Threatened With Lawsuit Alabama High School Reverses Decision And Allows Student To Wear “Gay? Fine By Me “Tee Shirt

An update on a previous post, not surprisingly, according to the Birmingham News, Hoover High School in Birmingham, Alabama late Wednesday reversed its decision to stop a student from wearing a tee-shirt expressing acceptance and support of the homosexuals. Principal Don Hulin this afternoon issued a statement, saying the tee-shirt in question -- which said "gay? fine by me." -- "has not caused a substantial disruption and the student will be allowed to wear it." The Southern Poverty Law Center this morning sent a letter to Hoover school officials, warning that the group would file a federal lawsuit if the ban were not lifted by September 12. A statement issued earlier today by the principal indicated the school respects the rights of students to exercise their constitutional entitlements and works very diligently to encourage a culture of tolerance and understanding among its diversified student body. However, the earlier statement appeared to be defend the ban against the tee-shirt in question, saying that "students at Hoover High School exercise their First Amendment rights without restriction unless such expression disrupts the learning environment or deprives the rights of others." A second statement issued this afternoon said basically the same thing but added "Our dress code at Hoover High School is designed to facilitate the learning environment that is so important to our school. The T-shirt at issue has not caused a substantial disruption and the student will be allowed to wear it. Our focus has been and will be on the learning environment at Hoover High School." Efforts to reach both Hulin and Hoover schools spokesman Jason Gaston for further comment were unsuccessful.

Judge Puts Dan Choi Trial On Hold; Charges Against Former Army Lieutenant Likely To Be Dropped

A gay former Army lieutenant who handcuffed himself to the White House fence to protest the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy may be closer to having charges against him dismissed after a judge put his trial on hold Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. Dan Choi, a West Point graduate who was dismissed from the Army after revealing that he is gay, has been on trial in federal court in Washington since Monday. A government prosecutor says he failed to obey an order to leave the White House in November 2010 when he and 12 others handcuffed themselves to the fence. Police eventually removed the protesters using bolt cutters. If convicted Choi faces a fine and up to six months in jail. Choi and his attorneys claim he is being harshly prosecuted because he is gay and outspoken. They want the charge against him dismissed. The protest was not Choi's first time at the White House. He was also arrested in March and April 2010 for similar protests. In those instances, however, government attorneys brought charges against him in local court where he would not have faced jail time. They then decided not to go forward with the cases. On Wednesday, the judge presiding over the current case said he believes Choi has shown, at least preliminarily, that he is being treated differently because of the subject of his protests: "don't ask, don't tell." President Barack Obama put an end to the policy in July. As of Sept. 20, gay service members will be able to acknowledge their sexual orientation openly. Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola said the testimony presented at trial suggested that "the nature of his speech or what he said," meant Choi was prosecuted differently, according to a transcript of the proceedings. As a result of Facciola's statements, an attorney for the government, Angela George, said she planned to have the judge's actions reviewed by higher authorities, and Facciola put the trial on hold for 10 days. In papers filed with the court, George says Choi was treated no differently than other similar protesters. One of Choi's attorneys, Robert Feldman, said he believed that the judge's comments Wednesday mean his client has "effectively won the case" and that the charges against him will ultimately be dismissed. Twelve other demonstrators arrested with Choi previously accepted a deal with prosecutors, agreeing to plead guilty in federal court but serve no jail time if they were not re-arrested within four months. Choi rejected a similar plea deal prosecutors offered Friday.

University Of North Carolina Investigates Decision By Christian A Cappella Student Group To Remove Gay Member Because Of His Homosexual Beliefs

The Daily Tar Heel is reporting that University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will investigate whether or not the Christian a cappella group Psalm 100 violated UNC’s non-discrimination policy in dismissing senior Will Thomason, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Winston Crisp said. On Sunday, members of Psalm 100 unanimously voted to remove Thomason, who is gay, for his views on homosexuality. He had been a member of the group since his freshman year. “We are on notice that there is a question as to whether or not a student organization has acted in compliance with the policy or not,” Crisp said. “We take that very seriously and that will be investigated.” Blake Templeton, general director of the group, said Thomason was not removed for his sexual orientation but for his opinions about homosexuality. He said the views clash with the ideology of the Bible, which the organization’s constitution mandates members must uphold. Psalm 100 is a student organization that receives student fees and is bound by the University’s non-discrimination policy. Between February 17 and June 30, Psalm 100 received $152.20 in student fees. The policy states that groups may limit membership to those who share the beliefs of that group but cannot exclude members based on personal characteristics, including sexual orientation. “Our commitment to non-discrimination is bedrock strong but so is our commitment to the First Amendment rights of freedom of association,” Crisp said. “The non-discrimination policy for student organizations tries very hard to balance those issues.” He said if an organization does not comply with the policy, it must change or face losing University recognition. “We’re going to take the time that is necessary to thoroughly investigate the issues before we draw any conclusions,” Crisp added. Zealan Hoover, student body vice president, said he has asked the student solicitor general to prepare a legal brief and the student body treasurer to prepare a list of the funds allocated to the group. The two were to report to the executive branch Monday night. “We’ll be discussing how we want to respond,” Hoover said. Jon Curtis, associate director of student activities and organizations, said the unusual nature of the situation makes crafting a plan of action difficult. He added that he has not received a formal complaint against Psalm 100. Templeton said he acknowledged that the University has the right to investigate any group on campus, and said he was worried that the decision has been perceived incorrectly. “This isn’t a salvation issue, and it’s not Psalm 100 saying whether or not Will Thomason is a Christian and whether or not he’s going to go to heaven,” he said. “I’ve gotten approached about that and that’s not the case at all. The decision was really about honouring the (group’s) constitution that the University approved of.” Terri Phoenix, director of the UNC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Center, said there was not enough information to know if it was a case of discrimination. “I feel confident that the University is going to do its due diligence in making sure that the policy was adhered to, and if they find that it was not adhered to they will take the appropriate action,” Phoenix said. Thomason said he still enjoys a strong friendship with members of the group, adding “I’m especially appreciative of the willingness of the larger UNC community to openly engage in the dialogue and I trust there will be continued respect for all parties involved.”

17 Year Old Boy Appears In Court Charged With Murdering 67 Year Old Man He Met To Have Sex With, Parents Of Disabled Transgender Girl Seek Public Assistance In Locating Suspect In Baseball Attack On Daughter While Seattle Police Appear To Have Botched Investigation, James Franco Leaves Tennessee Williams Revival, Madonna’s Sex Most Sought After Out-Of-Print Book, Rupert Grint And Tom Felton For Band Of Outsiders, Prince Harry

A teenage boy has appeared in court charged with murdering a man after arranging to take part in a sexual act. David Cowley, 67, was found dead off Mareham Lane in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, in November 2010, according to the BBC. At Lincoln Crown Court the 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denied murder, but admitted manslaughter, said the prosecution. A second 17-year-old has admitted handling stolen goods but has denied perverting the course of justice. The court heard the defendant met Mr Cowley, of Broadfield Lane in Boston, at Sleaford railway station and was then driven by him to a remote spot at Ballast Pits off Mareham Lane. Amjad Malik QC, the prosecuting attorney, told the jury that the victim was an openly gay man who had offered cash and mobile phone top-ups to the 17-year-old in exchange for a sexual liaison. He said Mr Cowley was dragged from his car and punched and kicked by the boy, who had planned to rob him of his vehicle and other possessions before killing him."He brought David Cowley face down compressing his neck, probably in an arm lock from behind," Mr Malik said. "When he was compressing Mr Cowley's neck he blocked his airway. David Cowley was asphyxiated within a very short period of time." The prosecutor said there was no evidence to suggest that Mr Cowley had managed to defend himself during the attack. The trial continues.

In Seattle, the parents of a Ballard girl are asking for justice after their daughter was brutally attacked with a baseball bat August 16, Fox-13 reporting that the parents of Tiva, the victim of the attack, believe she was beaten because she is transgendered. Inexplicably, the attack was reported to police, but the Seattle Police Department report had listed the case as inactive. Tiva, whose age has not been released, was assaulted by another girl in Ballard; the assault resulting in a serious head injury. Her parents say that their daughter is emotionally fragile since the attack. Tad and Cindy Anderson are now seeking the public's assistance in finding their daughter's attacker. "She has learning disabilities that can make it hard to interact with her, and she is transgender," Tiva’s parents wrote in an email to neighbours. "It probably should have been obvious to us a long time ago, but this turns out to be a dangerous combination. Transgender people are the most likely to be harassed and Tiva is particularly vulnerable due to her limited social skills," the email said. While the attack happened on August 16, Tiva did not go to the hospital until a few days later, according to the police report. "The on-duty nurse at [the hospital] stated to me that [she] sustained a subdural hematoma. The symptoms appear slowly and [are] fatal if not attended to. A portion of [her] skull was removed for treatment of the injury," the detective wrote in the police report, referring to Tiva."Tiva is very reluctant to talk about the incident to us," Tad Anderson said. "We have learned through others that the woman who attacked her was also harassing her for dressing in female clothing, saying, 'You should not be wearing those clothes'." What Tiva's parents know is that the attacker is a white female and they believe she may hang out around the skate park in Ballard. "The female came up alongside [of her] and told her, 'I don't want to see you around the skate bowl anymore'," the police report states. "The female then struck [her] on the right side of the head with the baseball bat." When police asked Tiva about the crime, she was "drifting in and out of sleep," the report stated. Tiva was questioned after having surgery in which part of her skull was removed to alleviate pressure from a subdural hematoma that was the result of her attack. Police spokesman Mark Jamieson said the case is not being investigated as a hate crime because Tiva did not tell police she was attacked because she is transgender, adding that he did not know if the police planned to interview Tiva again about the incident. When police were contacted on Monday, August 29, spokesman Sean Whitcomb said that the case was active and is under investigation. Whitcomb said the case is being investigated as a violent crime. If it is determined there was bias involved in the crime, it is then up to the prosecutor to determine if they want to add bias to any charges, which would then elevate the charge. Tiva's parents are asking the public for any information they may have about the crime, and to call the Seattle Police at 206- 625-5011 and reference case number 2011-273665. "Cindy and I are trying to assemble a team to help with her recovery," Tad Anderson said. "To keep her safe in the future, and, generally, to try to rebuild her self-confidence and trust in others.

