ACLU Appeals Justice Walker Campaign Communication Order, Dutch Activists Aim To Sue Former American General For Anti-Gay Statements, Turkish Anti-Gay Rhetoric On Rise, Texas University Production Of Corpus Christi Controversial, Jake Gyllenhaal Contends Charade, Joe Jonas Two Ways, Tina Fey Befriends A Suddenly Homeless Robin Williams

As expected, the American Civil Liberties Union, opponents of Proposition 8 ordered Monday to release all pertinent internal campaign communications to the proponents of the gay marriage ban referendum, filed papers Tuesday indicating they are appealing the ruling by United States Chief Justice Vaughn Walker. Walker, presiding over the federal trial challenging the constitutional validity of Prop 8, order the information turned over to the defendants, but they have long argued that internal memos of any kind are protected under the First Amendment as political speech. Closing arguments at the trial, which recesses in January, have yet to be heard, and this appeal will further delay a verdict.

Peter Schouten, a Dutch activist, has formed the Pink Army in an effort to bring about a class action lawsuit against former United States general and NATO commander John Sheehan for inflammatory statements made by Sheehan last week while addressing a Senate Commission on the repeal of the American military’s policy banning gay men and women from serving openly. Schouten has the backing of the Dutch Homosexuality and Armed Forces Foundation, and intends to recruit at least seven gay Dutch soldiers to file slander and defamation charges against Sheehan. “Nobody should underestimate what an enormous influence these statements of Sheehan had on the American people,” said Schouten, “There are many who will definitely believe that these statements are true, and that feeds a whole generation of hate against homosexuals again.”

In Turkey, a conservative coalition that calls itself A Call to Life Platform has sent a letter of support to anti-gay Turkish State Minister Selma Aliye Kayaf who categorized homosexuality as a “sickness” that can and should be treated. The letter “deems homosexuality as a threat to the continuation of human species and labels it as a corruption, and a perverse immoral and unnatural act, with references to all divine religions.”

In Stephenville, Texas, students at Tarleton State University are mounting a production of Corpus Christi – the Terrance McNally play that imagine Jesus as gay – as a part of four play class project this Saturday. The community beyond campus is angry, a coalition of Christians threatening to protest, but the play’s director, John Jordan Otte, a 26 year old junior, who grew up Mormon, going to Italy on a mission, before coming out and leaving the church which opposes homosexuality, says he picked the play not to be deliberately controversial but because its theme – that the teachings of Jesus apply to all – resonated with him.

A story about avowed heterosexual Jake Gyllenhaal and an incident in Montreal over the weekend, Jake in town to film something called Source Code. It seems a blogger – DrunkenStepfather, a rather vile site – annoyed that Jake was causing a commotion dancing with himself atop a bench, approached the closet case and yelled either “Hey, isn’t that the guy who kissed Heath Ledger?” or “Hey, isn’t that the guy who killed Heath Ledger?” Drama, naturally, ensued, and allegedly Gyllenhaal pushed a female friend, a claim his publicist denies, adding that the blogger’s account is libellous and they are pursuing action.

Joe Jonas spotted arriving at brother Nick’s Toluca Lake home Sunday, Joe seen from the back ...



And the front.



The terribly talented and cute Tina Fey – with adorable yellow rain boots – spotted outside the Ed Sullivan Theatre taping an episode of The Late Show with David Letterman, posing with what appears to Robin Williams, who is not aging well at all.