Australian Finance Minister Penny Wong’s Same Sex Partner Pregnancy Places New Pressure On Marriage Equality Debate, England’s Sole Gay Bookstore Targeted During London Riots, MTV First-Ever Video With A Message Nominee Announced, Real World Standard Contract Reveals MTV Believes You’ll Get A STD Should You Appear, Brad Goreski Book Coming 2012

This is awkward: the Sydney Morning Herald reports that Australia’s Federal Finance Minister Penny Wong has announced she is expecting a child with her partner, sparking fresh debate about Labor's stance on same sex marriage. Senator Wong released a statement on Tuesday revealing her long-term partner Sophie Allouache is expected to give birth in December after becoming pregnant through in vitro fertilisation. "Like any expecting parents, the prospect of welcoming this child into our lives fills us both with joy," she said. "We are extremely grateful to our IVF service and staff, and to our donor, for giving us the opportunity to raise a child together." Prime Minister Julia Gillard welcomed the news."I'm very pleased for Penny and her partner Sophie as they look forward to a new baby and the next phase of their lives," she told reporters in Canberra. But Gillard was pressed on whether it bothered her that the child would have parents who could not marry under Australian law. "Clearly there are strong views about same-sex marriage in the community," said Gillard, who contends that marriage must be between a man and a woman. "There are strong views in the political party I lead, and we'll have a debate at national conference about those strongly held views. I've made my views clear."

A gay bookstore in the Bloomsbury district of London was attacked in what staff believe was a homophobic hate crime during a night of riots in London, the Camden New Journal reporting that Gay's the Word, the country's only LGBT bookshop, in Marchmont Street, was left with smashed windows after coming under attack at around 12”30 am Monday morning. Neighbours reported seeing a group of a youths arrive on bikes and kick in the glass at the front of the shop, before returning to “pelt the shop with eggs.” Manager Jim MacSweeney said he believed the incident was opportunistic but motivated by homophobia, adding “For us it's probably lads seeing what's happening on the TV and thinking they can get away with kicking our window in. There are phases of us feeling nervous but we haven't had an incident like this since 2006. What has been really touching is the messages of support we have had not only from our customers but also from members of the community who agree this is not acceptable.” Police arrived after being alerted by neighbours and warned staff in nearby shops and restaurants to be on their guard. Mr MacSweeney said Gay's the Word is insured for damage but would have to pay out for excess and lost stock. Assistant manager Uli Lenart said the attack was shocking but could have been a lot worse. “We're a shop representing equality and open-mindedness so we can't let a few small-minded individuals ruin our day. Thankfully no-one was hurt,” he added. More than 100 people have so far been arrested following two nights of rioting and looting in Tottenham, Enfield and Brixton. The riots were sparked by the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Mark Duggan by police in Tottenham.

MTV has introduced a category to its Video Music Awards – the first-ever Best Video With A Message. Among the inaugural nominees are Pink for Fuck Perfect, Lady Gaga for Born This Way, and Taylor Swift for Mean. According to the MTV ACT, “These artists could have just made party songs, but instead they also took a stand against bullying, fought for LGBT rights and reminded us why we're all special.” Voting is open to the public.

The Village Voice obtained an unsigned, 30-page Real World contract, and among the highlights (or more accurately lowlights) participants of the “reality show” agree to the following terms: You may die, lose limbs, and suffer nervous breakdowns. (Stipulation 1); You may be humiliated and explicitly portrayed "in a false light." (12); If you contract AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases while filming ["gonorrhoea, herpes, syphilis, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), Chlamydia, scabies (crabs),'hepatitis, genital warts, and other communicable and sexually transmitted diseases or Pregnancy; etc"], MTV is not responsible. (7); Interacting with other cast members carries the risk of "non-consensual physical contact" and should you contract AIDS, etc. during such an interaction, MTV is not responsible. (7); You don't have STDs, but accept that other people on the show might. (18)

Brad Goreski has signed a book deal, Fashionologie.com reporting that Born to Be Brad: Life and Style Lessons from the Front Lines of Fashion will be published in 2012, the same say his new Bravo reality show debuts. According to Harper Collins “The book will recount Goreski’s childhood in Port Perry, Ontario, where he escaped the taunts of bullies by reading fashion magazines, performing in the local children’s theatre group and playing stylist to Barbie. Moving to Toronto and landing an internship, and later a job at Vogue, helped him break into the competitive fashion world and eventually capture the hearts of millions as the quirky and endearing assistant on Bravo’s The Rachel Zoe Project. Along with the moving story of his road to success, he will offer a glimpse into his world now, filled with insider access to behind-the-scenes photo shoots and the countless red carpets and awards shows. And of course, the book will also feature his fashion advice and style tips and tricks, complete with color photos."