James Franco is no longer linked to a planned Broadway revival of the Tennessee Williams drama Sweet Bird of Youth, Mr. Franco’s publicist said on Monday, and the production itself will not happen this fall as previously reported, according to the director attached to the project. The New York Times reports that Sweet Bird, a 1959 play about the gigolo and wannabe actor Chance Wayne and his companion, the Hollywood has-been Alexandra Del Lago, had been one of the most anticipated Broadway productions for the fall because of the names involved: Mr. Franco as Chance, the Academy Award-winner Nicole Kidman as Alexandra, and David Cromer as the production’s director (given his Off Broadway success with Our Town). In a telephone interview, Mr. Cromer said that the revival was still on the drawing board but he did not know when it might happen, if it would be part of the 2011-12 Broadway season. He said the lead producer of Sweet Bird, Scott Rudin, was focused on another major revival for the new Broadway season, Death of a Salesman, directed by Mike Nichols and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Linda Emond and Andrew Garfield. Cromer recently directed another revival for Rudin, The House of Blue Leaves, which drew mixed reviews on Broadway last spring. Last September, plans for a fall 2011 Sweet Bird revival were announced with Kidman attached. On Monday, a spokesman for the production said he had nothing new to report. Kidman’s publicist did not reply to phone or email messages seeking comment. A publicist for Franco, Robin Baum, said in response to an inquiry that the actor was no longer involved with the project. The original Broadway production of Sweet Bird opened in March 1959 starring Geraldine Page as Alexandra and Paul Newman as Chance, and ran for 10 months. The play was turned into a film in 1962 with the two lead actors reprising their Broadway roles. The only revival of Sweet Bird on Broadway ran for about six weeks during the 1975-76 season and starred Irene Worth (who won a Tony Award for best actress) and Christopher Walken.

According to Bookfinder.com the most sought after used out-of-print book in 2011 was Madonna’s Sex, published in a sealed Mylar wrapper in 1992. Norman Mailer’s Marilyn: A Biography was eighth, while Cameron Crowe’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High was the sixteenth most sought after book.

Rupert Grint and Harry Potter castmate Tom Felton star in the Fall 2011 Band of Outsiders campaign.

Prince Harry on hand at the 2011 WellChild Awards in London, England.

Canadian Broadcast Standards Council Reverses Earlier Decision And Now Says While Homophobic Slur “Inappropriate” In Context Dire Straits’ Money For Nothing Acceptable For Radio Play

A Canadian broadcast watchdog has tempered a ruling that deemed the Dire Straits hit Money for Nothing unfit for radio, saying that while the homophobic slur in the song is inappropriate, it must be taken in context and that individual radio stations can decide what their listeners want to hear, reports the Globe and Mail. On January 12, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council responded to a listener in St. John's, N.L., who was offended that the lyrics of the 1985 song include the word “faggot.” The regional Atlantic panel of the council ruled that the song contravened the human rights clauses of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Code of Ethics and Equitable Portrayal Code. When a public backlash ensued, the CRTC asked the council to review its decision. On Wednesday, the council released that review and said the original decision was correct in deeming the song inappropriate. But it added that the context of Money for Nothing must be taken into consideration. “The (council) wishes to make perfectly clear to those persons who have commended the CBSC for its ‘brave' position regarding the disapproval of the hateful and painful term that it is not abandoning that position,” the decision states. “It is only saying that there may be circumstances in which even words designating unacceptably negative portrayal may be acceptable because of their contextual usage.” The song's writer, Mark Knopfler, has said that he was writing from the perspective of a “bonehead” whom he observed in a hardware store watching MTV, and reacting with disgust to what he saw. The majority of the council's panel thus felt the song used the word satirically and not in a hateful manner. But in its decision, the council also noted that alternate versions of the song are available and suggested broadcasters choose which to play based on the sensitivity of listeners. The public outcry did play a role in the revised decision — primarily because it brought the context of the song to the council's attention, said the organization's national chair, Ron Cohen. “This background information was drawn out of the public and provided to us and (we said): ‘Ah-a! Had the Atlantic panel had this information in the first place, it may well have come to a different conclusion.’

Southern Poverty Law Center Threatens Alabama High School With Lawsuit After Student Told She Could Not Wear Pro-Gay Tee-Shirt; Hoover High Principal Defends Decision

The Southern Poverty Law Center sent a letter to Hoover High School officials, in Hoover, Alabama Wednesday asking they stop censoring students or face a federal lawsuit, according to a report by the Birmingham News. The warning comes after a 15-year-old student, Sara Couvillon, was told this month she could not wear a tee-shirt that read, "Gay? fine by me." According to the SPLC, school officials told Sara they were concerned for her safety, but Sara said she did not experience threats of violence, nor did school officials confirm there had been threats. The teen had routinely worn the tee-shirt during the last school year without incident. SPLC lawyers say students should not be prevented from expressing acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people. The letter warns school officials to rescind their practice of unlawfully censoring students by September 12, or the SPLC will file suit. "There are kids at my school who really want to be themselves, but they don't have the strength they need," Sara said in a news release issued today by the SPLC. "It isn't easy being singled out, but if I can give someone else the courage to be who they are then it's worth it to me."

The principal at Hoover High School early Wednesday afternoon released a statement, saying the school allows students to exercise their First Amendment rights "unless such expression disrupts the learning environment or deprives the rights of others." The statement came in response to the aforementioned letter from the Southern Poverty Law Center. Hoover High Principal Don Hulin written statement reads: "At Hoover High School, we have a tradition and practice of respecting the rights of students to exercise all of their Constitutional entitlements. We are fortunate to have a diversified student body and we work very diligently to encourage a culture of tolerance and understanding. In the tradition of the United States Supreme Court case, Tinker v. Des Moines, students at Hoover High School exercise their First Amendment rights without restriction unless such expression disrupts the learning environment or deprives the rights of others."

Students At Madisonville Tennessee High School Say Administration Refuse To Allow Formation Of Gay-Straight Alliance

After enduring years of bullying, a group of Sequoyah High students in Madisonville, Tennessee wanted it to end. "From 6th grade all the way up to my senior year, I have been put down for my sexual orientation, for "acting gay," for being an outcast," said senior Nathan Carroll. WBIR-10 reports that Carroll did not want younger students to endure what he had been through. He started researching and decided a Gay-Straight Alliance is what his school needed."What this club is trying to do is to stop the bashing. It's giving us a confidential place to talk about it," he said. However, that implementation process has not been easy for Nathan or past students at the school."I spent my entire second semester trying to find a sponsor, someone who would be willing to start one with me. And everyone's thing was that they didn't have time," said recent graduate Zachary Piccione. Nathan faced similar troubles. After two meetings with the principal, he decided to do it on his own. "I said if you can't help me, I'll get my support and I'll pull it through," he said. He started a petition and got 150 signatures. The students said another group of students started an anti-gay petition to stop the club. Nathan said Monday the principal made an announcement over the intercom to the school. "He said anything going pro or against GSA... if any petition is found, it is to be torn up and thrown away. Any student caught with it will be sent to his office for further punishment," he said. The principal referred 10News to the Director of Schools. "From what discussion I've had is that they were told or any organization or any one group, do not create a disturbance or an issue to disturb the instructional process at school. Period," said Mike Lowry, Monroe County Director of Schools. The group plans to meet off campus even if they never get an official chapter started Lowry said if the group follows the proper procedure for starting a club, they will be treated fairly and equally. The students say they feel they have followed all of the rules.

Illinois State Representative Deborah Mell Marries Longtime Girlfriend But Has To Go To Iowa To Do So

State Representative Deborah Mell (D-Chicago) quietly made Illinois history last week, the Chicago Sun-Times reporting that the 43 year-old became the first high-profile elected official in the state to publicly enter into a same-sex marriage. But she had to go to Iowa to do it. It is one of only six states plus the District of Columbia where same-sex marriage is legal. A judge in Davenport performed their civil ceremony last Wednesday. Mell’s wife of one week is Christin Baker, 36, a national director for the YMCA. They dated for seven years. “Our relationship deserves marriage,” said a beaming Mell, her newly wedding-banded hand resting on Baker’s shoulder Tuesday. “That’s how I feel about it. I mean there was a time in our relationship where it just wasn’t right to call Christin my ‘partner’ or my ‘friend’ . . . or even my ‘civil-unionized partner.’ You know she’s my wife. . . . We deserve those titles, those rights.” Last November, Mell stood on the floor of the Illinois House and made an impassioned plea for lawmakers to pass, at the very least, a civil union bill. But not before Representative Ron Stephens (R-Highland), among other opponents, expressed his strongly held view that “open homosexuality” was contributing to the decline of civilization. And yet, in the aftermath of that historic debate, con­servative members of the General Assembly joined liberals as they embraced Mell and then-fiancée Baker, who was in the chamber, and offered congratulations on their engagement. Governor Pat Quinn signed the civil unions bill in January. A Gallup poll in May reported that for the first time, a majority of Americans — 53-percent — support the right of same sex couples to marry. Another instance, it seems, where the people have moved ahead of the politicians. Mell and Baker, back home in Chicago now, are preparing for a blessing ceremony of their marriage next week, when family and friends gather for an Episcopal mass. Under Illinois law, it cannot be a wedding. “Their Iowa marriage is deemed to be a civil union under Illinois law,” said Christopher Clark, senior staff attorney for Lambda Legal, a national civil rights organization. That distinction is critical since under the national Defense of Marriage Act, passed by Congress in 1996, civil unions or same-sex marriages legalized by states do not carry the same rights and privileges that exist under federal law for married couples. That includes spousal access to Social Security in the event one dies and the ability to file joint federal tax returns. Apparently the newness of same sex marriage caused Mell and Baker not to think to visit a bridal store to order outfits until just three weeks ago — when they were promptly told that no order could possibly be processed that fast. “We headed to J. Crew instead,” said Baker, laughing.

