Schenectady New York Councilman Says Pro-Gay Billboards “Put Stamp Of Approval On A Gay Lifestyle,” Larry Kramer: “AIDS Was Allowed To Happen,” Iowa Heroic Chief Justice Cady Does Not Regret Same Sex Marriage Ruling, Gay Man And Straight Women Marry As Art Project, More Shirtless Rafael Nadal, Coitus Preview, Cam Gigandet Naked

The Times-Union reports on the controversy surrounding billboards erected in Schenectady, New York by the Albany-based In Our Own Voices, raising the awareness of the health and wellness of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people of color. The campaign, titled I Am Gay, according to City Councilman Joseph Allen, communicates the wrong message to impressionable youth, in particular, he said, to those being raised by single mothers absent of a positive male role model. Allen, who is black, and who argues he is not homophobic, said “This kind of billboard is putting the stamp of approval on a gay lifestyle.” Allen consulted a city attorney regarding the removal of the 18 billboards, but was informed that they are protected under the First Amendment. Tandra R. LaGrone, the executive director of In Our Own Voices, says “I thought it would be useful and pertinent to have the campaign in the Capital Region because of the numbers of HIV and AIDs among gay black males have rise significantly,” adding “You have to start from a place of respect in order to address the stigma and homophobia of being a black gay man.” LaGrone said that Allen’s remarks are particularly “frightening” given that he is an elected official and black. “He is looking at his constituency as strictly being heterosexual individuals,” adding that the message of the campaign is that gay black men make up every up segment of society and are to stay.

Larry Kramer, an activist whose critical messages are almost always drowned out by his (justifiably) angry tone, authors an article for CNN that list 10 Realities About AIDS. Kramer, who is HIV-positive, and is the co-founder of Gay Men’s Health Crisis and founder of ACT UP, the advocacy group that has continually campaigned for accessible, efficient HIV/AIDS treatments, writes that “AIDS was allowed to happen. It is a plague that need not happened. It is a plague that could have been contained from the very beginning,” adding that “It is plague that is not going to go away. It is only going to get worse.”

At a taping of Iowa Press, State Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady said he does not regret the court’s 2009 ruling that allowing same sex marriage, even though the decision eventually cost three justices their jobs, reports the Des Moines Register. Cady, the new chief justice was asked if, in retrospect, he had any regrets regarding the issuing of the historic decision, and answered “Absolutely not. That decision was crafted will all the energy, all of the strength – everything we do as judges is in that opinion. Everything that Iowa is about is in that opinion.”

The Worcester News reports on Nora Battenberg-Cartwright and Paul Cartwright married in Germany in late December, she heterosexual; he homosexual, their marriage, according Paul “an artistic union rather that a love union, to join each other in art and makes us the art.” He added that “It’s a really truthful marriage and we will still see other people. It is a bit strange calling her my wife and her calling me her husband. We do love each other, but in a different way.” The two study fine art at the University of Worcester, and decided to make themselves their second year art project. Dr. James Fisher, heard of the fine art department, said “Nora and Paul are very serious students. They live together and work very closely together and are both very committed artists,” adding that the two will be marked following a strict set of criteria. Nora and Paul say if they ever divorce, that will mark the end of their creative partnership. They do not intend to consummate the marriage.

More pictures of a shirtless, sweaty Rafael Nadal practicing ahead of the Australian Open.

A preview of Coitus #2, the issue titled Bite Me, featuring Francisco Lachowski, Arthur Sales, Marlon Teixeira, and River Viiperi, shirtless all, natch.

Cam Gigandet, naked. (NSFW)