New Zealand Out Olympian Blake Skjellerup Who Lives And Trains In Calgary Reminded That Homophobia Alive And Thriving In Albertan City, Campus Pride Award Five Stars To Nineteen American Colleges And Universities, Judge In Lawrence King Murder Trial Will Not Be Dismissed And Jury Selection Likely To Begin Wednesday. Backstage At European Life Ball 2010, River Viiperi EY! Sexiness

New Zealand short-track speed skate Blake Skjellerup, who came out following the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, was back in Vancouver this weekend, manning the Air New Zealand booth - he recently received a corporate endorsement from the airline to promote their new “Cuddle Class” – where the 25 year old handed out hugs (or cuddles, naturally) to anyone who wanted one. Skjellerup lives and trains in Calgary, and says that he and boyfriend at the time attended their first pride parade in the city last September and were harassed when they held hands in public, an incident that Skjellerup found depressing and disturbing. “It’s something I want to eliminate from society. I think anyone no matter who they are should have the right to hold hands. It’s just like a hug. Holding hands can mean anything. To hold hands with a child or when someone is sick or holding hands with the person you love walking down the street, it shouldn’t be something you are harassed for.” Blake, who is now longer seeing his boyfriend (also an athlete, who opted to finish school and has since moved on to a corporate career) and Skjellerup now remains focussed on training for the 2014 Sochi Russian Winter Olympics.

Campus Pride – a non-profit American organization developed in 2001 that is determined to create safe communities on campus for LGBT college students – has just released its 2020 Climate Index of gay-friendly colleges, ranking over 230 schools by policies, practices, and programs. This year, for the first time, 19 colleges and universities were awarded five out of five stars, and they include Carleton College, Princeton University, The Ohio State University, The University of Southern California, and Washington University in St. Louis.

San Luis Obispo, California Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Burke has ruled to refuse a recusal motion against Judge Charles Campbell filed by attorneys acting on behalf 16 year old Brandon McInerney. McInerney is charged in the shooting death of his classmate, Lawrence King, in February, 2008. He is being tried as an adult, and a hate crime stipulation has been added, 15 year old King having been openly gay. The motion to disqualify Judge Campbell, who denied he is either “prejudiced or biased” against McInerney, came after Campbell refused a request by the defendants to delay the trial. Jury selection is likely to start Wednesday.

The 18th Annual European Life Ball, an AIDs fund-raising event, was held July 17th in Vienna, to dovetail with the 18th Annual International AIDS Conference, over 3,000 attendees enjoying the sexy, spectacular boys (and girls) seen backstage, all of whom were barely clothed.

The ridiculously sexy River Viiperi photographed for the newest issue of EY! Magazine, wearing – sort of – a skin tight special edition American Apparel swim brief.