Dan Choi Tells Court He Is Prepared To Be Jailed For Arrest Protesting Government’s Then Absent Action Repealing Military Policy Prohibiting Openly Gay Service Personal

A gay former Army officer arrested outside the White House for protesting the government's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military testified at his trial Tuesday that he was proud and willing to go to jail. Dan Choi is accused in federal court of ignoring police orders to vacate an area in front of the White House after he handcuffed himself to the fence outside the landmark building during a protest last November. The Associated Press reports that he told the court he believed in his cause and drew inspiration from the civil rights movement decades ago."The right to speak on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves is more than a privilege," said Choi, his voice rising with emotion during a cross-examination that turned confrontational at times. "It's a moral responsibility and I take that seriously." Choi said he could not recall details of his arrest, but likened the scene to a "combat zone" and recalled being struck by what he considered to be aggressive and demeaning tactics by the U.S. Park Police officers who showed up. "I do not recall a lot of what happened, but I also do not recall if I blacked out," said Choi, a 30-year-old West Point graduate who served in the Iraq war as an infantry officer. Choi became a public face of the gay rights movement after television interviews in 2009 in which he revealed that he was gay. He said he was honourably discharged last year under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. He previously was arrested outside the White House during protests in March and April 2010. He said he was motivated partly by his disappointment in President Barack Obama, who subsequently put an end to the military's "don't ask, don't tell" police in July. As of September 20, gay service members will be able to acknowledge their sexual orientation openly. Previously, the "don't ask, don't tell" policy had barred gays from serving openly in the military since 1993. Choi also said he was inspired by acts of civil disobedience, such as a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's department store lunch counter in North Carolina during the civil rights movement. A dozen other protesters were arrested along with Choi at the November protest. The others have accepted plea deals that spare them jail time if they go several months without being re-arrested. Choi has rejected a similar offer, said his lawyer, Robert Feldman. Prosecutors say the police gave the protesters three separate warnings in intervals of three minutes to clear the fence. The non-jury trial opened Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola. Choi and his lawyer have complained that he is being selectively prosecuted because of his vocal gay rights activism and insist his case belongs in local court. He faces a fine and up to six months in jail if convicted in federal court. Prosecutors have denied Choi's claim of selective prosecution. They say his actions violate a federal regulation requiring him to obey a lawful order from authorities. Choi sparred repeatedly with prosecutor Angela George. She suggested Choi deliberately chose to get arrested to draw attention to himself and could have opted for less provocative methods — such as marching and holding signs - to convey the same message. But Choi strongly disagreed. He said was flabbergasted he was on trial in the first place when people went to the White House to cheer the U.S. military raid that led to the death of terror mastermind Osama bin Laden. He said those people gathered at the same fence but never faced any sanctions. "What's the difference?" Choi demanded of George at one point. "You have not given me a reason why my free speech should be curtailed and their free speech should be amplified."

ABC Condemned By Dancing With The Stars Fans For Casting Chaz Bono; Message Boards Complain That Transgender “Lifestyle Choice Flaunted”

Dancing With the Stars aims for provocative casts, and Chaz Bono joining the show this week has already yielded strong reaction, predictably, some of it ugly. The Wrap reports that Bono, the only child of Sonny Bono and Cher, was born a woman but legally changed his gender and name last year. The announcement Monday that he would join the highly rated ABC dance competition immediately made him one of the highest-profile transgender people in the world. It also brought to the surface prejudices about Bono and others who have changed their gender, judging from the Dancing With the Stars message board. In hundreds of comments, Bono was the most common subject."HUGE HUGE fan of this show since season two and eagerly await each season to get my dancing/entertainment 'fix'!! But when I heard that Chaz Bono was going to be on, I was sick. Not that I have anything personally again her/him, I just don't want that lifestyle choice continually flaunted in the media esp ABC," went one typical anti-Bono comment. But for everyone who vented disgust -- or questioned whether Bono would dance with a man or woman -- there were many who defended Bono and accused his critics of bigotry. Bono's casting is only the latest to make an innocuous reality show the impetus for deeper discussions about values, tolerance, bigotry, and politics. Gay American Idol contestants have opted not to announce their sexuality, perhaps out of concerns about alienating intolerant viewers. And Bristol Palin's Dancing casting two seasons ago seemed to have influenced voters with opinions on her mother's politics. If Americans quickly vote Bono off the show -- or keep him on despite a middling performance, as they did with Palin -- it could reveal plenty about attitudes toward transgender people. An ABC spokesman said Bono, 42, was in rehearsals for the show and unavailable to comment. The network, meanwhile, had no comment Tuesday on the comments posted by Dancing fans on its message board. Among the other comments: "Chaz Bono How low can this show sink. Well you have certainly addressed the gay commuity. (sic) Guess this will not be a family show any longer!!!! Lost my family!" Another read "YOUR choice to bring Chaz Bono into the mix goes too far. I am not about to risk the potential for on screen dialogue about sex changes and gender confusion while my 7 and 9 year old are watching. If you want the 'anything goes' hippy culture, then soon that is all you will get. You've lost us. In case any of you are wondering ... no, we are NOT tolerant. We are not tolerant to allow any and all influences to come unfiltered into our home and especially to our children.

Idea Of Designated Gay Village In Ottawa Gains Traction, United States Army And Air Force Agree To Carry Gay Magazine On Bases Beginning September, Gay Activists In Dayton Take Over Former Campaign Website Of Elected Anti-Gay City Commissioner, Dean Sheremet Marries, Patrick Schwarzenegger Shops Staples

The idea of a designated "Gay Village" in Ottawa's Centretown neighbourhood is gaining momentum after pride weekend, according to the local Ottawa councillor. CBC News reports that Somerset Councillor Diane Holmes said the success of the pride weekend, which was capped by Sunday's pride parade through the city's core, shows the downtown area is ready for official village status. "I think that that's the expectation for many people, that it's appropriate to have such a district in the nation's capital and this is the desired location," said Holmes. Pride flags and stickers sporting rainbow colours have decorated Bank Street businesses for many years, but Holmes wants something in writing. She is proposing new street signs to declare part of Bank St. as Ottawa's "Gay Village." However, the idea is not sitting well with the local group representing Bank St. businesses, which has a policy forbidding additional labels for the street. "We don't brand. It's not a question of the village," said Gerry LePage, executive director of the Bank Street Business Improvement Area. "If a Lebanese contingent came to us, it wouldn't be Little Lebanon, nor any other. The fact is the brand of Bank Street is diversity," said LePage. LePage told CBC News members of the BIA have been polled and most do not support the "Gay Village" label. Holmes said she wants to do her own poll of area residents and said after consultation she will have the final say as to whether she brings the proposal to council. Some business owners in the area are anxious to see the change. "I think it's a no-brainer. It has to happen and it's starting to happen," said Robert Giacobbi, owner of the men's-oriented adult shop Wilde's. "I don't know why there are so many studies back and forth when it's already happening." Holmes said new street signs could be posted by November if her poll supports her idea.

With the military on the verge of allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly, Army and Air Force officials have approved the distribution of a magazine targeting gay service members at bases starting next month. The Washington Post reports that OutServe Magazine will hit store shelves at Army and Air Force bases on September 20, the day the Pentagon plans to formally end enforcement of the “don’t ask, don't tell” policy that bans gays from serving openly. The publication is published by OutServe, a group of secretly gay active duty service members that says it has hundreds of members currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The magazine, which began publishing in the spring, is currently available in limited supply at some public meeting areas and military physicians’ offices, the group said. Once the nearly two-decade-old ban ends, gay men and women serving in military uniform will be able to reveal their sexual identity without fear of dismissal or official rebuke, openly gay men and women will be able to enlist in the military, and gay couples may be allowed to wed at military chapels or live together on military bases in states that recognize same-sex marriages. The White House, Pentagon and gay rights groups are expected to host a series of events next month to mark the change.

A local gay rights activist has taken over the lapsed former campaign website of Dayton City Commissioner Dean Lovelace, who last ran unopposed in 2007, and is now using it to campaign against Lovelace in this fall’s commission race. The Dayton Daily News reporting that David Lauri writes on deanlovelace.com that he opposes Lovelace in large part because of his 1999 and 2007 votes against ordinances to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. The 2007 law passed despite Lovelace’s “no” vote. “It’s not fair, but I think (legally) he can do it,” Lovelace said this week. “I think he’s a jerk. ... I’ve not done anything to him, ever.” Lauri, of Dayton, said Friday he has little desire to discuss the issue with Lovelace, who he said has been in office too long. Lovelace has served on the commission since 1993. “I think it’s fine that he’s angry, but he has done something to me and every other gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender person in Dayton (through his votes),” Lauri said. Lovelace and Matt Joseph are running for re-election this fall, against challengers William Pace and Mark Manovich. Lovelace now has a new campaign website, www.re-electdeanlovelace.com. Lovelace said he voted against the 2007 ordinance because he wanted to have “constructive discussion” first about the comparative plights of the gay community and the black community. “I heard comments (that) the gay movement is just like the civil rights movement,” Lovelace said Wednesday. “And I say that’s crap. That’s crap.” Asked if he was against gay rights, Lovelace said no. “That’s just not true,” Lovelace said. “As a commissioner, you’re not going to make everyone happy, but my agenda is not gay rights. My agenda is around poverty reduction, community reinvestment and diversifying our safety forces. I don’t step outside that.” Lauri said it’s a mistake not to include gay rights as civil rights. “It’s not a reasonable stance,” Lauri said. “He was elected to represent all Daytonians and gays and lesbians are part of his constituency.”

According to his blog, Dean Sheremet is married, the 30 year-old former husband of LeAnn Rimes again tying the knot with a woman, 35 year-old Sarah Silver. The dreamy Dean, who owns a pair of killer guns, and Sarah wed in a small ceremony at a New York City Clerk’s office.

Patrick Schwarzenegger, again the picture of prep perfection, posts a photograph on his blog of his mother Maria pushing him in a Staples shopping cart, the 17-year-old doing buying some back to school items.

21 Year Old Man Charged In July 24 Long Beach California Hate Crime Against Gay Man Sentenced To Five Years In Prison

The man charged in the July 24 hate crime against a gay man in Long Beach, California has been sentenced to five years in prison. The Long Beach Press-Telegram reports that Jorge Jhovanoy Ibarrias, 21, of Torrance, pleaded no contest Thursday to one count of felony battery with serious bodily injury with a hate crime enhancement in the attack, according to court documents. Ibarrias was arrested and booked for assaulting Martin Sanchez of Ontario, who was in Long Beach visiting friends. Sanchez and his friends left the Falcon bar about 5:30 pm and were walking west along East Broadway, an area of Long Beach known as being gay friendly. When Ibarrias approached them and asked whether they were gay, Sanchez said he was. Ibarrias punched him in the face, knocking out one tooth and cracking five others, said Eric Avila, 31, of Long Beach, one of Sanchez's friends. Avila, who used his cellphone to report the crime to police, and another friend chased Ibarrias west on Broadway and eventually cornered him near Third Street and Cerritos Avenue. The police arrived a short time later and arrested Ibarrias. "The police advised me that I shouldn't have chased the guy, but I wanted justice," Avila said.

