III and the Parliament of Great Britain. Otherwise, why rebel? And, yet, here we have a Congress and a president who are exercising power that even Parliament and King George III acknowledged they did not have." - Virginia Asshat Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, invoking the threat of revolution over "Obamacare." Cuccinelli is part of a group of 20 GOP state attorneys general suing the federal government to prevent poor people from getting insurance.

Jessie J - Do It Like A Dude

Former child star Jessie Cornish, who at age 11 appeared on the West End in an Andrew Lloyd Weber production, is all growed-up, raunchified, and rechristened Jessie J. This record isn't my style (at all) but according to the interweb, which is never wrong, it's The Big Single of 2011. That doesn't seem impossible, as Jessie J wrote The Big Single of 2009, Miley Cyrus' Party In The USA, which went quadruple Platinum In The USA.

BREAKING: Supreme Court Denies Log Cabin Republican's DADT Request

The Supreme Court has refused to vacate the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal's indefinite stay of the overturn of DADT. The vacate request was filed on behalf of the Log Cabin Republicans, who last month convinced District Court Judge Virginia Phillips to declare DADT to be unconstitutional.

Via SCOTUSblog:

Without noting a dissent, but with Justice Kagan not taking part, the Court denied a gay rights advocacy group’s plea to block the military from enforcing the 1993 law that bars gays and lesbians from serving openly in the services. The order means the policy will remain in effect at least through March, unless Congress repeals it — an unlikely prospect.

UPDATE: Servicemembers United reacts.

"It is unfortunate that an unconstitutional law that is causing substantial harm to military readiness and to tens of thousands of troops is allowed to remain in effect for even one more day," said Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United and the only named veteran plaintiff in the case. "This just underscores the need to continue to put pressure on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to allow the defense authorization bill to come back up and take its first procedural step before the Senate's Thanksgiving recess. Servicemembers United, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Stonewall Democrats, and the Log Cabin Republicans have all strongly and consistently called on Senator Reid to do just that. It is now time for other organizations, as well as the White House, to publicly do the same."

Walk Like A Boss

The latest "thing" on YouTube seems to be people risking death from super-high places. All of these clips make my nuts ache.

FLORIDA: Christian Group Calls For Nickelodeon Boycott Over Trans Character

The Florida Family Association is calling for an advertiser boycott of Nickelodeon's Teen Nick channel over a transgender character on its show, Degrassi: The Next Generation. The anti-gay group is falsely claiming to have already forced Kodak, the show's prime sponsor, to pull out.

The Florida Family Association (FFA) claimed another victory on Wednesday when David Caton announced that, after receiving e-mails from FFA members, Kodak pulled the plug on sponsoring “DeGrassi: The Next Generation” on Teen Nick. The FFA targeted DeGrassi due to, as Caton put it in an e-mail sent out on Oct. 27 to his supporters, the show “targets teens with gay propaganda and other immoral behavior.” Teen Nick boasted that Kodak was the sponsor of their show 'DeGrassi: The Next Generation' and aired dozens of their advertisements just before Kodak received thousands of e-mails regarding the program’s irresponsible content,” wrote Caton on Wednesday. “Kodak was the most frequent advertiser on DeGrassi just before Florida Family Association’s Oct. 27 e-mail alert was released. Additionally, Teen Nick labeled Kodak as a ‘sponsor’ of several episodes during that same time.

However Kodak says that their ad schedule on Teen Nick is merely on a "planned pause" and that they'll return to Degrassi next week. So the Florida Family Association jerk is a liar as well as a bigot.

Sarah Palin Fan Art

Many more examples here. Some of them clearly aren't by actual fans.

HRC To Launch DADT Ad Campaign

On Monday the Human Rights Campaign will place ads in several major newspapers in key markets urging senators to vote for the National Defense Authorization Act, to which the repeal of DADT is attached. (View large-size ad here.) Via press release:

As part of an all-out push aimed at convincing senators to bring the National Defense Authorization Act to a vote during the Senate’s lame duck session, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest civil rights organization working toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, will place full-page ads in the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Ohio), the Boston Herald (Massachusetts), the Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Virginia), and the Indianapolis Star (Indiana) on Monday calling on key senators to put the security of our nation and our troops first. The NDAA funds thousands of defense programs critical to our national security and includes a provision that would repeal the discriminatory and unjust law known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

On the same day the ads are published (Monday), HRC will launch an internet-based campaign urging their members and others to call senators directly on the issue.

