INDIA: Pepsi's "Gay" Commercial

In this Pepsi commercial from India, a young woman's male friend pretends to be the lover of her fiance in order to help her break up her arranged marriage. An Indian filmmaker discusses what the commercial may mean about changing attitudes towards gays:

This advert is extremely interesting comment on today’s India, as most ads and images always are. On the one hand homosexual relationships are respectfully normalized in this ad. There are no snide looks or jeers by the four parents who are shocked to realize this fact about the boy; their reactions never stoop to mockery. There are no ‘hai hai, ya allah, yeh zamana kahan ja raha hai’ (O my god, where is the world headed too) looks or reactions. From the point of view of accepting people with different (or multiple) sexual orientations, this ad is truly celebratory and the makers need to be commended for it.

Interestingly, however, the girl in this seemingly ‘progressive’ ad continues to be denied her agency to decide what is good or bad for her. Her power relation with her parents continues to be in the previous century, though she has 21st century friends who are cool enough to act (very soon ads will have normal homosexuals too and not just pretenders) as gays without demeaning gays. If we use Pepsi’s cola colored lens to understand young India, it looks like it is saying ‘homosexuality – okay’, ‘girls having wild male friends – okay’, ‘parents deciding who their girls should marry – okay too’.

Obviously the person who titled this clip for YouTube feels differently.

Missed Connections

Tom Vilsack - It Gets Better

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack's message is directed at rural kids. These days he is the Secretary of Agriculture.

Illinois Family Institute: Civil Unions Will Lead To Polygamous Marriages

The Illinois Family Institute, a SPLC-certified hate group, says that if civil unions are approved in Illinois, polygamous marriages will be next.

Section 10 of this bill states that any partner in a civil union shall be legally considered a "spouse" and "family." "This is same-sex marriage sans the name," said David E. Smith, executive director of the Illinois Family Institute. "That is simply something that American voters have rejected time and time again. Voters in 31 states have rejected redefining marriage and family at the ballot box. The people in Illinois are no different."

Those who want to redefine marriage often insist that the only necessary qualification for marriage is "love." Under that rationale, there can logically be no boundaries as to what constitutes marriage. Any combination or number of consenting individuals must ultimately gain the same legal and societal sanction as traditional marriage. While love is vital, it is not the definitive element of marriage, and love is certainly not the concern of government. We love many people we do not marry.

RELATED: Last week the Illinois Family Institute declared that Dan Savage promotes "anti-Christian evil" and therefore no public figure should associate themselves with the It Gets Better Project. The IFI also supports the repeal of any laws offering civil rights or hate crimes protections to LGBT Americans. From 2003-2006 the executive director of the IFI was Porno Pete LaBarbera.

Quote Of The Day - Matt Barber

"So, center-right America: If you happen to believe in the sanctity of natural marriage and that, as a culture, we're best served by honoring the Judeo-Christian sexual ethic of our forefathers, you're now an official 'hater.'

"Of course, the tired goal of this silly meme is to associate in the public mind's eye mainstream conservative social values with racism, white supremacy and neo-Nazism. The ironic result, however, is that, as typically occurs with such ad hominem and hyperbolic attacks, the attacker ends up marginalizing himself and galvanizing his intended target (I'm rubber, you're glue and all that).

"Hence, beyond a self-aggrandizing liberal echo chamber, the SPLC - and by extension the greater "progressive" movement - has become largely, as it stews in its own radicalism, just another punch line. It's often said that the first to call the other a Nazi has lost the argument. Congratulations, conservative America: They're calling you a Nazi. Carry on." - Liberty Counsel spokesbigot Matt Barber, riding the waahbulance over the SPLC's new hate groups list.

Pope Benedict: Even If God Did Make You Gay, You Still Should Not Be Gay

In another excerpt from his coming book/interview, Pope Benedict says that he doesn't know if people are born gay or not. But even if God did make you this way, you shouldn't BE this way. Or something.

He said it was still an open question whether homosexual inclinations are innate or arise early in life. In any case, he said, if these are strong inclinations, it represents "a great trial" for the homosexual. "But this does not mean that homosexuality thereby becomes morally right. Rather, it remains contrary to the essence of what God originally willed," he said.

Remember, God doesn't make mistakes. But if he DOES make mistakes, that's your problem to deal with. Benedict also says there's no inherent contradiction in calling homosexuals "intrinsically disordered" and still offering them respect. Got that? Yes, you are a mentally ill freak. But we mean that in the nicest way.

General Motors Thanks America

Yesterday General Motors ran this oddly affecting clip thanking Americans for bailing them out of bankruptcy.

Obama: I Don't Think About Sarah Palin

That bit comes at 3:30. The rest is about Bristol Palin.

Evening View

Tweet Of The Day II - Kathy Griffin

Quote Of The Day - Tony Perkins

"The Southern Poverty Law Center is a massively funded liberal organization that operates under a veneer of public justice when, in fact, they seem more interested in fundraising ploys than fighting wrongdoing.

"This is a deliberately timed smear campaign by the SPLC. The Left is losing the debate over ideas and the direction of public policy so all that is left for them is character assassination. It's a sad day in America when we can not, with integrity, have a legitimate discussion over policy issues that are being considered by Congress, legislatures, and the courts without resorting to juvenile tactics of name calling.

