Gay St. Vincent de Paul Vice-President Discriminated Against, XY Publishers Agree To Destroy Subscription Information, Military Discharges Out West Point Cadet Who Volunteered To Resign, Neil Patrick Harris And David Burtka Are Expecting Twins This Fall, Simon Dexter Wants You To Wear His Underwear, Aaron Renfree, Billy Van Raaphrost Stands In The Truth While Brent Bowers Continues To Stand Somewhere Quite Different, Nick Jonas And His Big Bat

Jeffrey Goldone, the vice-president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul – the Catholic charity – for five years, was nominated for president of the St. Louis chapter in May; a nomination he accepted. Weeks later, however, his name was dropped from nomination because he is gay, in a relationship for twenty years. “I was told that I could not run for president because my living relationship goes against Catholic moral teaching which could bring shame and embarrassment to the society,” wrote Goldone in a letter to fellow members of the Society. The letter, included a petition saying that an “injustice has been done” and a request that the recipients “encourage your conference members, your family, friends, neighbours and fellow parishioners” to sign the petition in the hope of modifying the organization’s rules.

The publishers of XY magazine and XY.com battling in a bankruptcy court in New Jersey, have thankfully agreed to destroy all personally identifiable information regarding XY’s customers. The magazine and accompanying website were geared towards younger gay and bisexual males, founded in 1996, and ended in 2009.

Knights Out – the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender rights groups that advocates for military personal to be allowed to serve openly in defiance of the American armed services policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” is reporting that West Point Cadet Katie Miller, who ranked ninth in her class, and who offered her resignation last week rather than continue to keep secret her sexual orientation has been discharged.

Neil Patrick Harris confirmed (via Twitter) that he and partner David Burtka are expecting twins this fall via a surrogate.

Simon Dexter, the 27 year old former gay porn star, is launching an underwear line.

Aaron Renfree – former S-Club member – grown up, way up.

Another look at the deplorable actions (and lack of reaction) by former Edmonton Capitals manager Brent Bowers and his on-field anti-gay attack against out umpire Billy Van Raaphrost, whose story has been overshadowed by that of Bowers. Van Raaphrost, 34 years old, says that during the July 31st violently homophobic verbal assault by Bowers, a second-round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 1989, Van Raaphrost “kept telling myself, ‘Don’t hit him.’ I felt trapped. I couldn’t do what I wanted to do.” A former 290 pound center at San Diego State, he dislocated his knee in his fourth year, and began to pursue a passion for umpiring, reaching double A in 2001, only to be ranked the following year 45 out of 47, and subsequently released. He says his release coincided with lying about his first real relationship – with a man from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He now says that “the worst two decisions of my life were not to come out and to end my relationship because I was scared.” He adds “I knew I was gay pretty much all my life, but I’d never acted on it until 2001. I suppressed it so hard trying to fit in in college football and minor league baseball. I’d never been to a gay bar until 2001. I’d never had a boyfriend.” Now, says Billy “I don’t make decisions out of fear anymore. I try to make fearless decisions now.” Bowers, conversely, continues to live a world of deep denial, still unable (or unwilling) to formally offer an apology to Van Raaphrost, and avoiding any admittance that the episode was routed in an entrenched homophobia. “I didn’t care that he was gay,” says Bowers. My mom works with a lot of gay hairdressers and I joke around with those guys all the time. My cousin, she’s a lesbian. It doesn’t matter to me, as long as people are happy.”

Nick Jonas swings a big bat – two big bats, in fact.