Today In Ominous Press Releases

OK, maybe not ominous...but definitely intriguing.

NASA will hold a news conference at 12:30 p.m. EST on Monday, Nov. 15, to discuss the Chandra X-ray Observatory's discovery of an exceptional object in our cosmic neighborhood. The news conference will originate from NASA Headquarters' television studio, 300 E St. SW in Washington and carried live on NASA TV. Media representatives may attend the conference, join by phone or ask questions from participating NASA locations.

Buh-buh-bummmm.

(Tipped by JMG reader NYC Girl)

Oklahoma Saved From Islam! Praise!

COVER SHOT: The Out 100 Of 2010

Out Magazine sends us the cover for the 16th annual Out 100 issue.

Entertainer of the Year — Ricky Martin: “I am Hispanic, and I am a gay man, and they both struggle. Is it a big responsibility? It can be as big as I want it to be,” Martin tells Out. Embracing both fatherhood and new status as a gay role model, Martin, who opens up in his new memoir, Me, looks forward to teaching his twin boys acceptance and love and a day when he proudly walks them down the red carpet!

Diva of the Year — Johnny Weir: “Every little boy should be so lucky as to turn into me,” Weir declared unapologetically after two Canadian broadcasters suggested he undergo a “gender test” during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. With his flair for flamboyance and commitment to glamour, Weir never shies away from controversy—or pageantry.

Artist of the Year — Julianne Moore: “I don’t think a movie like The Kids Are All Right could be made if this wasn’t the way that families are living today all over the United States,” Moore states. The actress, a four-time Oscar nominee, began her activism some 25 years ago after her first experience with what would become the AIDS pandemic.

Newsmaker of the Year — Rachel Maddow: Growing up in the time of the AIDS pandemic gave Maddow a compelling perspective on the state of gay activism, especially now in the age of Obama. “We continue to have a sort of lackadaisical gay political movement that has a relationship with Democrat politicians that doesn’t serve gay rights: ‘We want to be close to you.’ Beautiful! But if we’re not getting anything for that, then it’s actually counterproductive.”

Stylemaker of the Year – Nate Berkus: Oprah protégé Berkus recently became the first openly gay man to host a daily nationally syndicated television show, and the guru is not taking that responsibility lightly. “Having a daily show is an opportunity for me not to push a political agenda, but to speak out for tolerance and understanding and equality,” he notes.

COLOMBIA: High Court Rejects Marriage

Colombia's Constitutional Court has rejected hearing a lawsuit that would legalize same-sex marriage.

The Constitutional Court ruled that the request filed by two attorneys for equal rights for gay couples was flawed and presented in an irregular manner, La FM Radio reports. The president of the Constitutional Court, Judge Mauricio Gonzalez Cuervo, said that "nothing is final, and it is possible to insist on civil marriage for same sex couples in front of the court, but with more detailed arguments because this article will play a vital role within Colombia's constitution." The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community (LGBT) accuses the Constitutional Court of discrimination and announced that they will insist on legislation to allow gay marriage following the court's failure to rule in favor of it.

RELATED: In July same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide in Argentina.

(Tipped by JMG reader Hector)

iPhone Subway Concert

More than 3.6M views on YouTube in just three weeks.

AbFab To Return?

London's Daily Mail reports that the full original cast of Absolutely Fabulous may return for another season.

Crack open the Bolly, darling – Absolutely Fabulous is coming back. Joanna Lumley has revealed she will be reunited with Jennifer Saunders, 52, in a revival of the hit television sitcom. The actress said she was in talks with Miss Saunders – who created the show – to bring back the champagne-guzzling, foul-mouthed, chain-smoking fashionistas for a comeback. And even though the characters Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone would by now probably be pensioners, Miss Lumley said: ‘Jen wrote to me and said, “Let’s talk through it. What do you think?” And I said, “Bring it on.” Because we’re all still here. ‘Mother’s still alive – the wonderful June Whitfield. Julia Sawalha, Jane Horrocks, the basic five Js. We’re all still alive and available – ish – to do it, and I think we just have to do it.’ The 64-year-old is currently starring on Broadway in the comedy La Bête. The final episode of the BBC show aired on Christmas Day in 2004 after seven successful years, from 1992 to 1996 and then from 2001 to 2004.