"The Left's smear campaigns of conservatives is also being driven by the clear evidence that the American public is losing patience with their radical policy agenda as seen in the recent election and in the fact that every state, currently more than thirty, that has had the opportunity to defend the natural definition of marriage has done so. Earlier this month, voters in Iowa sent a powerful message when they removed three Supreme Court justices who imposed same-sex marriage on the state. Would the SPLC also smear the good people of Iowa?

"Family Research Council will continue to champion marriage and family as the foundation of our society and will not acquiesce to those seeking to silence the Judeo-Christian views held by millions of Americans. We call on the Southern Poverty Law Center to apologize for this slanderous attack and attempted character assassination." - Family Research Council president Tony Perkins.

Notice how all these reactions are coming on Thanksgiving, when none of their followers will hear about it?

Sleazy Christopherson Dies At Age 55

Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson, member of the highly influenced industrial/experimental groups Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV, and Coil, died yesterday in Thailand at the age of 55. No cause of death has been disclosed. I was never much into Throbbing Gristle, despite their clear and often-cited lineage to Nine Inch Nails, one of my favorite bands ever. But it was Coil's horrific and funereal 1985 cover of Tainted Love, a caustic indictment of the treatment of AIDS patients, that made me a fan of Sleazy Christopherson (and partner/bandmate John Balance, who died in a fall in 2004.) The Sleazy Christopherson-directed video for Tainted Love is now on permanent display at New York's Museum Of Modern Art.

Tweet Of The Day - Joan Rivers

Joan followed up that tweet with a message that she was headed to God's Love We Deliver for her "favorite part of the holiday," delivering Thanksgiving meals to homebound HIV/AIDS patients. Below is Kylie's performance in the parade.

(Video tipped by JMG reader Fritz)

Brian Brown Is Ever So Pissed About NOM Being Labeled A Hate Group

"This is an absurd distraction emanating from a once-great organization’s real mission---with all the actual hate groups out there, how can Southern Poverty Law Center stoop so low? This report is not an attack on NOM but on the majority of Americans who believe that to make a marriage you need a husband and wife. It is also further proof of what NOM has been saying: today’s gay marriage movement is no longer about tolerance, live or let live—it’s about driving out dissenting voices from the public square.

"Gay marriage now serves as the tip of the spear to a new campaign to demonize and generate hatred against those who adhere to traditional views of sex and marriage. Regular readers of NOM’s work know how we characterize gay people: those who support our vision of marriage, we welcome to join our work. For gay marriage advocates (the majority of whom are not gay) we say: we think you are wrong, and we will fight for our right to vote for marriage in the public square." - NOM president Brian Brown.

Yeah, as for that section I bolded, yes, Brian...we DO know how NOM characterizes gay people and it IS hatefully. We see the evidence every day and this week your Facebook moderator threw all pretensions out of the window.

Dolly Loves Her Gay Fans

Tired Old Queen At The Movies #59

1960's The Apartment, starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley McClaine.

Open Thread Thursday

What's for dinner? Share your recipes, traditions, and disasters.

BITCH FIGHT: Teabaggers Vs. GOProud Vs. Concerned Women For America

Does not! Does too! Nuh uh! Yeah huh! The founder of Tea Party Nation, GOProud's Chris Barron, and the botoxed death mask of Penny Nance form a hilarious circular firing squad over who is more teabaggery. Wheel out the clown car, cuz we got us a circus! Hey Penny, "encrouchment"? Really?

Former GOP House Majority Leader Tom Delay Found Guilty Of Money Laundering

Former Republican House majority leader and one-time Dancing With The Stars contestant Tom Delay has been convicted of multiple counts of money laundering. Delay was found guilty of funneling almost $200,000 to the campaigns of GOP House and Senate candidates.

"I still maintain that I am innocent," DeLay told reporters. "The criminalization of politics undermines our very system. I'm very disappointed." Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg said the verdict showed no one was above the law. "This case is a message from the citizens of the state of Texas that the public officials they elect to represent them must do so honestly and ethically, and if not they'll be held accountable," Lehmberg said. DeLay's sentencing was set for December 20, and he faces a possible maximum prison term of 99 years on the money laundering charge and 20 years on the conspiracy charge. Two other men facing charges in the case are awaiting trial. DeLay, a conservative Republican, helped Newt Gingrich spearhead the GOP revival in 1994 that won control of the House and Senate in the first midterm election under Democratic President Bill Clinton.

In 2006 Delay resigned from the House in the face of the scandal.

HomoQuotable - Michael Triplett

"While the 'hate group' list is interesting, it is also largely meaningless in terms of who the media should talk to and who they shouldn’t. Included in the current list of 18 groups–who all, apparently, aren’t going to show up on the final list–are organizations associated with white supremacist and Christian Identity movements, but also major players in the social conservative political world: Concerned Women for America, National Organization for Marriage, and Family Research Council. While activists may not like the work these groups do, labeling them 'hate groups' based on SPLC’s designation and therefore off-limits for the media is nonsensical.