Battle Over Gay-Straight Alliances And Catholic School Boards Accountability To Province And Catholic Church To Begin Again; Board Continues To Resist Mandatory Amendments To Anti-Bullying Policies

The debate over support groups for gay students, and ultimately whether Catholic school boards can be accountable to both the province and the Roman Catholic Church, is about to begin again at the Toronto Catholic District School Board. The Globe and Mail reports that Trustees will consider a series of amendments to their provincially mandated anti-bullying policy Wednesday that appear to place the Pope’s authority above Premier Dalton McGuinty’s. The TCDSB’s board meetings have been well-attended since the spring, with a small but vocal contingent of residents objecting to homosexuality being taught in any way in Catholic schools – including in the context of bullying prevention. “The government seems to be pushing some things and some concepts that may not necessarily be congruent with what we [as Catholics] think,” said trustee John Del Grande, one of the authors of the amendments. For our school board, the reason why we exist is to provide a Catholic-based education. With that there’s certain morals and values and underpins that come with educating those students.” The controversy began nearly a year ago, after the ministry issued new requirements that school boards draft equity and inclusion policies aimed at dealing with homophobia. One was that schools allow students to form Gay-Straight Alliances. The suggestion proved problematic for Roman Catholic schools, which are also guided by a church doctrine that condemns homosexual activity, and the issue made international headlines after the Halton Catholic District School Board voted to ban Gay-Straight Alliances outright. The ban on the groups was later lifted, but students at Catholic schools in the GTA have since met resistance from administrators. The disagreements have centred on nomenclature – some boards have raised objections to rainbow symbolism or the word “gay” in the group’s name – and are likely to continue this fall when classes resume. “There are certainly some grey areas around the way that the Catholic Church ought to work with gay, lesbian, transgendered people” said Frank Peters, a professor at the University of Alberta and an expert in education policy. “Certainly, the idea that the Ontario government has embraced a gay activist position and that Catholic teaching is homophobic – I think I’d have real issues with either of those positions.” There are a handful of proposed amendments to the policy before the TCDSB, including one that is meant to be inserted below a paragraph about upholding the protections of the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. “Where there is an apparent conflict between the [ministry’s policy] and the denominational aspect of Catholic schools, the protection of the denominational aspect take precedence,” it reads. “These amendments are so stupid,” said Ward 3 Trustee Sal Piccininni. “…There’s one in there about ‘leading a Catholic lifestyle.’ It’s guarded, it’s hidden in nice jargon, but basically it’s going after gay students.” The denominational rights of Catholic schools are protected in Canada’s Constitution. But exactly how much power those rights give the church over education policy has yet to be tested in court, according to Dr. Peters. Student Anna Tran said students at her school, Father Michael Goetz Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga, need a GSA. She said derogatory phrases such as “That’s so gay,” and “No homo,” are commonly heard in the hallways and a GSA would help raise awareness that these phrases can be hurtful. She hopes to start a GSA at her school this fall. “I’ve had really positive response so far but we haven’t talked to any of the administrators yet about it,” she said.

Iowa Governor Says No Connection Exists Between Rhetoric Over Same Sex Marriage Battle And Beating Death Of 19 Year Old Marcellus Andrews

There is no connection at all between Iowa’s debate over gay marriage rights and the death of Waterloo teen Marcellus Andrews, the governor said Monday, according to the Des Moines Register. “I think it’s inappropriate to try to link these two,” Republican Gov. Terry Branstad said during his weekly press conference at the Capitol. A reporter said the homicide could have been related to the sexual orientation of the victim, then asked Branstad what his role was as governor to control the tenor of the debate over gay rights, given the heat of the controversy over the marriage issue here. Branstad answered: “The fact of the matter is, we need to protect the health, safety and well-being of all the citizens, regardless – if somebody is murdered, it needs to be investigated and prosecuted and people held responsible for it. But I see no link whatsoever and I think it’s inappropriate to try to blame people that are not associated with having committed a crime. I think we need to focus on the people who committed the crime and they need to be brought to justice.” Andrews died in an August 19 fight. Witnesses allege that Andrews’ attackers yelled “faggot” and other anti-gay slurs during the incident. Andrews, who was set to begin classes this semester at Hawkeye Community College, later died of head injuries at the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City. Waterloo police have stressed that they think the beating was prompted by a long-running dispute. Andrews happened to be sitting on the porch of a friend when the dispute broke out, they said. His death triggered an outcry from the civil rights group One Iowa and other gay rights advocates around the globe. Same sex marriage has been legal in Iowa since an Iowa Supreme Court ruling in 2009, but social conservatives continue to push the split-controlled Iowa Legislature for the right to vote to change the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage.

New Jersey Prosecutors File Motion Seeking To Protect Identity Of Tyler Clementi Lover

For nearly a year, the identity of the man caught on a webcam in an intimate encounter with Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi has remained a secret, the Star-Ledger reporting in court papers in the high-profile invasion of privacy case stemming from Clementi’s subsequent suicide, the man has been identified by only the initials, "M.B." Today, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office filed a motion asking Superior Court Judge Glenn Berman to issue a protective order to ensure M.B.’s name, address or birthday is not revealed. "Fearing further victimization and in a request for privacy, he asks that his name not be turned over at this time," prosecutors wrote in their motion. The prosecutor’s request came in response to a motion filed earlier this month by attorneys for Dharun Ravi, Clementi’s roommate. Ravi, 19, of Plainsboro, is charged with invasion of privacy and bias intimidation for allegedly using a webcam in his Piscataway dorm room to spy on Clementi and M.B. last September. Clementi, 18, of Ridgewood, committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge a few days later. His story sparked a national debate about cyber-bullying and gay teen suicide. Ravi’s attorneys said they want to speak to M.B. as they prepare their client’s defense. "There is no question he has relevant information. But they have not provided his name, address or date of birth," Ravi’s attorneys said in their motion. "There is no basis in the law for withholding this information." Ravi’s lawyers rejected prosecutors’ offer to allow M.B. to be interviewed anonymously in the presence of a state investigator. "Defendant is entitled to conduct his own investigation in his defense and cannot be required to be chaperoned while doing so," Ravi’s attorneys wrote. In transcripts of instant messaging chats included in court papers, Clementi told friends that M.B. was 25 and uncomfortable with people knowing he was gay. M.B. "clearly didn’t expect to have his sexual orientation disclosed through the resulting criminal investigation and prosecution, nor did he expect his private sexual relations with another consenting adult to be exposed to others or to the public," prosecutors said in their motion. A spokesman for the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment on the case today beyond the court papers. Neither Ravi’s attorney, Steve Altman, nor the Clementi family’s attorney returned requests for comment. Ravi faces up to 10 years in prison if he is convicted on the most serious charges; he is charged with 15 counts, including invasion of privacy and trying to mislead investigators. He is also accused of bias intimidation for allegedly targeting Clementi because he was gay. Prosecutors filed nearly 200 pages of documents today in response to a motion filed earlier this month by Ravi’s attorneys to dismiss all charges in the case. The papers included a copy of a two-paragraph e-mail, titled "Roommate spying on me," Clementi sent to Rutgers University residence life officials the day he committed suicide. The freshman detailed how he learned, via Twitter, that his roommate had used a webcam to spy on him September 19. He said he also found the webcam turned "toward my bed" two days later. "I feel that my privacy has been violated and I am extremely uncomfortable sharing a room with someone who would act in this wildly inappropriate manner," Clementi wrote in the email, sent 20 hours before he committed suicide. The next court date in the case is scheduled for September 9.

Porn Production In Los Angeles Shut Down After Performer Tests HIV-Positive

Los Angeles Times, Duke’s group became aware of the possible HIV case Saturday, according to a statement released to porn industry media. Duke would not say how her group learned about the possible HIV case. She said she notified adult film production companies across the San Fernando Valley on Monday morning that a performer had tested positive and urged them to temporarily halt productions until further tests were completed. Duke said company officials she spoke with -- including those at well-known studios, such as Hustler and Evil Angel -- agreed to the temporary shutdown. Duke said she could not release the performer’s name, age or gender. Further testing will likely be completed within a week, she added. Her group will notify performers who had sex with the potentially infected person so they can get tested. "Retesting and confirmation is underway as is the process of identifying and testing first- and second- generation partners," she said, referring to those who had sex with the person who tested HIV positive or with one of that person's sex partners. It was not clear how Duke's group was doing that. She noted in a statement released Monday that the performer tested positive at an out-of-state facility “that does not appear to have protocols or procedures in place for medical follow-up (including generational testing).” Los Angeles County health officials and state health regulators, who have been involved with such testing in the past, were not notified of the test because it was performed out of state, Duke said. A Los Angeles County public health spokeswoman did not return calls or emails early Monday. Last month, Duke’s group launched a new testing database for porn performers, the Adult Performer Health and Safety Services, designed to provide producers and agents with access to results from numerous testing centers. Duke said it will be at least another month before testing is complete and the database is fully functional. Adult film performers must be tested every 30 days and show proof of a clean test before they perform, according to voluntary industry standards. AIM Medical Associates had been operating the industry's database of test results before it closed in May while fighting a lawsuit that alleged it revealed performers' private medical information. The new database will tell producers and agents only whether performers are available for work, not their specific test results as AIM had done, Duke said. AIM officials, who opened the Sherman Oaks-based clinic in 1998, had also drawn criticism for opposing condom use in porn and insisting that frequent tests could protect performers from HIV. They continued to defend their position even after performer Derrick Burts tested HIV positive at AIM last year. Burts has since joined an effort by Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation to get a measure placed on the city’s June 2012 ballot that would require adult film performers to use condoms in porn productions that seek Los Angeles city film permits. Backers of the ballot measure must submit a petition with at least 41,138 qualifying signatures by Dec. 23 to place the proposal on the June ballot. It would be the first time that voters were asked to weigh in on the issue. Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said the latest possible HIV infection showed an “outrageous disregard for the health and safety of performers and the community at large” and demonstrates why testing is not an adequate substitute for condoms. He called on L.A. city officials to pull all adult film permits until condoms are mandated. “How many performers must become infected with HIV and other serious STDs before the industry will clean up its act and government will do the right thing?” he said.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge Ware Hints He Favours Allowing Videotapes Of 2010 Proposition 8 Trial Public