Jennifer Saunders, who has been undergoing breast cancer chemotherapy for the last year, declined to comment on the above story. Other sources say she is waiting until the deal actually gets inked.

The Bible Is True, It Says So In The Bible

(Source)

GERMANY: Top Footballer Mario Gomez Urges Gay Players To Come Out

Mario Gomez, one of Germany's most famous soccer stars, has urged gay players to come out, saying it would not only improve their game, it would better the sport.

Gomez, who has not said whether he is gay, told a German magazine that being honest about their sexuality would improve gay players' performance. "They would play as if they had been liberated," Gomez said. "Being gay should no longer be a taboo topic." The 25-year-old, who was voted German footballer of the year in 2006-7, added that there were plenty of role models in the rest of German society to give gay players the courage to come out. "We've got a gay vice-chancellor [Guido Westerwelle]; the Berlin mayor [Klaus Wowereit] is gay. So professional footballers should own up to their preference," he said. There are no openly gay players in Germany's Bundesliga, reflecting the situation across the football world, although it is estimated that about 10% of players are gay.

The German soccer federation has warned gay players not to come out, saying it would ruin their careers.

(Tipped by JMG reader Connie)

MISSISSIPPI: 12 Year-Old Girl Beaten By Students Over Her "Male" Name

A 12 year-old Mississippi middle school student was surrounded and beaten by a group of students who had been bullying her because her name is Randi. Which is a boy's name. And guess where the little creeps had been just before the attack?

After a Fellowship of Christian Students meeting, four girls and a boy surrounded her. "They started talking about me like I was a man, and like, stuff like that. That I shouldn't be in this world. And my name was a boy name," she said. Foster described how these people attacked her. "I was kicked in the rib. I was kicked in the leg. I was hit in the face. I was sat on top of and my face was jammed into the floor. I was thrown onto the cafeteria table. I was thrown in between the seats." Her mother, Meggan Foster, is appalled at the whole ordeal. "She was sitting in a chair. Her glasses were broken. She had been crying. She had a bloody tissue in her hand from her nose bleeding," Foster said. She said that a surveillance camera caught the whole thing, but that the principal could not give her a copy because it involves other students.

No charges have been filed against Randi's attackers.

UPDATE: The above news link has gone dead for unknown reasons. An updated video report on this story can still be viewed on Buzzfeed.

Gay Orthodox Jews - It Gets Better

The first kid in the clip rode to last week's NARTH protest with Wayne Besen and me and spoke at the rally about his abuse at the hands of an "ex-gay" counselor.

(Via - Dan Savage)

America By TV Shows

A follow-up to the America By Movies map.

SATURDAY: Furball NYC @ LGBT Center

Tomorrow is NYC's Furball party at the LGBT Center in the West Village with DJs Corey Craig and Mark Lauque.

It's 3 floors of fur, 2 DJ's, go-go bears, great music, cheap beer, hot guys and warm warm fur...and you and over 700 furry friends...So hit the dancefloor and shake it out before you hibernate for the winter! And it's a fundraiser for the Center! What are you waiting for? Host: Joe Fiore. GoGo Bears!

Doors open at 8PM and tickets are only $10. Expect it to be very crowded.

Cher And David Letterman Discuss Her Son Chaz Bono's Transition

They both stumbled repeatedly over their pronouns, but last night Cher and David Letterman had a frank discussion about Chaz's transition and what the difference is between being gay and being transgender. Cher's loving support is amply evident and Letterman's questions and comments show that perhaps he learned something after being widely criticized for an anti-trans skit early this year. Let's hope the language police aren't too hard on either of them for their his/her missteps. Context, and all that. The bit about Chaz begins at 12:30 in the first clip and continues through the second. (Note that these clips are not from CBS and may disappear from YouTube.)

Netflix Is Eating The Interweb

The commenters here do a pretty good job of explaining both sides of the chart.

Canada's 22 Minutes On "Ex-Gays"

Dan Choi Goes Off On Chris Matthews

Whoa.

Not Your Average Celebrity Clip

This a very nice celebrity-filled clip (mostly) about bullying. But the really interesting moment happens at 0:55.