"Instead, the media needs to do a better job of deciding when and how it uses groups considered anti-gay. Part of the problem, of course, is relying on the same voices and people over and over again. This is a problem on all-sides of the debate where the same people are called by CNN and MSNBC and Fox to talk about gay issues, both on the pro-gay and anti-gay sides. If Perkins and FRC are overexposed, one could argue the same thing about a laundry list of gay male pundits and LGBT activist groups." - Michael Triplett, vice president of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association.

Read Triplett's entire article on the NLGJA's blog.

Photo Of The Day - Liberty Strike

Check out the Boston Globe's amazing recap of the images submitted for National Geographic's 2010 photography contest. The size of this post doesn't do the larger version justice.

Quote Of The Day - Gary Cass

"The Southern Poverty Law Center has utterly discredited themselves by this provocative attack on organizations that promote traditional family values. Labeling mainstream conservative organizations as 'Hate groups' is defamatory and is simply an intimidation tactic. We call on Congress to cut off their funding. Defend Christians.Org will work to form a coalition of organizations to lobby Congress to withhold funds from SPLC. We will also demand Congress restrict Federal law enforcement from relying on the biased SPLC reports. The SPLC has been reduced to a far left propaganda organization that uses hype and hysteria to enrich a few liberal attorneys at taxpayer expense and has long out lived its usefulness." - Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, which was already on the hate groups list.

Does anybody know how much federal money the SPLC actually gets? Their Wikipedia page doesn't appear to mention such a thing.

UPDATE: Thought so! Readers point out the the SPLC does NOT get any government funding. Good luck with that call to Congress, dumbass. You can let Mr. Cass know of his error: 954-551-9770.

Glee Preview: Kurt Joins The Warblers

Straight Girls For Gay Boys

CALIFORNIA: Democrat Kamala Harris Wins State Attorney General Race

It took weeks of the tedious counting of provisional ballots, but San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris has at last been named California's Attorney General-elect. Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley has conceded. Aside from completing a virtual Democratic sweep of all of California's top offices, Harris' win is good news for the gay community as she has vowed not to defend the overturn of Proposition 8. While Prop 8's coming court date will occur before the incoming Attorney General takes office, there was concern that Cooley would attempt some legal maneuver like requesting the case be delayed until he was in power.

Randall Terry Will Run For President In Order To Air Graphic Anti-Abortion Ads

Infamous anti-abortion activist Randall Terry says that he will run for president in 2012. But he's doing so in order to exploit advertising rules that prevent television stations from refusing or editing the ads of political candidates. Terry plans to solicit donations that will allow him to air graphic images of aborted fetuses on stations nationwide. Catholic Online reports that the strategy was successfully test-run this year in a local Washington DC race:

The 2010 campaign for the seat of Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives for Washington, DC, was also a test run for Pro-life candidates as Missy Smith used pro-life graphic ads that illustrated the truths of abortion. While Eleanor Holmes Norton was re-elected, Smith's ads were allowed to run and we seem by scores of people in and beyond the District of Columbia. The ads were run more than 235 times with repeats given during media coverage of the campaign. Smith's Campaign Manager, Randall Terry, indicated this past Friday that, based on the results of the Washington campaign strategy, they are planning to enlist 25 new candidates to run in the 25 largest media markets in America for the 2012 elections.

Randall Terry: "I am under no delusion that I can win. But we know that debate concerning the truth of abortion could brought into the political spotlight just by carefully placing one ad on national TV before Super Tuesday."

(Via - Right Wing Watch)

Daily Grumble

OK, it's been more than 48 hours and still not one peep of protest from the Family Research Council or American Family Association about their new hate group designations from the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Come ON you guys, we are WAITING to gloat!

Earth Wind & Fire Reunite At DC Metro

Actually it's the Black Israelites with their usual dreary anti-gay hate speech. But this clip is amusing for the fierce queens who WILL NOT STOP VOGUEING in their faces. Werq!

Senate DADT Hearings Set For Next Week

Today the Senate Armed Services Committee announced that hearings on the repeal of DADT will begin next week. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff are expected to testify.

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade:

In a notice, the committee announced it would hold hearings on Dec. 2 and Dec. 3. regarding the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” working group report, which is now scheduled for release on Monday. The hearings on both days are set to take place in Room SD-G50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building and are scheduled to begin at 9 am. For the Dec. 2 hearing, the witnesses are set to include Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen as well as the co-chairs of the Pentagon working group: Jeh Johnson, the Pentagon’s general counsel, and Gen. Carter Ham, commander of U.S. Army Europe.

In February testimony before the committee, Mullen has said he supports allowing openly gay people to serve in the U.S. military. Gates has already told reporters that he wants Congress to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” On Dec. 3, the committee is set to hear testimony from Vice-Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright and the military service chiefs: Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey; Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead; Marine Corps Gen. James Amos; and Air Force Chief of Staff General Norton Schwartz.

NEW JERSEY: Gov. Chris Christie Waffles On Signing Landmark Bullying Bill

This week New Jersey's legislature nearly unanimously approved what would be the nation's stiffest anti-bullying bill. But GOP Gov. Chris Christie isn't convinced he should sign it.

"Now, bullying is an important problem in New Jersey, and this anti-bullying bill that was passed is something that when it gets to my desk I'm going to study very closely and decide whether or not I can sign it or whether I need to improve it. But I consider it an extraordinarily important issue to the people of the state, and it will get my full analysis and consideration, and that of my staff."