A federal judge in San Francisco, hearing arguments on whether to make public videotapes of last year’s trial on Proposition 8, said Monday he generally favoured the trend of bringing cameras into the courtroom but also expressed concern about obeying “the rules.” The Los Angeles Times reports that Chief U.S. District Court Judge James Ware said he would issue a written opinion on whether to remove a seal on the video of the same-sex marriage trial that ended in a ruling declaring the marriage ban unconstitutional. Ware did not say how he was leaning. But he said "the integrity of the judicial process is affected" when one judge promises a videotape will be used only for limited purposes and a second judge later decides to make the video public. The judge also said, however, that there is keen public interest in the proceedings and that the tapes might "heighten public knowledge" about the case. During nearly two hours of arguments, lawyers for Proposition 8 challengers and the news media pointed to statements by Proposition 8 backers alleging that retired Judge Vaughn R. Walker, who presided over the trial, had been biased. “Releasing the video would allow everyone to review and make their own judgments about what happened,” said Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., who represents two same-sex couples who challenged the 2008 ballot measure. But David Thompson, a lawyer for the measure's backers, reminded Ware that Walker had assured them the tapes would not be aired publicly. “We were entitled to rely upon those ironclad assurances, and we did,” Thompson said. The U.S. Supreme Court barred a broadcast of the trial after Proposition 8’s sponsors argued that videotaping the proceedings would intimidate their witnesses and expose them to harassment. Thompson told Ware that releasing the tapes now might intimidate future witnesses from participating in trials.

Fired Miami Police Accused Of Brutality In Beating And False Arrest Of Gay Man Say They Are Victims Of Politics And Demand To Be Reinstated, Intoxicated Washington D.C. Off-Duty Police Officer Arrested After Firing Gun At Group Of Transgender Persons, Tina Fey Hints 30 Rock May Use Tracy Morgan Homophobic Rant And Subsequent Apology Tour, Prince Harry Gets Soaking Wet And Offers Clear Underwear Sighting, Kellan Lutz Man In Black

The two fired Miami Beach police officers who allegedly beat and wrongly arrested two gay men in 2009 say they are the victims of politics and deserve their jobs back. The Miami Herald reports that Frankly Forte and Eliut Hazzi filed grievances two weeks ago with the city, demanding that they be reinstated with back pay. “The investigation was unfair and tainted with bias from the outset,” both men wrote in city documents filed August 17-18. Controversy has surrounded the former officers since early 2010, when former South Beach resident Harold Strickland went public with accusations that Forte and Hazzi were beating another gay man in Flamingo Park in March 2009 and then arrested Strickland when he called 911 to report the incident. The officers charged both Oscar Daniel Mendoza and Strickland with loitering and prowling, saying the men were suspiciously walking around the park and trying to get into parked cars at around 1:00 am Mendoza was also charged with resisting arrest. Prosecutors dropped all charges. Strickland, who now lives in California and at the time was in town on business, said he had just left a gay club and was near 15th Street and Michigan Avenue en route to see his old home when he saw Forte and Hazzi beating Mendoza. Strickland called 911 and said the officers were kicking Mendoza in the head like “a football” before the officers stopped him and the line went dead. Strickland filed a lawsuit, which the city settled for $75,000 while firing the two officers August 1. The former officers could not be reached for comment Friday. Sgt. Alejandro Bello, president of the city’s police union, said Strickland’s story of what happened that night is full of holes. He said Mendoza’s mug shot shows that he had no injuries to his face. He also questioned Strickland’s story that he wanted to see his old home and Mendoza’s statements that he was searching for his dog’s missing collar after a quick walk. Bello also said Miami Beach politicians influenced the officers’ firings and noted that both Strickland and Mendoza have been arrested near Flamingo Park in the past and accused of involvement in illegal sex acts. Mendoza was arrested in 2007 for lewd and lascivious behaviour and accused of having oral sex with a man in a stranger’s backyard in the 900 block of 15th Street. The charges were dropped. Strickland was accused of loitering and prowling in 1998 after he allegedly watched several men masturbate in a West Avenue alleyway. His attorney, Ray Taseff, said the 1998 arrest was a case of “wrong place, wrong time” and said a city magistrate acquitted Strickland in the case, which does not show up in court or criminal records. Bello said neither man is credible. “They have a prior history of being in the park for lewd activity and prior arrests for the same. On top of that, Harold Strickland pled out the case.” Strickland, whose initial plea of no contest was reversed after the American Civil Liberties Union took up his case, declined to comment. Taseff said Strickland stands by his story, and says Mendoza may have been kicked somewhere other than his head during the chaotic moments. City documents state that Mendoza gave Internal Affairs investigators pictures of his injuries. Taseff predicted Forte and Hazzi’s grievances “will go nowhere.” Hazzi and Forte were the third and fourth Miami Beach officers fired this summer. The other two former officers, Derick Kuilan and Rolando Gutierrez, lost their jobs last month after an investigation found they were drinking and partying with women at a South Beach hotel before Kuilan went on an ATV joyride with a bachelorette and crashed into two people, seriously injuring them. Kuilan — who faces criminal charges — and Gutierrez have also filed grievances and demanded they be reinstated. Kuilan says he was illegally blood-tested; Gutierrez has said he was wrongly forced to take a breath-alcohol test.

A Washington D.C. police officer fired his service weapon, hitting at least one person, during a Friday morning incident according to police. The Washington Post reports that Friday afternoon, police said the officer had been charged with driving while intoxicated and assault with a dangerous weapon. Police spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump identified him as Kenneth Furr, though a press release did not name him. Furr was scheduled to appear in court Saturday at the earliest, according to U.S. Attorney’s Office Spokesman Bill Miller, who said authorities are still determining whether charges will be filed and, if so, what they would be. Police said Furr, who was off duty, got into “a confrontation” with five individuals. The release did not specify the reason for the confrontation. During a conference call Friday afternoon organized by Transgender Health Empowerment and Gays and Lesbians Opposing Violence, D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said a verbal confrontation led to the shooting and a minor collision between cars carrying Furr and some of the other individuals. She was not sure whether the collision or the shooting happened first. After Furr fired his handgun, police said, one person was hit, sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. Two others sustained injuries, the cause of which police said was still being investigated. Some of the people involved in the incident at First and Pierce Streets NW around 5:25 am were transgender, according to police. There is no evidence at this time that shooting was bias-related, said Lanier during the conference call, and an investigation is ongoing. Lanier was on the scene Friday morning after the incident, police said earlier. Furr remains in jail, separated from other inmates for his own safety. He is the 23rd D.C. police officer charged with a crime this year.

In a pre-Emmy Award interview with Deadline, Tina Fey, asked about Tracy Morgan’s now infamous anti-gay stand up tirade on a Nashville stage, Fey said she may well write the controversy into 30 Rock. “It’s the kind of story that even if it happened to someone else, we would probably turn into a Tracy story,” she said. “So we may use it.”

Prince Harry, at an open-air club in Croatia Saturday, plunged into the pool fully clothed, emerging soaking wet, black boxerbriefs barely staying on.

Kellan Lutz spotted back on the beach – Muscle Beach, specifically – clad all in black, working out.

GOP Candidate Santorum Says Gay Community “Has Gone Out On A Jihad” Against Him

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said the gay community has "gone out on a jihad" against him for his stance against same-sex marriage, reports The Hill. "So the gay community said, 'He's comparing gay sex to incest and polygamy, how dare he do this,' and they have gone out on a, I would argue, jihad against Rick Santorum since then," the former senator said at a campaign stop in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on Friday. Santorum (R-Pennsylvania) has been an outspoken critic of Lawrence v. Texas, a 2003 Supreme Court decision that struck down state sodomy laws, and state laws that allow same-sex marriage. "I said, 'This is a napkin. A napkin is what a napkin is. It isn't a paper towel. It isn't a car.' You can call a napkin a car, but it doesn't make it a car. You can call a paper towel a chair, but it doesn't make it a chair. Marriage is what marriage is," Santorum said. Comments like this have brought particular ire to Santorum from gay community. In 2003, Santorum argued that the "definition of marriage" has never involved "man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be." In response, syndicated sex columnist Dan Savage began an online campaign to redefine "santorum" as a sexual neologism; Internet searches for the former Pennsylvania senator's name routinely return websites defining the term before those for the senator himself. Santorum has struggled to gain traction in the Republican primary; about 50 supporters attended the Spartanburg event. At a campaign stop at the same restaurant two weeks earlier, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota) drew 10 times as many supporters. He has also trailed in polling on the race.

Jurors In Brandon McInerney Murder Trial Fail To Reach Verdict After Two Hours Of Deliberations

Jurors in the Brandon McInerney murder trial failed Monday to reach a verdict after two hours of deliberations, the Ventura County Star is reporting. One of the jurors is a college student who starts classes this afternoon, so Ventura County Superior Court Judge Charles Campbell is allowing the jury to work around her schedule. They also will deliberate for only two hours Wednesday if no verdict has been reached by then. Families of both McInerney and victim Larry King mulled around the Chatsworth courthouse this morning waiting for a verdict. McInerney, 17, is charged with murder and a hate crime for the 2008 shooting of King, 15, in an Oxnard middle school classroom. The prosecution in closing arguments last week said the jury should find McInerney guilty of first-degree murder for several reasons, including that he was lying in wait and planned the killing ahead of time. First-degree murder with a gun enhancement carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 50 years in prison. The prosecution also argued McInerney was a white supremacist who killed King partly because he was gay, hence the hate-crime charge, The defense countered that McInerney was in a dissociative state when he killed King and was not completely aware of what he was doing. Defense attorneys argued McInerney was only 14 at the time, grew up in a violent household, was sexually harassed by King and should be found guilty only of voluntary manslaughter and use of a firearm, which carries a discretionary sentence as low as 14 years. The trial was held in Chatsworth because of pre-trial publicity in Ventura County.

