Glenn Shadix has died. The 58 year old openly gay character actor best known for his work in two Tim Burton films, in particular as Otho, the interior decorator in Beetle Juice, died Tuesday morning after falling at his Birmingham, Alabama condo. In addition to Beetle Juice, he appeared in the remake of The Planet of the Apes, Heathers, as well as memorable on an early episode of Seinfeld as Jerry’s landlord. He recently returned to Alabama, his home, and in 2008 participated in his first Gay Pride parade. “I had never been to any gay gathering in the South,” he said at the time. “I have been blessed as a gay man because I never had to deal with any situation of real prejudice or intimidation in my field.”
Attorneys for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger reiterated his refusal to defend the state’s same sex marriage ban in court, a letter filed Wednesday with the California Supreme Court again underlining that the governor holds the authority to decline defending United States Chief District Judge Vaughn Walker’s decision of August 4th that struck down Proposition 8 – the voter amendment narrowly passed on November 4th, 2008 that redefined the constitution’s legal standard of marriage as that only existing between one man and one woman.
Stephen Baar, the leader of the Christian Community of Cologne, German, an evangelical church founded by Terry Jones, says he believes that Jones will in fact fulfill a threat to burn copies of the Qur’an September 11th, Baar saying that Jones “was always someone who, when he had set his mind to something, would follow through with it until he had achieved his goal,” adding “but we are surprised and shocked at the extreme radicalism being displayed right now on this issue (by Jones.)” Baar also said that neither he nor the congregation followed closely Jones, severing ties with him. “We felt that he was taking the church in a direction that did not conform with what we believe.” Jones, who falsely claims to be a doctor, currently head the Dove Center in Gainesville, Florida, where he currently harasses the city’s openly gay mayor, Craig Lowe.
Former Big Sky Tea Party Association president Tim Ravndal - removed after referencing the murder of Matthew Shepard in a conversation on his Facebook wall that seemed to suggest a sanctioning of violence against gays – says that did not understand comments made by a Tea Party activist were in fact connected to the 1998 brutal killing of the openly gay University of Wyoming student that has since served a symbol of anti-gay hate. Dennis Scranton, of Miles City, Montana, wrote in late August on Ravndal’s Facebook “I think fruits are decorative. Hang up where they can be seen and appreciated. Call Wyoming for display instructions.” Ravndal then wrote where he could obtain that instruction manual. Tuesday, however, he said, when writing that he had not made the connection to Shepard, but once he understood, shocked, he quite quickly deleted the thread. “I hit the ‘Remove’ button so quick,’ he said. “I was sickened to look at it.” He added that Shepard’s murder was indescribable and terrible, and said “I wish my apology could have been directed to the family of Matthew.” He also said that since the incident became public this weekend he has received over 600 threats including death. Tuesday night, as a hastily called general meeting, defenders of Ravndal said he had been treated unfairly by the Association, and that the comments were manipulated by gay rights groups, liberals, and the media, who were quick to locate a way to portray the Tea Party as dangerous extremists.
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