The lone dissenting vote in both chambers, a Republican, cited the objections of Christian groups who favor beating queer kids in the name of the Lord. Two other GOP legislators abstained at the last minute.

Incidentally, Chris Christie has been making some 2012 GOP presidential short lists in recent weeks.

(Tipped by JMG reader Ed)

Subway Flasher Arrested

After a New York woman's stand against a subway flasher went viral, making national news, today the NYPD announced that the creep has been arrested.

Police confirmed on Wednesday that Mario Valdivia, 51, of Queens, was arrested for allegedly exposing himself to a woman on a train on September 4. Valdivia faces several charges including forcible touching, public lewdness and sex abuse. The video was originally posted to ihollaback.org - a website described as 'a movement dedicated to ending street harassment using mobile technology.'

Local NYC television revealed today that Valdivia has been arrested for similar crimes in the past. Kudos to our hero of the 4 train.

Tweet Of The Day - Fake TSA

Runner-up: "TSA Advisory: Children who opt-out of scans will be told Santa is dead."

Sarah Palin: Put The Witch On DWTS

Backstage sources are snitching that while she visited her daughter on the set of Dancing With The Stars, Sarah Palin lobbied producers to cast Christine O'Donnell for next year's season.

An executive at ABC reportedly signaled that O'Donnell taking to the dancing floor might be an idea worth considering. The network insider also took a shot at the conservative favorite's infamous "I'm not a witch" campaign ad, which she released during her general election fight against now-Democratic Senator-elect Chris Coons. "O'Donnell would fit right in," said the source to PopEater. "She certainly would be so controversial that the amount of press attention and buzz the show would get would be huge. Plus, you know they would make her dance in a witch's hat with a broomstick."

On the same day of Palin's reported push, O'Donnell tweeted a plea for votes for Bristol. Not a coincidence, we're betting. Quid pro quo, Clarice.

Email Of The Day - Eugene Delguadio

The self-titled Public Advocate of the U.S. says our soldiers are so wimpy, they will positively wilt if they have to hear about a gay hook-up. Get out the smelling salts and roll in the fainting couch. Soldiers might talk about SEX.

DC Gay Men's Chorus - It Gets Better

Facebook To Trademark "Face"

Facebook has received notice that they are about to own the trademark on the word "face" whenever it is used in a social media context. There goes your idea for GayFace.com.

The trademark covers the word face only in the context of “telecommunication services, namely, providing online chat rooms and electronic bulletin boards for transmission of messages among computer users in the field of general interest and concerning social and entertainment subject matter, none primarily featuring or relating to motoring or to cars,” the pending document reads. While the context in which the trademark can be enforced is quite narrow, it’s still scary to see Facebook owning a trademark for a term as general as “face.”

The company is also working to own the word "book" for social media purposes and has filed suit against a site calling itself Teachbook.

A Special Offer From Landover Baptist

(Via - The Friendly Atheist)

FLORIDA: Orange County Commission Approves Broad LGBT Protections

By a 6-1 vote, yesterday the commissioners of Orange County, Florida banned sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. Equality Florida reports that red-shirted supporters of the measures filled the commission's chambers prior to the vote. Congratulations to my home county!

Sarah Palin: No More Gotcha Interviews!

Sarah Palin wants to "clean up journalism."

Tell 'Em What They Won, Johnny!

T-Day Eve

So who's cutting out early today? Where are you headed?

John Berry - It Gets Better

John Berry is the highest-ranking openly gay appointee of the Obama administration. Watch this, it's actually really great!

Antonin Scalia: The 14th Amendment Should Not Apply To Homosexuals

Speaking on Friday at the University of Richmond, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia denounced the concept of a "living Constitution" and said the 14th Amendment was not written with the intent of granting equal protection to ALL Americans. Just the heterosexual ones.

“The due process clause has been distorted so it’s no longer a guarantee of process but a guarantee of liberty,” Scalia expounded. “But some of the liberties the Supreme Court has found to be protected by that word - liberty - nobody thought constituted a liberty when the 14th Amendment was adopted. Homosexual sodomy? It was criminal in all the states. Abortion? It was criminal in all the states.” “The way to change the Constitution is through amendments approved by the people, not by judges altering the meaning of its words,” he added.

Scalia made similar comments in September when he told a San Francisco law school that the Constitution offers no protection whatsoever to homosexuals or females. Gay people and women, he said, should go to their state legislatures and see if "current society wants to outlaw discrimination" based on gender or sexual orientation. In the landmark 2003 Supreme Court ruling overturning laws against sodomy, Lawrence vs. Texas, Scalia was the most vehement dissenting vote.

The famous "Equal Protection Clause" of the 14th Amendment, upon which entirely hangs the hopes of the federal marriage equality movement, reads: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

RELATED: At 74 years old, Scalia is the longest-serving Supreme Court Justice, having been appointed by Ronald Reagan in 1986. He is thought to be in relatively good health and most court watchers expect him to remain on the bench for as long another decade.