XMAS PREVIEW - Glee's Chris Colfer And Darren Criss: Baby, It's Cold Outside

Here's a leaked single from the upcoming Glee holiday album. This may not last long on YouTube, thanks to Sony's Sales Prevention Team.

Pelosi Wants Lame Duck ENDA Vote

According to Politico, outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated during a conference call today that she is planning for a vote on ENDA during the lame duck session. Politico's Ben Smith characterizes ENDA as an "easy lift" compared to other LGBT rights legislation. That's probably true in the House as a high percentage of Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors. (199 of the needed 216 for passage, according to the last count I recall seeing.)

ENDA has been introduced in nine of the last ten Congresses, but only the trans-exclusive 2007 version passed in the House (with a mostly partisan vote of 235-184), but not before a creating a huge rift among LGBT groups due to its lack of gender identity protections. (35 GOP reps voted yes, Blue Dog Democrats mostly did not.) The bill did not survive its Senate committee. And back in April of this year, when it last seemed like we were close to an ENDA vote, we still had 16 Senate Democrats unwilling to sign on as co-sponsors. It doesn't seem likely that much has changed there since then, but let's hope.

Crybaby Tony Perkins Demands Investigation Into Leaked DADT Survey

"We have criticized this study from the outset because the CRWG was forbidden to explore the central question before the country-not how to implement a repeal of the current law, but whether doing so is in the best interest of the armed forces. The surveys of servicemembers and their spouses which were conducted as part of this process shared the same flaw, since they never asked, 'Do you believe the current law should be overturned?'

"Despite this critical flaw, Secretary Gates had at least pledged that the effort would be 'carried out in a professional, thorough and dispassionate manner.' That effort is gravely undermined by leaks to the media which are unprofessional, selective and blatantly biased. I urge Secretary Gates to have the DOD Inspector General launch an immediate investigation into the source of these leaks, which have seriously damaged the credibility of the CRWG process." - Family Research Council douchebag crybaby Tony Perkins, saying it's "laughable" that the leaking party wouldn't have a pro-gay bias.

Teabaggers Scream About Google Logo

Well, the teabaggers have found their latest false controversy as they are tearing up Twitter with claims that Google's Veteran's Day logo is a not-so-secret tribute to Islam taking over America. Cuz see that red crescent moon under the American flag which is obviously being nuked? DON'T YOU SEE IT?

Dallas Gay Couple E-Marries Via Skype

Dallas couple Mark Reed and Dante Walkup got legally married in a local W Hotel courtesy of Skype and a licensed officiator in Washington DC.

Their “Skype” wedding was officiated via teleconference from Washington, D.C., where same-sex marriage is legal, and they received their license in the mail a short time later. It’s called “e-marriage,” and it’s a sort of high-tech version of the proxy wedding traditionally held when one of the parties can’t be physically present — because, for example, they’re in the military stationed overseas. “The reason we wanted to do it this way is because we wanted to have a wedding here in Dallas with our family and friends,” Reed said. “It was very important that all of our family came. It was the first time they actually met, even though we’ve been together 10 years. If we had to go to D.C., there’s no way we could have had the people there who we wanted to be there.”

Reed and Walkup, co-owners of WDM Lighting on Oak Lawn Avenue, were married in a conference room at the W hotel on Oct. 10, in front of about 80 people with a 6-by-8-foot screen looming behind them. The couple had rented a similar room at a W hotel in Washington, where marriage equality activist Sheila Alexander-Reid officiated the wedding. “When we walked down the aisle, as soon as we reached the front, she comes on the screen like The Wizard of Oz,” Reed said. “It was beautiful. It wasn’t make-believe. It was like she was really there.”

The couple acknowledges that the validity of their wedding could be challenged, even though Washington DC has no law against e-marriages.

She's On A Porsche

Britain's Sun tabloid spoofs Old Spice with one of their famed Page 3 girls to celebrate 40 years of daily boobies.

(Via - Andrew Sullivan)

MISSISSIPPI: High School Football Player Kicked Off Team For Pink Cleats

Mississippi high school football player Coy Sheppard was kicked off his team last month when he showed up for practice wearing pink cleats. Just like NFL players were doing to promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Apparently Sheppard's coach thought the pink cleats signified something else.