German National Football Capitan Philipp Lahm Denies He Is Gay And Cautions Any Player Against Coming Out

AFP reports that the captain of Germany's national football team Philipp Lahm said he is not gay, in excerpts of his new book released Monday, and he cautioned footballers against coming out. "First, I am not a homosexual. I am not married to my wife Claudia for appearances and I do not have a friend in Cologne with whom I really live," Lahm wrote in the book entitled A Subtle Difference. "This speculation doesn't matter to me," he said referring to rumours about a male companion in Cologne. "I have nothing against homosexuals and I find that there is nothing wrong with homosexuality." "But it never ceases to amaze me that these isolated types, who tell these stories, can have a lot of influence on public opinion.’Philipp Lahm homosexual' (...) do you not have anything more important to talk about?" he said. He however advised professional footballers against coming out, referring specifically to Justin Fashanu, the first professional player in Britain to publicly reveal his homosexuality. Fashanu, who, after his disclosure, spoke about deep-seated anti-gay prejudice in professional football, killed himself in 1998. A Subtle Difference, on sale in book stores Monday, is the Bayern Munich star's first book. It has for several days been hotly discussed around Germany, notably for Lahm's criticism of some players selected to play on the German national team, including picks made by current coach Joachim Loew. Lahm has apologised for the criticisms and Germany's national football organ (DFB) has indicated that he will remain captain. Lahm was named captain in 2010, and led the side to a third-place finish in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Iowa Senate Majority Leader Gronstal Says He Will Use His Power To Continue Blocking Any Debate Over Same Sex Marriage, Washington State Legislators Start Push For Same Sex Marriage Law, Lady Gaga Channels Jo Calderone At MTV Video Awards While Tyler, The Creator Wins Best New Artist, Patrick Schwarzenegger Prep Perfect, Ryan Gosling

In an interview with the Associated Press Iowa Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal says he will once again use the power of his position to block any debate over same-sex marriage when lawmakers convene next year. Unless the Council Bluffs Democrat changes his mind or is removed from his position, his stand will prevent a state-wide vote to ban same-sex marriage for at least several years. Most Republican legislators want to refer a proposed constitutional amendment to voters, but Gronstal says he thinks public sentiment on same-sex marriage is shifting. Some Republicans say Gronstal's stand will hurt him in his re-election bid, but the Senate president says he is not worried. Bob Vander Plaats, head of the conservative group the Family Leader, says defeating Gronstal in the next election will be a top priority for his organization.

Two key Democratic state lawmakers are considering a major push to try and pass a same sex-marriage law in Washington next year, the Seattle Times reporting that Sen. Ed Murray and Rep. Jamie Pedersen, gay lawmakers from the 43rd District in Seattle, said they're in early discussions and have to run the idea by community and legislative leaders. The Legislature convenes in January. Murray was the prime sponsor of landmark gay-rights legislation approved by the Legislature in 2006 and a domestic-partnership law that passed in 2007. Washington's domestic-partnership law provides same-sex couples legal benefits similar to those of marriage. Pedersen has played a leading role in expanding the law over the past several years, but gay-marriage advocates say that law does not go far enough. "We've always said that domestic partnership was not an end to itself but a path toward marriage," Murray said. The prospect of pushing gay-marriage legislation to a floor vote next year is getting more serious consideration than it has in the past, he said. The New York Legislature's vote in June to legalize gay marriage does not factor much into the decision, other than "every time a state passes marriage and the world doesn't fall apart ... it helps," Murray said. In addition to New York, the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire and the District of Columbia issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. It took the Washington Legislature nearly 30 years to pass its gay-rights law in 2006, House Bill 2661. The measure, which was controversial at the time, added sexual orientation to an existing state law that banned discrimination by race, sex, religion, national origin, marital status and other categories. Now Murray says the state is ready for same-sex marriage. "I don't believe it's as radioactive as even the civil-rights bill six years ago," he said. "I think people in this state have moved on." Sen. Dan Swecker (R-Rochester), who’s consistently voted against gay-rights and domestic-partnership legislation, said he would expect strong opposition to same-sex marriage in his caucus. "I think primarily the Republicans, but (also) some Democrats, tend to support the traditional definition of marriage and think it's a mistake to try to change that," Swecker said. Democrats currently hold a 27-to-22 majority in the Senate and a 56-to-42 advantage in the House. Given that it appears likely lawmakers will have another gaping hole in the budget to deal with next year, it's a bad idea to bring another divisive issue to the table, Swecker said. "It would be unfortunate to try to complicate the legislative process by adding this issue on top of it," he said. Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown (D-Spokane), countered: "I believe that it's always the right time to bring up issues of fairness and equality." That said, Brown's not certain yet if 2012 will be the year her caucus will tackle same-sex marriage. "I anticipate that we'll get there in Washington state. I don't know for sure if it's this year because we don't have a vote count yet in the Senate," she said. Records show state Sens. Jim Hargrove (D-Hoquiam) and Tim Sheldon (D-Potlach) voted against both the gay-rights and domestic-partnership bills. Sen. Brian Hatfield (D-Raymond) also voted against the domestic-partnership bill; he was not a senator when the gays-right measure passed. "The Senate has always been a problem," Murray said. "I know we do not have enough votes in the Democratic caucus in the Senate to pass marriage and that it would require ... a bipartisan vote, with some Republicans voting for it." Currently, it appears they're a few votes short, he said. The House may have enough votes to pass the legislation. "But there's never been a hard count, saying this year in an election year, will you vote for this bill? That has not happened," Murray said. Pedersen said there are a number of issues to sort through, including the prospect of a ballot challenge if the Legislature approved gay marriage. He said a decision on whether to move forward is likely within the next couple of months.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Odd Future's Tyler, the Creator had a breakout night at the MTV Video Music Awards, but it was Katy Perry who took home video of the year for Firework. It was Perry's second award of the night, as she earlier won best collaboration with Kanye West for her E.T. Accepting her award for the morale-boosting Firework, Perry said she feels like she's "doing something right" each time she performs the song. The cut has a similar note as Lady Gaga's Born This Way, which had earlier won for best female video. As for Gaga, she didn't break character all night, and she accepted the trophy as male alter-ego "Jo Calderone." The chain-smoking Calderone showed off a sillier side of Gaga's personality, yet still fit into the everyone-is-normal message that Born This Way champions. "Gay, straight, bi, trans-gendered -- you were born this way," Gaga as Calderone said to close her speech. indeed, the 2011 MTV VMAs embraced all with open arms. Odd Future's Tyler, the Creator has been the center of a media-driven controversy for much of 2011, as his lyrics collide the mundane with the violent. Yet Tyler seemed overwhelmed by the MTV stage, admitting he was nervous and had dreamed of winning a "Moonman," the trophy modeled after the MTV logo, since he was 9. Though his songs are littered with images of rape and murder, MTV producers steered from controversy and instead had him dance with Will Ferrell and Jack Black. MTV also welcomed back Chris Brown, who appeared on the telecast for the first time since pleading guilty to assaulting Rihanna in 2009. He danced to Nirvana and flew over the crowd as if all was forgiven, yet MTV did stop short of giving him a trophy tonight. Elsewhere, Britney Spears took best video for Till the World Ends and was given a short tribute, while Russell Brand payed homage to Amy Winehouse.

Friday, a prep-perfect Patrick Schwarzenegger spotted out and about in Malibu.



Saturday, a leather-clad Ryan Gosling is spotted making his way through LAX.

For First Time Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Leads Capital Pride Parade

The Ottawa Citizen reports that in front of a record crowd, the 25th Annual Capital Pride Parade wound its way down Wellington Street to City Hall, among those in leather, along with law firms and soccer teams, dykes on bikes, church ministers, princesses in peacock feathers, politicians, was a little yellow school bus that led the way at the front of the line, marking the first time a school board has ever joined the parade in Ottawa. To cheers from the crowd, more than 100 staff, teachers, principals and trustees joined the parade, all decked out in the trademark white-and-purple colours of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Beaming at the large turnout, which included more than 10 school principals as well as scores of teachers, trustee Jennifer McKenzie said the decision was “as natural as breathing” for the board. “We’re supporting our vulnerable students and that’s something we just do on a daily basis,” said McKenzie, who first brought the proposal to the board. Kevin Gilmore, principal of Cairine Wilson Secondary School, said that 20 years ago, he would have been “very surprised” to see the board in the parade. “I’m really proud of the board taking this position, and proud of the turnout,” he said as he waited among the milling crowd of board staff before the parade. On the school bus, Andrea Jensen, an art teacher at Longfields-Davidson Heights Secondary School in Barrhaven, said she has seen a “shift in thinking among young people.” For example, “if someone says, ‘That’s so gay,’ as an insult, even the average teenager will say, ‘Really?’” She wants to help push this new attitude to a higher level: “I’m here to hopefully move from tolerance to celebration. It’s hard to live your life and have someone say, ‘You know what? I tolerate you.’ Well, I tolerate lima beans, which means I really don’t like them, but I will put up with them,” she adds, with a laugh. For kids like Samuel Clark, a Grade 11 student who came to his first Pride parade Sunday, the board’s presence was a sign that “things are getting better and better.”Hayley Masterson, a university student also experiencing her first pride parade, said “It awesome the board is here — it’s really cool.” Her friend, Maddie Kessel, agreed, but said that LGBT pride “should be within school walls, not just outside.” Not until she reached university did she learn that LGBT rights can “intersect” with education, she said. The parade marked another first on Sunday, drawing an estimated 50,000 people — 15,000 more than last year, according to organizer Lauryn Kronick. “It’s pretty packed down here. It is mayhem,” she laughed, from the Festival Plaza at City Hall, where the event wound up with a series of concerts and community-group displays. With about 85 groups in the parade, there were some 1,600 participants in the parade this year, she said, noting that outreach to groups such as the francophone community may have helped swell the numbers. Capital Pride organizers took a moment to cheer for the NDP’s Jack Layton when they kicked off the festivities Sunday. “It has been a week of sadness, and it was important that we celebrate his life as well,” Kronick said. “He was one of the first to stand up for LGBT communities,” and fought for human rights for more than 30 years, she noted. Some activists kicked the event off with a protest on Parliament Hill just before the parade. Held on the 40th anniversary of the first national gay-rights protest, the Queer Ontario rally commemorated that first effort, in which a few hundred protesters submitted a list of 10 demands, most attacking sections of the Criminal Code that targeted gays and lesbians. In Sunday’s We (Still) Demand protest, which drew about 50 people, organizer Casey Oraa presented a list of 44 demands, and invited the crowd to add more to a “comically large” blank banner. The prepared demands covered a range of issues, including rights for transsexual, transgender and intersex people, and immigration laws that affect the community. Activist Michael Burtch urged the crowd to lobby against the prosecution of people with HIV who fail to disclose their status when they have unprotected sex, arguing that it is making people reluctant to be tested, for fear their health records will be used against them. The law “does not stop the spread of HIV and in fact helps it flourish,” warned Burtch, who has himself been HIV-positive for six years. Ongoing battles aside, the mood at the parade was exuberant, as participants and spectators alike celebrated past victories and looked forward to new progress. Richard Kaulbars had a front-row seat with his sons Eric, 3, and Axel, 5. “We come every year,” says Kaulbars, who isn’t gay, but wants his sons to grow up “in a house where it’s not going to be a big weird thing, but (their parents) will be actually supportive” if they don’t turn out to be heterosexual. “And maybe Dad will get to go to the parties,” grins Kaulbars. On a more serious note, he added, “I want my boys to be free, to be able to do what you can do in a free society.” Besides, adds Kaulbars, “Who doesn’t love a parade?” And what do the boys like about the Capital Pride Parade? Eric doesn’t hesitate for a second. “Lollipops!” he cries, waving the candy in the air triumphantly.