Jennifer Grey Wins DWTS

And as everyone in the world with a computer knows by now, Bristol Palin came in third. Confession: I'd been secretly hoping that Bristol would win. You know why. Snork! Anyway, homocon Tammy Bruce went all Lady Miss Sour Grapes on Twitter once Bristol was eliminated.Bruce followed up that bit with this: "While LibProgs were obsessing on #dwts...Ohio judge allows third healthcare reform challenge to go forward. Bwahahaha!" Uh, I think the person organizing "Operation Bristol" was the obsessive party here, Miss Kapo USA.

In other reactions, GOProud's Chris Barron warned: "There are no judges scores in elections. Just saying :)" And Sarah Palin tweeted this: "Well, what a great ride! Competition is good for everyone.Be inspired by those who step up to challenges & improve w/each step; Congrats Jen!"

So far, nothing but silence from Kevin DuJan. Poor baby.

Dan Savage Corrects Me On His CNN Appearance: They Knew What Was Coming

Dan Savage called me this afternoon (shortly after this post went up) to let me know that I'd totally misread the reaction of the CNN host to his calling out of the network for giving airtime to anti-gay bigots. It turns out, CNN knew exactly what he was going to say. Dan writes tonight on Slog:

Did I ambush CNN? Did they abruptly end the interview when I slammed them? No and no. Typically before one goes on CNN or MSNBC—one doesn't go on Fox News, if one has any sense—one does a a pre-interview with a producer. They run you through the topic, ask you some questions, make sure you have something of interest to say. Sometimes pre-interviews are done over the phone, sometimes they're done via email. This one was done via email. Here's what I sent CNN's producer last night in response to the question, "What will it take to lower hate crimes against the gay community and debunk the ludicrous myths?"

One way we can debunk the myths is by marginalizing the liars and frauds who propagate them, men like George Rekers, who argued that being gay was sick and sinful and claimed he could teach people how to raise their children in such a way so as to prevent them from being gay. And it turns out he was gay himself. Rekers worked hand-in-glove with Tony Perkins, a frequent guest here on CNN. There would be fewer myths to debunk if there were fewer venues for spreading them. This network should not allow itself to be used as a platform for spreading hate.

The question about what could be done to lower the rate of anti-gay hate crimes was the planned final question in the segment, CNN knew I was going to slam 'em when they asked it, and they had me on anyway. Which is to CNN's credit.

And THAT is one correction I'm very happy to make.

Glee Spoiler: Bullies & Burnett

Stay out out OUT of the comments if you haven't seen tonight's surprise and tear-laden episode. Otherwise dive in and dish the many unexpected developments. Yes, Glee is corny, over the top, and often unbelievable. But I believe it is changing the minds of millions of American teenagers. I don't see how it can't be. Now hand me another tissue.

DOJ Will Appeal DADT Reinstatement Of USAF Major Margaret Witt

The Department of Justice has filed a brief announcing their intent to appeal the reinstatement of Major Margaret Witt, whose DADT-related discharge was overturned by a federal court in September. Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly:

With today's filing, DOJ stated in a docketing statement required to be filed with the Notice of Appeal that the principal issue to be raised on appeal is: "Whether plaintiff's discharge pursuant to 10 U.S.C 654 and its implementing regulations was constitutional and whether plaintiff should have been ordered reinstated to the military, subject to meeting applicable requirements respecting qualifications for continued service."

Geidner adds that White House press secretary Robert Gibbs took note of today's action by the DOJ and cautioned, "This filing in no way diminishes the President’s -- and his Administration’s -- firm commitment to achieving a legislative repeal of DADT this year. Indeed, it clearly shows why Congress must act to end this misguided policy."

Nicolas Cage Freak-Out Montage

DickFlash.com

As a follow-up to yesterday's subway flasher post, go read what Jezebel has dug up about an entire subculture of repulsive men who share their "flashing exploits" online. I have to wonder how much the advent of cellphone cameras is thwarting these bozos. A lot, we hope.

Scissoring For Equality

This is one of the more amusing/odd stories we'll read today. From California State University, Long Beach.

About 24 theatre arts majors protested in front of Brotman Hall on Wednesday by tribbing with one another, a lesbian sex act commonly known as "scissoring." The demonstration was in response to Cal State Long Beach refusing to advertise a play on the Seventh Street marquee because its title has "tribades" in the title. The play, called "The Night of the Tribades," is about playwright August Strindberg's relationship with women. The play is part of the graduate acting program, Cal Rep, at Cal State Long Beach. According to theatre arts major Courtney Knight, tribade is an archaic Greek term for lesbian.

Knight said the school refused to advertise the play on the marquee because of the word's similarity with tribadism. "When you put tribade into a Google search image, apparently it comes up with the word tribadism, which is a sex act and they decided it was inappropriate," Knight said. In response to CSULB's refusal to promote the play, the group of students conducted a different type of protest. According to the flyers they handed out, the protest was a "flash mob," where a group assembles in a public place to raise awareness of something via a physical gesture or act.

FYI, scissoring is where Scissor Sisters got their name. True story.

NOTE: Didja see how I resisted using the headline The Trouble With Tribbles? You're welcome.

Italy's Garbage Crisis Worsens

Garbage hasn't been collected for weeks in Naples and blame is being directed towards Italy's prime minister.