According to the Associated Press, WLBT.com and USA Today, among other outlets, Coach Chris Peterson kicked 17-year-old placekicker Coy Sheppard off the Mendenhall football team when Sheppard attempted to wear pink cleats in a practice following a game in October. During the prior game, coaches ridiculed the kicker for wearing the shoes, but he showed up for the team's Monday practice wearing the pink cleats regardless. Now the senior, who relied on academic credit from playing football to help fulfill graduation requirements, might not receive his diploma on time.

The pink cleats were a gift from Sheppard's grandmother, who is a breast cancer survivor. The kid is suing the school and says any judgment will be donated to the American Cancer Society.

UPDATE: JMG reader Mike tips us that the school has just relented and reinstated the student.

HomoQuotable - Lt. Dan Choi

"As we fight to repeal 'Don't Ask Don't Tell,' we know that this fight can easily be more painful than physical combat, as the people we fought to protect subject us to the harsh bigotry of popularity polls and the soft bigotry of political inaction. Caught in this battlefield, it is easy to claim victimhood and suffocate in the sadness of national betrayal. Gay Americans, like all scapegoated and stigmatized minorities in America's history, know this feeling all too well. But just as all the patriots who had to come home to fight for equality, we cannot heal our injuries by permanent sorrow and self-pity. The only treatment that can heal the wounds of betrayal and hatred is a recommitment to fight for each other, to stand up for each other, to love one another." - Lt. Dan Choi, in a Veteran's Day essay on Huffington Post.

NEW YORK CITY: Cops Bust Heroin Dealers Via Google Street View

Brooklyn detectives were able to identify some local heroin dealers thanks to images captured on Google Street View, where multiple photos showed the group working the corner. Also, do dealers really still use that hanging shoes bit?

Sarah Palin's Cookie Stunt Crumbles

Yesterday Sarah Palin delivered sugar cookies to students at a Pennsylvania private school to mock the "nanny state" that had banned sweets at school parties. Uh, only that never happened.

Focus On The Family Takes Over "Day Of Truth" Campaign Against LGBT Youth

Last month the "ex-gay" group Exodus International announced that they were suspending their annual "Day Of Truth" campaign to counter the Day Of Silence, saying that in light of the rash of LGBT youth suicides they could not continue such a divisive project. Focus On The Family has jumped in to fill the hate void, laughably and unironically renaming it the "Day Of Dialogue."

"We're trying to raise awareness that more than one side needs to be heard on the issue of homosexuality, and we're helping to ensure Christian students have the chance to express their viewpoint," said Candi Cushman, a Focus on the Family education analyst, in the release. "What is freedom of speech, after all, but a guarantee of the right to have dialogue?" Cushman criticized the Day of Silence, which is sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. "Silence is a media op, but dialogue is a learning op," she said in the release. "That's why we're so proud of the more than 14,000 students who have taken advantage of this opportunity to learn and share." The Day of Truth had traditionally been held on the same day as the Day of Silence, but Focus on the Family said that the 2011 Day of Dialogue is scheduled for April 18, three days after the Day of Silence.

Good As You's Jeremy Hooper rips apart Cushman's lies about Focus On The Family's supposed wish for "dialogue"

But here's the thing: Just yesterday -- JUST. YESTERDAY! -- we saw FoTF's schools official, Candi Cushman, pushing an article that called on Christian students to see their gay classmates as "messed up sexually." As embracing "sexual brokenness." As in need of "change." There is no room for dialogue there! At the end of the day, Focus on the Family is still pushing anti-scientific "ex-gay" rhetoric that wishes to put wholly unbacked, entirely faith-based teachings on the same level as credible, peer-reviewed information. In America's PUBLIC SCHOOLS, they wish to do this.

Matt Barber: Tambourine-Playing Beatnik Obama Wants To Destroy Military

Also, queers are going to crazy in the showers.

Caption This

(Source)

UPDATE: From another angle...

ILLINOIS: Civil Unions On Fast Track

Thanks to the election of pro-gay Gov. Pat Quinn, a civil unions bill may be presented in the Illinois legislature as soon as this Tuesday when lawmakers return after the election break.