Western Australian Christian School Investigated After Asking Grade 10 Students If Homosexuality Was “Sickest Sin”

Children in Perth have been asked whether homosexuality is "the sickest sin" in a school assignment. The homework given to 14 and 15-year-olds at Armadale Christian College, also points them to bible quotes describing homosexuality as an "abomination,” and describes "coming out of the closet" as "open sinning.” Inquiries by The Sunday Times have prompted Education Minister Liz Constable to order Department of Education Services staff to go to the school to ensure it was "satisfying registration requirements,” Dr. Constable saying Friday that "(This is) to assess the lesson content being used by the school in relation to their Religion and Life syllabus." Meanwhile, Stephen Lee, chief executive officer of Swan Christian Education Association, which encompasses the Armadale school, said his association would "review the use of this material" and teaching materials used at other SCEA schools, following questions from the Sunday Times. One question in the assignment given to the Year 10 students in June was: "Is homosexuality the sickest sin there is?" Another question asked what God said about homosexuality and pointed to Bible quotes for the answer, which called it an "abomination.” The assignment also stated that homosexuality was a "compromise for the need to be loved and accepted", resulting for many from "low self-esteem (and) gender emptiness.” Also on the assignment was: "Many people say that homosexuality is an inborn trait. Is a person born greedy, jealous, malicious, gossiper, slanderer, thief, child abuser, serial killer?" Relatives of children in the Year 10 class expressed "disgust" about what they called "bigotry" in the assignment, which under its heading "Homosexuality", had the biblical quote: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? ... Neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites.” Dani Wright, coordinator of youth support service Freedom Centre, said discrimination through such teaching could lead to mental health issues and even suicide. She said blanket policies were needed about homophobia in schools because, while the WA Equal Opportunity Act did not allow sexual-orientation discrimination, there were "loopholes" for religious institutions. One student's relative, James Notman, praised the Minister's quick action on the matter, and said such "extremist" teachings could "seriously damage the mental well-being" of some children at a time of life when questions of sexuality were of huge importance. "I also went to a Christian private school, but what we were taught about homosexuality was that we should all love and accept everyone as the same, because it doesn't matter whether you're gay, straight, male, female, we're all humans and we're all equal," he said. Mr Lee said the assignment was used to "facilitate discussion on Christian views" as part of a lesson within the WA Curriculum Council course Religion and Life. He said the section which had the question that asked about the "sickest sin", identified "numerous" views on homosexuality, including that it was an illness, in context of views that it may be genetic, an inborn trait or a lifestyle choice. Mr Lee said that the school was not teaching any of these view points, but was "facilitating discussion on common views in society.”

Rabid Anti-Abortion Reverend Charged With Violating Noise Ordinance At Pride Charlotte Festival

Rev. Phillip "Flip" Benham says he turned down his speaker after officers warned him he was preaching too loudly outside the boundaries of the Pride Charlotte Festival on Saturday. But later, as he read from the first chapter of Romans, which talks about God's wrath against sinful humanity, Benham says he got passionate. His voice, he admits, began to rise as he spoke into the microphone. The Charlotte Observer reports that Benham, 63, was arrested and charged with a violation of the city's noise ordinance Saturday - the latest in a string of run-ins with authorities for the preacher who was convicted earlier this summer of stalking a doctor who performs abortions. Thousands of people attended the festival, which is the largest fundraiser for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Charlotte. The event shut down several blocks of South Tryon Street, but it also brought dozens of protesters like Benham. Many wore red shirts that said "Repent of Perish." Benham was apparently the only one arrested. His arrest was the latest in a string of run-ins with the law for the Concord-based preacher. But he says he is a victim of a city policy that chips away at his First Amendment rights by limiting how loud protesters can get. "It's the way the city controls us," Benham says. "It controls the message that we speak. The city can control the content of a message if they can control the volume." The city's noise ordinance requires people using microphones and speakers on city streets to keep the noise below 75 decibels. Officers measure the sound from 10 feet away and typically warn a person that they're above the limit before making arrests or issuing citations. That limit is "barely louder than the ambient noise level at Trade & Tryon," Benham says. But Benham said he was not surprised about the conflict with the authorities, based on previous experiences. He's been arrested four times since January 2010. In July, he was found guilty of stalking after he distributed hundreds of posters featuring a Charlotte doctor's face and the words "Wanted ... by Christ, to Stop Killing Babies." Prosecutors say Benham - a regular visitor to clinics where abortions are performed in Charlotte and across the nation - went to a Charlotte doctor's home and inside his clinic to take pictures. He is on probation for the stalking charge. It requires him to stay away from the doctor's home and to stay at least 500 feet clear of the clinics where the doctor works, but he said it doesn't stop him from speaking up at other events. In fact he said his group is already making plans to protest at the Democratic National Convention next year. "The city of Charlotte really wants me to shut up before the Democratic National Convention gets here," he said. "We're not worried about that. This is our city, and we have a responsibility to her."

Republican Senator Roberto Arango Resigns After Explicit Pictures Surface On Grindr

The chief of Puerto Rico’s senate says a lawmaker has resigned following reports that explicit photos of him surfaced on Grindr, the mobile network application for gays and bisexuals. The Associated Press reports that Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz announced Sunday that Republican Senator Roberto Arango has presented his resignation letter. Arango represents the U.S. territory’s capital. Schatz has not released the lawmaker’s letter, but says the circumstances that led to the resignation “are very lamentable.” One picture depicts a nude torso and is reminiscent of images that led to the resignation of U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York earlier this year. The other pictures show a nude man on his hands and knees. Arango, who said he had been taking nude pictures to document his weight loss, has neither confirmed nor denied the photos are of him.

Nebraska Supreme Court Issues Ruling Allowing Non-Biological Lesbian Mother To Seek Custody And Visitation Rights Of Boy She Co-Raised; Landmark Decision Clarifies State Law Regarding Same Sex Couples Rights And Responsibilities

The Nebraska Supreme Court issued a decision Friday that clarifies the custody rights of same-sex couples in the state. The Associated Press reporting that the court ruled that a lesbian woman can pursue custody and visitation after her relationship ended with the child's biological mother because she had been acting as the boy's parent. The ruling will send the dispute between Teri Latham and Susan Schwerdtfeger of Omaha back to a lower court for hearings about whether Latham should be granted visitation rights. The two lived together as a couple for more than 15 years before having a son together in 2001. The two women chose a sperm donor together and shared the cost of the fertility treatments for Schwerdtfeger's pregnancy. Both sides agreed Latham acted as the boy's mother for the first several years of his life before the relationship ended in 2006. "The relationship between Latham and Schwerdtfeger, however, is not the deciding factor," the court said in its ruling. "The record is clear that Schwerdtfeger consented to Latham's performance of parental duties. Schwerdtfeger encouraged Latham to assume the status of a parent." Latham's attorney, Tyler Block, said this ruling will be important for same-sex couples as well as for other non-married couples where someone who is not the biological parent acts as a parent. "They got it exactly right," Block said. "They applied Nebraska law and helped give clarification on how it applies in these particular situations." Schwerdtfeger's attorney, Angela Tiritilli, said her client is disappointed with the ruling because it will likely mean several more years of court proceedings. But Tiritilli said the ruling should help clarify parental rights in the state. "What we're seeing here is a good trend: the court is not simply dismissing same-sex parental rights," Tiritilli said. Schwerdtfeger had argued that Latham had not done enough since the relationship ended to maintain her parental rights. Latham quit providing financial support for the boy and was not involved in making decisions on his behalf. Additionally, 10-year-old Parker Schwerdtfeger told a judge last year that he did not want to continue to have a relationship with Latham. The court said that it appears the main reason why Latham hasn't had much contact with the boy is because Schwerdtfeger restricted her access to the boy. "The amount of visitation Latham has been afforded does not appear to reflect a lack of desire on her part to be an active part of P.S.' life," the court said. But Latham will have to prove at trial that it is in the boy's best interest for her to have a relationship with him, the court said. The National Center for Lesbian Rights wrote a brief supporting Latham's argument because the center believes courts should recognize the custody rights of same sex couples as long as they meet the legal standard to qualify for parental rights. The Center for Lesbian Rights said it believes parent-child relationships are intended to be permanent and shouldn't be undone if a child's parents separate. This case did not deal with the question of whether same-sex couples can marry or get divorced, which is prohibited under the state Constitution.