The rotting garbage piled up on the streets of Naples has become an enduring symbol to Italians of the many problems facing Silvio Berlusconi’s crumbling conservative government. The prime minister came to power as a “Mr. Fix It” less than three years ago vowing to clean up a mess that his centre-left predecessor had failed to sort out, and often cites the clearing of Naples’ streets as one of his biggest successes. He even held his first cabinet meeting there, promising a break with past administrations that had failed to solve the chronic rubbish problem in Campania—the poor, southern region of which Naples is the capital. Halfway into his term, facing the prospect of early elections due to the implosion of his centre-right coalition and a string of sex and graft scandals, Berlusconi is seeing Naples’ trash back on the front pages of newspapers and TV bulletins. “Naples garbage? It’s just like two years ago,” read the headline of the daily La Stampa on Tuesday.

Berlusconi is probably too busy chasing underage girls and making homophobic remarks. Check out these astounding photos of poor Naples.

HomoConQuotable - Kevin DuJan

"Today’s going to be the last day of revving them all up…and then the fun is really going to begin because all of these people are on record howling about how unfair it is that Bristol Palin had an army dialing and voting for her…but none of these people say boo about Democrats having an army of ACORN, SEIU, Black Panthers, and Organizing for America thugs at their disposal in every election…committing voter fraud at the ballot box to tip elections to Democrats.

"What were your favorite moments of the Left howling hypocritically? Just for fun, how many times do you think you ended up voting for Bristol in total? I voted every single week, for as long as I could. I think I easily voted 500 times every Monday, using the phone and the online voting system. How many weeks of the show were there? Eight or nine? So, I might have voted for Bristol Palin 4,500 times. How many bogus ballots do Democrats cast in every election, for dead people, cartoon characters, family pets, etc.? I bet it’s more than 4,500…but if each of you out there voted like crazy too, just imagine how many votes we piled into Bristol’s column. Just by voting like Democrats!" - Hillbuzz founder Kevin DuJan, who will be at Chicago's Sidetrack video bar tonight to accept congratulatory twink dating offers after Bristol Palin's win.

Do Not Interfere With The Burrowing

Dan Savage Appears On CNN To Slam CNN Because CNN Gives Airtime To Hate Groups

Here's the first (and very satisfying) fallout from yesterday's new official hate group designations by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Dan Savage appeared on CNN this afternoon to slam them for giving airtime to anti-gay bigots.

"There are no 'two sides' to the issue of LGBT rights. Right now one side is really using dehumanizing rhetoric. The Southern Poverty Law Center labels these groups as hate groups and yet the leaders of these groups, people like Tony Perkins, are welcomed onto networks like CNN to espouse hate directed at gays and lesbians. And similarly hateful people who are targeting Jews or people of color or anyone else would not be welcome to spew their bile on CNN."

While otherwise sympathetic, the CNN host didn't respond to Savage's charges and ended the interview immediately.

NOTE: Again we give thanks to our faithful news clipper Dave Evans, who provided us with this clip within an hour of my request.

John McCain Begged To Let Soldiers Themselves Vote On DADT Repeal

The Wonk Room has revealed a letter from Sen. John McCain to Defense Secretary Robert Gates in which he asked that the DADT survey be modified so that soldiers were asked whether the policy should be repealed, rather than how they felt about the repeal itself.

McCain: "I urge you and Admiral Mullen to modify the review and the survey instrument, or to conduct supplemental surveys, aimed at ensuring that the question of whether the DADT policy should be changed is answered."

Gates wrote back with the right answer: "I do not believe that military policy decisions — on this or any other subject — should be made through a referendum of servicemembers."

NOM & Liberty Counsel Join CPAC 2011 Boycott Threat Over GOProud's Presence

GOProud's presence at this year's CPAC conference ruffled a few feathers among the teabaggers, who as we saw yesterday largely regard GOProud as an "inauthentic" Tea Party group. Unswayed, GOProud has signed on to be a part of CPAC 2011. In response, today the Liberty Counsel and NOM signed on with a coalition of conservative groups who have announced their withdrawal from next year's conference if GOProud remains a part of it.

Below is an an excerpt from the "line in the sand" letter from the American Principles Project, the sponsors of the boycott.GOProud has denounced the backers of the boycott as a "pro-immigration amnesty" group.

PhoboQuotable - Cardinal Francis George

"Everyone has a right to marry, but no one has the right to change the nature of marriage. Marriage is what it is and always has been, no matter what a Legislature decides to do; however, the public understanding of marriage will be negatively affected by passage of a bill that ignores the natural fact that sexual complementarity is at the core of marriage." - Cardinal Francis George, the Archbishop of Chicago, on civil unions for Illinois. Cardinal George has been named by some as the potential successor to Emperor Palpatine.

NOM Battles Illinois Civil Unions

As the Illinois legislature prepares to "fast track" a bill to legalize civil unions, NOM has launched a campaign urging their followers to deluge state reps with complaints. Here's an excerpt from their sample letter.

Same-sex marriage advocates have made clear time and again that civil unions are not a compromise, but rather a stepping stone to full same-sex marriage recognition. Today they argue for civil unions in the name of equality -- but tomorrow they will argue that only bigotry and prejudice can support this "separate but equal" arrangement. It's already happened in California and Connecticut, where the civil unions bill was used to persuade courts that the state no longer had any interest in protecting marriage. The American people have spoken clearly time and again. Every time they've had the chance to vote on marriage -- 31 times in a row -- they've rejected the same-sex marriage agenda in favor of marriage as the union of a husband and wife. It's time the people of Illinois had the same opportunity to be heard. Senate Bill 1716 is a trojan horse -- presented as a compromise, but it is intentionally unsustainable and part of a larger attempt to force same-sex marriage on the state. I urge you to vote no.

