Several New York Companies Want Gays And Lesbians To Wed In Order That Their Partners Qualify For Health Insurance Benefits, Niagara Falls New York Wants To Same-Sex Honeymoon Capital, Russell T. Davies Develops Cucumber For Showtime, George Clooney Still Not Gay, Gorgeous Christopher Gorham, Ben Affleck Hairpiece Travesty

Now that same-sex marriage has been legalized in New York, at least a few large companies are requiring their employees to wed if they want their partners to qualify for health insurance, The New York Times reporting that Corning, I.B.M. and Raytheon all provide domestic partner benefits to employees with same-sex partners in states where they cannot marry. But now that they can legally wed in New York, five other states and the District of Columbia, they will be required to do so if they want their partner to be covered for a routine checkup or a root canal. On the surface, this appears to put the couples on an even footing with heterosexual married couples. After all, this is precisely what they have been fighting for: being treated as a spouse. But some gay and lesbian advocates are arguing that the change may have come too soon: some couples may face complications, since their unions are not recognized by the federal government. “Even with the complications, many people will want to get married for the reasons people want to get married,” said Ross D. Levi, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda. “But from our perspective, to hinge something as important as insurance for your family to what is still a complicated legal matter for same-sex couples doesn’t seem to be a fair thing to do.” He said that there were a variety of reasons — legal, financial and personal — that companies should keep the domestic partnership option at least until gay marriage was recognized at the federal level. Legally speaking, getting married could create immigration issues or it could potentially muddy the process of adopting a child. In some instances, he added, an employee may work in a gay marriage state but live in a neighboring state that does not recognize the marriage. The couple may want to wait to marry until they can be legally wed in their home state. “There are certainly reasons why a couple may not wish to marry,” added Camilla Taylor, marriage project director at Lambda Legal. “People with certain immigration statuses might want to think very carefully before getting married. There are some types of visas that are meant to be temporary, and if you get married to someone who is a citizen, it could flag your renewal application and reflect your more permanent decision to stay.” When it comes to adopting a child, couples may run into trouble if they are trying to adopt from a place that restricts same-sex married couples from adopting, and where having one parent adopt while still single may be easier. “If you want to be able to answer honestly in paperwork, multiple interviews and background checks, then you won’t want to get married,” Ms. Taylor said, adding that many foreign countries ban adoptions to same-sex couples. Marrying could also have serious implications for couples who relocate to a non-marriage state, and ultimately decide to split up. Getting a divorce can be complicated, since one member of a couple may have to return to the gay marriage state and live there before their split can be completed. The employers making the changes said they spoke regularly with their gay and lesbian employee groups and planned to phase in the requirement. Corning, based in Corning, N.Y., said it would offer a reasonable grace period, though it had not completed the details. “After waiting so much time for that right, we want them to have the opportunity to enjoy that,” said Christy Pambianchi, a senior vice president for human resources at Corning, which put the policy into effect in New Hampshire and Massachusetts when gay marriage became legal there. She said employees did not raise concerns about the requirement. “They are delighted,” she said.

The Gazette reports that in an extraordinary effort to reach out to the gay and lesbian couples around the world, Niagara Falls officials and other tourism leaders of the Honeymoon Capital are issuing a global invitation to same-sex couples, encouraging them to wed by the world-famous waterfalls. The Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp., along with the city of Niagara Falls, announced plans Friday that will help make Niagara Falls one of the most “gay friendly” wedding locations in the world. A mass wedding is being planned at the brink of the falls in the state park, and businesses throughout the region are set to offer kindness and hospitality to couples who just recently received the legal right to marry in New York State. The event is expected to be one of the first official Lesbian, Gay, Bi and Transgender group wedding ceremonies in the state. July 24 is exactly 30 days from the day New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Marriage Equality Act into law, and the day gay and lesbian couples can begin applying for marriage licenses. The city is going to open its clerks office on Sunday, July 24 to accommodate applications. The mass wedding event, beginning at 10 a.m. July 25, will include local wedding officiates, cake and champagne, and flowers from Harris and Lever Florists. Officials are working to have the falls lit with rainbow colors the evenings of July 24 and 25. In addition to the ceremony, the Niagara-USA.com website will feature a “Rainbow Romance” package which can be booked on its online reservation system, providing couples with a romantic getaway that includes hotel accommodations, champagne, breakfast and the option of visiting the area’s most iconic and romantic attractions, such as the Niagara Wine Trail and Maid of the Mist boat tour. “The financial impact of this is limitless,” said Councilwoman Kristen Grandinetti who represented the city at a four-hour meeting at NTCC on Friday to firm up details of the plans. “It's so exciting,” she added. “This isn't just about the gay thing. This is about people taking a second look at Niagara to celebrate their love and who knows, maybe buy a house and move here and be part of our rebirth.” Grandinetti said that communities that welcome gay couples typically benefit from the gestures of acceptance. “I’ve always thought of the gay community as being fearless,” she said. “They are more willing to move into a blighted neighborhood to invest their time and love,” adding “It’s been proven in other communities across the nation that they are a demographic that should be welcomed.”

Russell T Davies, who created the Showtime series Queer As Folk, is back at the premium cable network with a new drama series in development there titled, um, Cucumber, according to a report by Deadline. Details about the plot are scarce, but it does revolve around gay men, as did QAF. There are plenty of development projects at the network, of course, but when one is from the creator of one of Showtime's most successful original series (based on Davies' UK version), it's a good bet it's getting a hard look. BBC Worldwide Productions is producing. Davies, who wrote the script, is also the writer and creator of Torchwood: Miracle Day, the BBC Worldwide Productions series that premieres on Starz Friday.

There are persistent rumours that the break-up between George Clooney and Elisabetta Canalis was caused because the actor is secretly gay, but, according to The Telegraph, the real reason the Hollywood star parted ways with his girlfriend of two years was because he does not want to marry and settle down, a close friend contends. Businessman Manuele Malenotti, who claims to have introduced the handsome pair, strongly denied claims that their relationship had been a cover up and Ms Canalis had been paid to attend red carpet events. Mr Malenotti, who owns the Belstaff clothing shops, said that “I have known George for ten years, I have spent a lot of time with him and a lot of women have passed through his life. You never know in life, and men are having an identity crisis but I can tell you George is not gay. All I can say is that George, when it comes to love, has decided that he is not going to get married again and he is not going to have any children and he won’t change his mind.” Speculation about Mr Clooney’s sexuality has dogged him throughout his career, despite a four-year marriage to Mad Men actress Talia Balsam (now married to Mad Men’s John Slattery) which ended in 1993.

36 year old Christopher Gorham (geeky Henry Grubstick on Ugly Betty) flashes abs of steel and some serious guns in an upcoming episode of Covert Affairs.

Ben Affleck might have a gambling problem, and quite possibly a terrible hairpiece.