During the gubernatorial campaign, Governor Pat Quinn said he favored civil unions. "We have legislation in Illinois very close to passage," said Quinn during an appearance at Market Days in August. "I believe we can pass that this year." Quinn restated his support for the measure on Wednesday and now some lawmakers say the vote could happen soon. "I think we're awfully darned close," openly gay Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) told the Chicago Sun-Times. Last year a house bill, co-sponsored by Harris, to allow civil unions in Illinois was successfully voted out of committee, but never came up for a full vote. Equality Illinois, which endorsed Quinn, has renewed the push and remains optimistic that the bill can get enough votes to succeed by the end of the year.

A recent Chicago Tribune poll shows a strong support for civil unions with respondents evenly split on marriage equality.

(Via - Chicago Pride)

Signorile Talks "Tranny" With Joy Behar

Michelangelo Signorile joined Joy Behar last night as the GLAAD/Glee "tranny" controversy roils on. Behar posted GLAAD's statement on her blog:

GLAAD did not ‘take action’ against Glee – which last year won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. GLAAD included the recent use of the word ‘tra—y’ on the show in a blog post which looked at the rising use of this word as an insult against transgender people in popular culture. It was unfortunate that the Daily News and others sensationalized our blog commentary. Members of the transgender community are best to speak about the harms of this word being used by people who are not transgender. Part of GLAAD’s mission is to educate the media and the public about how words like this can be dehumanizing and dangerous to the transgender community, a nearly invisible minority whose issues even some members of the gay and lesbian community might not fully understand.

God's Plan For Your Afterlife

The point comes quickly, but there's a nice Einstein quote at the end.

Keith Olbermann Slams Pat Sajak

Wingnut Wheel Of Fortune host Pat Sajak has "apologized" for introducing Keith Olbermann to America. Olbermann fires back.

Pat Sajak did not introduce me to America. I started on CNN the same year he started on “Wheel” (1981) and by the time I guested on his show in 1989, I’d already spent three years as a national sports correspondent for CNN, had a feature done on me by The Today Show (1986), been on the CBS Evening News (1988), and begun guest-hosting on ESPN (1989). I think if he needs to apologize for anything it needs to be that talk show. When he was canceled, he was replaced by a crime-and-skin series called “Silk Stalkings,” for God’s sake.

Sajak regularly posts global warming denials and other claims of "lamestream media conspiracies" at various right-wing websites.

FRIDAY: Blowoff NYC @ Highline Ballroom

The brawny beery bears of Blowoff return to Manhattan's Highline Ballroom tomorrow night. Expect the usual mayhem. Doors open at 11:30pm. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Check out a recent Blowoff setlist from DJs Rich Morel and Bob Mould.

PREVIEW: Tom Goss' Lover

Gay singer/songwriter Tom Goss sends us a Veteran's Day preview of his new single, Lover, which tells the story of a gay man whose partner is killed in battle. The record will be released next Tuesday.

Somebody Slipped Him A Mickey

Responding to a burglary call, cops in South Carolina say they were forced to taser and club a deranged naked man that they later said may have hallucinating on mushrooms. After transporting the man to a hospital, a small discovery was made.

During a medical exam at a nearby hospital, medical personnel found a mouse tail hanging from Smith's rectum. An X-ray revealed a mouse lodged inside Smith. He told emergency room personnel that he could not remember what had happened to him. After the medical exam, he was charged with resisting arrest, 1st and 3rd degree assault a battery charges, and indecent exposure. Smith was transported to the Oconee County Detention Center.

I denounce myself for the headline and this post!

CNN Covers Minnesota Catholic Bishops' Anti-Gay Marriage DVD

FDA Wants Gruesome Smoking Warnings

The FDA has proposed changing the warnings on cigarettes to include photos of dead bodies and gruesomely emaciated cancer patients.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials said a new "comprehensive tobacco control strategy" would include not only these graphic photos but bold statements such as "Smoking Will Kill You." "Today, FDA takes a crucial step toward reducing the tremendous toll of illness and death caused by tobacco use by proposing to dramatically change how cigarette packages and advertising look in this country. When the rule takes effect, the health consequences of smoking will be obvious every time someone picks up a pack of cigarettes," U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg said in a prepared statement. "This is a concrete example of how FDA's new responsibilities for tobacco product regulation can benefit the public's health."

The new warnings will be required within about 18 months.