The Human Rights Campaign responds via press release.

“NOM’s opposition to civil unions for gay and lesbian couples shows how far out of the mainstream it truly is,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “This new battleground plainly reveals NOM's deep-seated enmity toward the LGBT community, with no regard to public support." Two thirds of Illinois voters, according to an October 2010 poll by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, support either civil unions or marriage equality. A Chicago Tribune poll registered 57 percent of Illinoisans approve of civil unions, compared to 32 percent who disapprove.

Klaxons - Twin Flames

The Human Centipede meets Slither. Very super NSFW and beyond creepy. If this disappears from YouTube, Buzzfeed is hosting a copy.

Better Late Than Never: Media Piling On Michele "Crazy Eyes" Bachmann As Liar

Rambo Jeebus

One of Andrew Sullivan's readers sends him this billboard from South Carolina.

Discodeine - Synchronize

Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker provides the vocals on this great track from French dance outfit Discodeine. I ran across this yesterday on the excellent Pop In Stereo, which is totally going on the blogroll.

Golden Girls Nesting Dolls - Now On eBay

Several months ago, a lot of you were plotzing over Ginger Williams' hand-painted Golden Girls nesting dolls. Ginger writes us this morning with the news that the dolls are now available on eBay.

Fox News Rejects DADT Repeal Ad

Raw Story reports that Fox News has rejected a Palm Center ad advocating for the repeal of DADT. Not surprising.

The 30-second spot by the Center, called "Business As Usual," includes testimony from military leaders of NATO allies arguing that lifting the ban on gay soldiers is a "non-event" and does not diminish combat effectiveness. "Fox's 'reason' was that the policy is 'on hold' so plans for repeal are 'incorrect'," Cathy Renna, a spokeswoman for the Center, told Raw Story. The ad includes testimony from Major General (now Lieutenant General) Walter Semianiw, Chief of Military Personnel in the Canadian Forces, and Major General Simon Willis (retired), former Head of Defence Personnel in the Australian Defence.

"There is no negative impact of having men and women of any sexual orientation fighting together," says Semianiw in the ad. Adds Willis, comparing the lifting of the ban to Y2K: "It was a non-event, and it continues to be a non-event." "I am surprised that Fox News would reject an ad featuring allied Generals, given that both host Bill O'Reilly and guest contributor Liz Cheney have expressed support for open gay service," said Aaron Belkin, director of the Center. "This is an important time for input from all sides on this issue, and I hope Fox will reconsider."

According to the above-linked story, the Palm Center plans to run the ad (below) on other networks.

Barbara Bush Confirms "Fetus In Jar" Story

North Korea Shelling South Korea

In what is being characterized as the worst incident in decades, North Korea has begun shelling a disputed South Korean island.

The South Korean military went to “crisis status,” and fighter planes were put on alert but did not take off. South Korean artillery units returned fire after the North’s shells struck South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island at 2:34 p.m., said Mr. Kwon, adding that the North also fired numerous rounds into the Yellow Sea. Television footage showed large plumes of black smoke spiraling from the island, and news reports said dozens of houses were on fire. The official North Korean news agency said in a brief statement Tuesday night that the South had started the fight when it “recklessly fired into our sea area.”

The United States and Japan have condemned the attack as a "deliberate provocation." U.S. military forces in the region are at a heightened level of alert. Millions of North Koreans are facing starvation in the face of trade sanctions imposed by the United States and South Korea.

No DADT Discharges In Last Month

Yesterday the Pentagon revealed that under the new rules, not one soldier has been discharged under DADT for a full month.

Under new rules adopted Oct. 21, Defense Secretary Robert Gates put authority for signing off on dismissals in the hands of the three service secretaries. Before then, any commanding officer at a rank equivalent to a one-star general could discharge gay enlisted personnel under the 1993 law that prohibits gays from serving openly in uniform. Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith told The Associated Press that no discharges have been approved since Oct. 21. Smith did not know if the absence of recent discharges was related to the new separation procedures. The Pentagon has not compiled monthly discharge figures for any other months this year, she said.

A spokesman for the Palm Center said it would normally be "statistically unlikely" to go a full month without a DADT-related discharge. Last year 428 soldiers were fired over their sexuality.

Insurance Industry Insider Apologizes For Plot To Discredit Michael Moore

Watch this.

HIV Drug Effective In PrEP Study

A just-released pre-exposure prophylactics (PreEP) study reveals that taking the HIV drug Truvada once a day reduces the incidence of HIV infection by about 44%. The result was even better among men who were the most compliant about taking the drug every day.