Human Rights Campaign Announces Joe Solmonese Leaving As President Effective March 2012

The co-chairs of the Human Rights Campaign Board of Directors and the HRC Foundation Board Saturday announced that HRC President Joe Solmonese has informed the boards that he will not renew his contract which expires March 31, 2012. Solmonese will remain at the helm of the organization until the completion of his contract to ensure a smooth leadership transition. At the same time, the co-chairs announced the formation of a search committee to be co-chaired by board members Joni Madison of Hillsborough, N.C., and Dana Perlman of Los Angeles. "Joe Solmonese is an outstanding leader," said Anne Fay who co-chairs the Foundation Board of Directors with Andy Linsky. "While we will miss his extraordinary leadership, we enter this next phase, thanks to Joe, in the best place the organization has ever been. Not only has our community secured historic victories, but our membership is larger and more active than at any time in our history, and our financial health is secure even in these difficult economic times." Tim Downing, the co-chair of the HRC Board of Directors along with Rebecca Tillet, said "From the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', to the recent passage of marriage equality in New York, Joe has made sure that HRC is an effective and strategic force for positive change. Over the course of his tenure, he's set the tone for delivering real reform that matters in peoples' everyday lives." Solomonese said that "Leading HRC has been an inspiring experience and a complete privilege. I could not be more proud of our staff, our volunteer leadership and of the extraordinary progress we've made together as a community." He added "HRC has never been stronger and after nearly seven years, this is the right moment for me to move on. As I explore new professional possibilities, I plan on continuing to pour my heart and soul into improving the lives of members of our community – from battling proposed marriage amendments to creating more equitable workplaces to ensuring the President Obama is re-elected for a second term."

Police Arrest 22 Year Old In Connection To Murder Of New Zealand Native; Alleged Killer Called Talented Mr. Ripley Figure Who Preyed On Gay Tourists

The man who allegedly murdered Charles Jones in Thailand was a Talented Mr Ripley-type figure who preyed on gay tourists for cash, a close friend of the Kiwi said, the New Zealand Herald reporting that Thai police yesterday arrested a 22-year-old Syrian named "Mohammed" for the brutal stabbing of Jones in the resort of Pattaya. Police found $40,000 in cash, as well as Jones' laptop, mobile phones and his watch when they arrested Mohammed. Stuart Yeatman, who discovered Jones' body, said the Syrian national had completely changed his appearance since the murder, cutting his hair and buying new clothes. Yeatman described him as a "professional thief" who befriended tourists before robbing them, and likened him to the lead character out of the movie The Talented Mr Ripley. He said that "This guy would have relied on the fact that the people he robbed were quite secretive and guarded. He was a professional thief. I think he felt it was just another tourist." Yeatman described the police investigation as "relentless.” Police were planning to re-enact the murder in Jones' high-rise apartment in the next few days. The 56 year old Jones - the president of the World Croquet Association - was found dead in his rented apartment in Pattaya, a popular holiday resort about 165km southeast of Bangkok. Jones' brother-in-law, who asked not to be named, said the arrest changed nothing. "We have still lost a loved one." Jones' body will be back in the country in time for a funeral in Westport on Saturday.

Explicit Pictures Of Puerto Rico Senator Appear On Grindr; Senator Roberto Arango Says He Was Taking Photographs To Document Weight Loss

Explicit pictures that surfaced this week of a man who many have speculated is a local senator have led to calls that he resign if the allegations can be proved, the Associated Press reporting that local news media reported that the pictures first appeared on Grindr, a mobile network application for gays and bisexuals and that they themselves later received copies from unidentified sources. Senator Roberto Arango, who represents the capital of San Juan in the U.S. territory's Congress, did not categorically confirm or deny the photos are of him during an interview with WAPA TV earlier this week."I really don't remember having taken those pictures of myself, but it doesn't mean I didn't take them," he said. "I really don't remember." Arango, who is single, said he has taken pictures of himself with a cell phone as he continues to lose weight. He did not return calls for comment Saturday. One picture depicts a nude torso and is reminiscent of images that led to the resignation of U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner of New York and a county legislator in New Jersey earlier this year. The other pictures, taken from behind, show a nude man on his hands and knees, his anus puckered. Asked about that photograph, Arango said "You know I've been losing weight. As I shed that weight, I've been taking pictures. I don't remember taking this particular picture but I'm not gonna say I didn't take it. I'd tell you if I remembered taking the picture but I don't." Puerto Rican Gov. Luis Fortuno has said that if the man is indeed a legislator, he should resign, echoing the sentiments of other lawmakers, including local House of Representatives Speaker Jenniffer Gonzalez. On Friday, Senator Carlos Javier Torres said in an interview with Radio Isla that the Senate ethics committee he leads will discuss the pictures in its meeting next week. He called the images worrisome and said they have caused great discomfort to many. The committee is not launching an investigation into the pictures, however, his spokeswoman, Wanda Nazario, told the Associated Press later Friday. She said Torres was not immediately available for comment, and she didn't return calls for comment on Saturday. Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz said anyone is welcome to file a complaint if they have concrete information about the man's identity, but he reiterated that he will not call for an investigation himself.

Vigils In Iowa For Slain 19 Year Old Marcellus Andrews, Mural Commemorating Canada’s First Gay Civil Rights Demonstration Unveiled In Ottawa, Zachary Quinto To Play Gay On Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story, Cyndi Lauper To Open True Colors Center For Homeless LGBT Youth Wednesday, Tom Hardy

Organizers said they were hoping for 25 people, at most, for the hastily arranged Thursday night vigil honouring slain Waterloo Iowa teen Marcellus Andrews. Instead, reports the Des Moines Register, more than 100 people marched from the Blazing Saddle bar to the Capitol and back, many of them clad in purple, some waving rainbow flags, most with candles. Andrews, 19, died from severe head injuries after being beaten by several people August 19. Witnesses described the attackers yelling gay slurs during the incident, and multiple gay- rights groups in Iowa have released statements, but Waterloo police said they are not investigating the death as a hate crime. But many speakers at the Capitol on Thursday said the incident was a familiar example of hate and prejudice. When an organizer asked if anyone at the event knew Andrews, no one in the crowd raised a hand. “Tonight we are here to say that this will never happen again,” said Troy Price, the executive director of advocacy group One Iowa. “Not here. Not in Iowa.” One after another, speakers emphasized the need to recognize each other as human. Many extended their remarks beyond lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights to include racism and sexism as well. “We were deeply disturbed that such violence and persecution happened in Iowa,” said Stephen Boatwright, a member of the student-oriented Iowa Pride Network. “But we were not entirely surprised.”

About 25 gay rights supporters gathered in Ottawa at Bank Street and Gilmour Street on Friday afternoon for the unveiling of a mural depicting Canada’s first demonstration supporting civil rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, which took place on August 28, 1971 on Parliament Hill. According to the Ottawa Citizen, The Village committee, a group lobbying for an officially designated gay village on Bank Street between James Street and Nepean Street, commissioned the mural, which was designed and painted by artists from the nearby Fall Down Gallery. The mural depicts a little known historical event that requires some explanation and is based on a photograph that shows activists carrying banners and placards with slogans. The city’s Director of Building Code Services Arlene Gregoire said she looked at the sheet of paper full of the proposed text for the mural and declared it a sign, not a work of art. “It was a page full, which is too much text,” she said. “It made it a sign as opposed to a piece of art that uses words as part of the expression of the concept.” The artists went back to the drawing board and came up with a different design. The final mural shows two hands holding a book with the words We Demand: Canada’s first demonstration for civil rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, Ottawa, Sat. Aug. 28, 1971 in English and French. Next to the book, a group of people stands in the rain, holding signs and banners with no text on them. A small rainbow breaks through the sky. Village committee chair Glenn Crawford said he was disappointed the artists weren’t allowed to use the full amount of text, which would have given the work more context. “We fought for and kept the things that to me were integral to keeping it,” he said. “If we didn’t have at least some text, at least the rainbow, even in a small representation, I wouldn’t have completed it, because to me those things are important enough to make the mural not as effective if they were not there.” The City of Ottawa exempts approved murals from applying for sign permits, which require a fee and restrict their size and location. It’s up to building code services and the city’s mural program to determine what an acceptable mural is and what a sign is. If it’s advertising or contains obvious product references, it’s a sign. If its purpose is to provide information or make a public announcement, it’s a sign. If it has any text at all that isn’t part of the artwork itself, it’s a sign. The city runs into a grey area when determining whether text is part of the work or not, however. For example, Gregoire said the city approved text on a newspaper depicted on a mural at 184 Rideau St. because it’s worked into the art. “We do have murals across the city with text included, but it’s not a message that is a speech, or a public announcement, or public information, because it takes away from it becoming a piece of art,” she said. Crawford said the city was very helpful in general and he was pleased the area now has a large piece of art that represents the gay community. However, he said he wished city staff could have been a little more flexible. “It’s pretty limiting for something like this. You do need text to explain what this mural is about.”

Sylar is back, sort of, Deadline reporting that in his first television appearance since his star-making turn as the arch villain on Heroes, Zachary Quinto is in negotiations for a major arc on Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s spooky new FX drama series American Horror Story. Additionally, the show is prepping a big two-part Halloween episode whose conclusion will air on Halloween night. American Horror Story, which stars Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton and Jessica Lange, is described as a psychosexual thriller. It centers on therapist Ben Harmon (McDermott) and his wife Vivien (Britton) who, dealing with the aftermath of Ben’s adultery, move along with their kids into a new house that seems to know all about their fears and plays on them. Quinto, who will appear in at least four episodes, will play Chad, the gay former owner of the house who becomes friends with Vivien. Quinto will make his debut in a big two-part Halloween episode, which Murphy and Falchuk are working on. The first part will air in the series’ regular Wednesday time slot October 26, followed by Part 2 on Halloween night, which FX is expected to turn into an American Horror Story-themed event.

Cyndi Lauper is set to open a 30-bed housing facility for homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in Manhattan on September 1st, Rolling Stone reporting that The True Colors Residence, named after her 1986 hit True Colors, will be located on West 154th St. near Frederick Douglass Blvd. in Harlem. The residence, the first permanent housing facility of its kind in the city, was conceived by the singer, her manager and the West End Intergenerational Residence, a non-profit focused on providing housing for homeless families and the elderly. Lauper, a longtime supporter for LGBT rights, was moved to pursue this project because up to 40 percent of homeless youth in the city identify as LGBT. "These young people often face discrimination and at times physical assault in some of the very places they have to go for help," she wrote in a letter seeking donations for the residence. "This is shocking and inexcusable!" The True Colors Residence is a new energy-efficient building with 30 studio apartments for youths aged 18 to 24, complete with indoor and outdoor community space. Residents will pay rent based on their income and will receive help with job placement.

Tom Hardy featured in the September issue of Dazed and Confused magazine.