CHICAGO: Anonymous Donor Offers $100K Matching Grant To LGBT Health Center

After last week's report that Chicago's Howard Brown LGBT Health Center may be forced to close due to financial mismanagement, an anonymous donor has offered to match gifts from the public up to $100,000. The offer comes from a man who credits Howard Brown with saving his son's life.

In a news conference last Thursday, Howard Brown made an unprecedented appeal to the community to help raise $500,000 in 50 days in order to sustain its health and wellness services and to keep operating. Immediately, donations of all sizes started coming in from donors willing to help keep Howard Brown open. Within five days, the organization raised $90,000 through donations – from on-line to cash donations by walk-in donors. Upon hearing the news about the crisis, one donor called Howard Brown President and CEO Jamal M. Edwards. After a brief, but emotional, conversation the donor generously offered a $100,000 challenge grant for the appeal. The donor credits Howard Brown Health Center with saving his son’s life and said, emphatically, “we can’t let this happen; we can’t let Howard Brown fail.” The challenge grant is contingent upon raising matching funds of $100,000 by Nov. 30.

Instantly double any gift to Howard Brown by donating here.

Family Research Council Requests Prayers For Sen. Jim DeMint's Anti-Gay Campaigns

Saying that Tea Party hero Sen. Jim DeMint is facing attacks from within the GOP because his support for anti-gay teabaggers cost them their Senate majority, the Family Research Council is asking for one million of their followers to pledge to pray for the asshat bigot every day.

After what should have been a proud moment for all Republicans on Tuesday night, the GOP is angry about "what ifs"--particularly if it had won seats in Colorado, Delaware, and Washington--defeats they blame almost unanimously on Jim DeMint. Apparently, fighting to bring true conservative candidates into the Senate instead of weak-kneed moderates who oppose the Republican platform makes Sen. DeMint a villain. One of his colleagues said, "It's like you're on the five-yard line ready to score, and the quarterback calls the play, and some member of your team tackles one of your members and keeps you from scoring." The only problem is that the "quarterback" is the old guard of the Republican Party. The same folks who backed big spending, pro-abortion, pro-gay GOP lap-dog incumbents.

At this writing, almost 13,000 FRC followers have signed the prayer pledge.

Cenk Uyguy To GOP-Voting Gays: They Just Aren't That Into You

MSNBC's Cenk Uyguy devoted last night's rant to gays that voted for the GOP. "That party is fighting against your rights every step of the way! What part of this don't you understand? They're just not that into you! They don't like your lifestyle. They don't like who you choose to sleep with, they don't like who you choose to love. They think you live in sin. How much clearer did they have to be? They. Don't. Like. You!"

ACLU Files Class Action Suit Over Separation Pay For DADT Victims

The ACLU has filed a class action suit against the Department of Defense because soldiers that are discharged for homosexuality are given only half of the separation pay given to other honorable dischargees. The ACLU notes that this policy is not stipulated in DADT legislation and can be changed without congressional approval.

The lead plaintiff in the case is Richard Collins, a decorated former staff-sergeant in the U.S. Air Force who served for nine years until he was discharged from service under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Mr. Collins's superiors learned that he is gay when two civilian co-workers observed him exchange a kiss with his civilian boyfriend. Mr. Collins received an honorable discharge from the Air Force but discovered after the discharge had been completed that his separation pay had been cut in half on the grounds of "homosexuality." The ACLU and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network first contacted the Defense Department in November 2009 to request that the separation-pay policy be revised to eliminate the discrimination against gay and lesbian service members, but the department has refused to do so. Because of its refusal to change this discriminatory policy, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of New Mexico have filed this class action lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

The ACLU invites more participants in the suit. Hit the link to see if you qualify.

World Bank Donates To "Ex-Gays" At PFOX

World Bank, whose stated mission is ending poverty through loans to developing countries, has listed the "ex-gay" group PFOX as a suggested group for charity giving by its employees. World Bank matches employee donations at rates from 50-100% and places PFOX directly above PFLAG on its list of endorsed charities. Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly:

PFOX supports so-called ''conversion'' therapy – by which people who identify as gay attempt to become ex-gay – and the National Association for Reparative Therapy (NARTH), specifically. One of the few videos on the PFOX YouTube channel is a video of an interview with former NARTH president Dr. Joseph Nicolosi. Another shows a televised debate between PFOX's Peter Sprigg and Truth Wins Out executive director Wayne Besen, who has been writing about the ex-gay organizations for more than a decade. Besen told Metro Weekly on Wednesday afternoon, "It's as sickening as it is scandalous." Besen said that the former president of PFOX, Richard Cohen – who Besen described as "the guru of the organization to this day" – runs the International Healing Foundation and "sent his protégé to Uganda – and what came from that was the Anti-Homosexuality Bill" that has been the subject of intense worldwide scrutiny and criticism. "Here's this group that is tied to what can only be described as an eliminationist campaign, worldwide, against gay people," Besen said, "and they're receiving money from the World Bank?"