The drugs tenofovir and emtricitabine, packaged as a once-daily pill and sold in drugstores as Truvada, reduced HIV infections by an average of 44% among gay and bisexual men who took the drug, compared with those taking a placebo. Men who reported being the most diligent about taking their pill each day reaped an even bigger benefit, reducing their risk by 73%. "This is a huge step forward," says lead researcher Robert Grant, at the J. David Gladstone Institute at the University of California-San Francisco, a non-profit research foundation that carried out the study. David Paltiel of Yale University says that his research shows that Truvada could be as cost-effective a prevention method as those used to combat heart disease diabetes and cancer, despite its $8,700 annual cost.

The findings have bred new enthusiasm in a field where, for years, optimism was rare. Over 30 years, HIV has infected 40 million people. But this year alone, researchers have demonstrated that a pill and a vaginal gel (containing a component of Truvada) can prevent HIV and shown, at least in concept, that a vaccine can work. This is a very exciting, dynamic time in HIV prevention research," says Alan Bernstein, head of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, a non-profit effort to accelerate vaccine research. "It couldn't come at a better time. There's clearly a growing realization that we're not going to be able to treat our way out of this epidemic.

Read the full details of the study.

Pixar Staffers - It Gets Better

(Tipped by JMG reader Anthony)

Human League - Night People

I posted one of the remixes a few days ago, this is the production video. None of the band members appear, possibly due to their ages, which is a shame. Good clip, though.

DWTS Finale: Bristol's Last Dances

Tea Party To GOProud: Fuck Off

Following up on last week's press release by GOProud in which they pleaded with the anti-gay candidates they endorsed to not be so anti-gay, a massive coalition of Tea Party groups has responded with an attacking letter sent to the GOP leaders of the Senate and House. Turns out, they are interested in "social issues," not that we ever doubted it.

Here's the preamble to the letter, written by Free Republic founder Jim Robinson.

Today, Tea Party Nation, along with over 180 other Tea Party Groups, Leaders and Activists released a letter to the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill. Last week, GOProud, a non-Tea Party group, sent a letter to Senator McConnell and Speaker to be Boehner, claiming to speak for the Tea Party movement. It was signed by 16 people. We decided to send a letter that speaks for the mainstream of the Tea Party movement. This letter is going Senator McConnell and Congressman Boehner today.

The letter goes on to oppose the repeal of DADT, oppose the DREAM Act, oppose immigration amnesty, etc etc. Nothing really new there, other than the Tea Party's explicit condemnation of GOProud as "not one of us."

Instant Subway Hero

This subway flasher totally picked the wrong woman to mess with. From one account, it appears that the flasher had a condom on and was flashing his junk from behind his messenger bag. This guy is so busted, he doesn't even defend himself.

NEW JERSEY: Anti-Bullying Bill Passes Overwhelmingly In Both Chambers

Today the New Jersey legislature overwhelmingly approved a new anti-bullying bill. Passage of the law gained momentum in the wake of the suicide of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, who threw himself from the George Washington Bridge after his dorm mate live-streamed a gay sexual encounter over the internet. The bill passed 30-0 in the state Senate and 71-1 in the Assembly.

The bill (A3466) would require training for most public school employees on how to spot bullying and mandate that all districts form “school safety teams” to review complaints. Superintendents would have to report incidents of bullying to the state Board of Education, which would grade schools and districts on their efforts to combat it. Administrators who do not investigate reported incidents of bullying would be disciplined, while students who bully could be suspended or expelled. School employees would also be required to report all incidents they learn of, whether they took place in or outside of school.

The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Chris Christie.

(Tipped by JMG reader Brian)

Graeme Taylor On Ellen DeGeneres

Openly gay 14 year-old Graeme Taylor appeared on Ellen today to talk about his impassioned speech in defense of a teacher who was suspended for kicking out a student for anti-gay remarks. This kid is amazing.

(Via - Towleroad)

GOProud: The HRC Shouldn't Care About "Faggot" Because Gays Are Dying In Iraq

"The irony here is stunning. The adults who run HRC are participating in a morally-reprehensible organized political hatchet job on a teenager all in the name of defending the victims of bigotry. Nothing is sacred to these liberal foot soldiers, no one is seen as off limits — not even a 16-year-old girl, and even an issue as serious as anti-gay bullying and teen suicide is treated as nothing more than just another political hammer to be wielded against their perceived enemies.

"The nature of the attacks on Palin reveals much about what motivates her critics. HRC’s press releases are ripe with misogynistic attacks on the Governor. HRC refers to the Governor as a 'reality TV show star' — a transparent attempt to diminish Palin’s almost 20 years in politics. In a November 17th release, Joe Solmonese, the man at the helm of HRC, made a thinly veiled accusation that the Facebook exchange somehow showed Palin failed as a mother — 'Anti-gay language by teenagers often starts at home.' [snip]

"In the meantime, while the actions of a teenager on Facebook warrant days of over-the-top press releases from HRC, a blind eye is turned by the liberal Gay, Inc. to the growing threat of radicalized anti-gay, anti-women Islam." - GOProud chairman Chris Barron, in a Daily Caller piece co-authored by board member Tammy Bruce.

Got that? As long as gay people are being murdered by Muslims, we shouldn't care about hate speech, bullying or any other such trivial nonsense.

RELATED: Last week GOProud announced that calling somebody a "faggot" isn't homophobic because gay men in WeHo and Chelsea use the word amongst themselves. Shortly before the above-linked Daily Caller piece was posted, the group issued the below tweet.