The self-haters at PFOX will now be able to tout their relationship with World Bank as they attempt to legitimize their campaign against their own people. Unbelievable. Read Chris Geidner's complete expose on this travesty.

Open Thread Thursday

Today is Veteran's Day. Have you served in the U.S. military? Tell us where and when you were stationed and how you handled being gay. Would you serve today were DADT to be lifted? And if you aren't American, tell us about your experiences in your own military.

Leaked Pentagon Study Finds Few Issues With Lifting Ban On Openly Gay Soldiers

According to the Washington Post, a Pentagon study group has found that there would be minimal effect on the military should DADT be repealed. The WaPo story confirms a similarly leaked report from last week.

More than 70 percent of respondents to a survey sent to active-duty and reserve troops over the summer said the effect of repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy would be positive, mixed or nonexistent, said two sources familiar with the document. The survey results led the report's authors to conclude that objections to openly gay colleagues would drop once troops were able to live and serve alongside them. One source, who has read the report in full, summarized its findings in a series of conversations this week. The source declined to state his position on whether or not to lift the ban, insisting it did not matter. He said he felt compelled to share the information out of concern that groups opposed to ending the ban would mischaracterize the findings. The long, detailed and nuanced report will almost certainly be used by opponents and supporters of repeal legislation to bolster their positions in what is likely to be a heated and partisan congressional debate.

Anticipating a pro-gay result to the study, the Family Research Council is already denouncing the soldiers' questionnaire as flawed. Via press release:

Already, the President's team is leading the spin cycle for the Pentagon's formal report on overturning the policy. As Frank Gaffney wrote in today's Washington Times, "False reports about the study's findings have lately made their way into the press. Specifically, Associated Press reported last week that a survey conducted at the behest of the working group had found significant support in the military for repeal of the homosexual-exclusion statute. In fact, the survey did not ask that question." This is just one of the flash-points FRC details in our new paper on the Pentagon's biased and incomplete survey. Regardless of what the reports show, Congress has an obligation to follow up those results with comprehensive hearings--as they did at least 12 times before the 1993 policy was passed.

DOJ Files Opposition To Log Cabin Republicans' SCOTUS Appeal On DADT

Today the Department of Justice filed a brief in opposition to the Log Cabin Republicans' request that the U.S. Supreme Court hear the LCR's appeal of the Ninth Circuit Court's indefinite stay on the overturn of DADT. Whew! Got all that? The Log Cabin Republicans respond to this latest bit of legal ping-pong.

"It is unfortunate the Obama Justice Department has forced the Log Cabin Republicans to go to the Supreme Court to halt this failed policy. At the same time, President Obama remains far from the front lines of the fight for legislative repeal while commanding his lawyers to zealously defend 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in court. This week Log Cabin Republicans have conducted meetings with numerous Republican senators potentially in favor of repeal, all of whom are waiting for the President's call. The White House has been missing in action on Capitol Hill, undermining efforts to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in the final session of this Congress, potentially leaving the judiciary as the only solution for our brave men and women in uniform."

And there's this from the LCR's legal team.

"We have reviewed the government's opposition to Log Cabin's application to vacate the stay of Judge Phillips's injunction by the Ninth Circuit. In our view, the government's lengthy, detailed, 29-page brief does not address the two key arguments we presented to the Supreme Court. First, we argued that the premise of the government's position--that it needs time to conduct an orderly process of repealing DADT--is entirely speculative because Congress has not and very well may never repeal DADT; the government's filing today does not address that issue. Second, we argued that the Ninth Circuit order did not take into account the harm to servicemembers and potential enlistees resulting from the stay; the government's filing today does not respond to that point either. At this point, all we can do is to look forward to a favorable ruling from the Supreme Court."