Salt Lake City Chosen Gayest City In America By The Advocate, Architects Of New York City High Line Project To Redesign Fire Island’s Pavilion, Soccer Played Suspended For Game Following Anti-Gay Tweet Directed Toward Gareth Thomas, Tim Tebow Works Black Jockstrap, Hudson Taylor Works Teeny, Tiny Tight White Briefs

Although Salt Lake City does not have the most same-sex couple households or even the most LGBT book stores, it is the "gayest" city in America, according to The Advocate magazine. "While those unfamiliar with the Beehive State are likely to conjure images of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, far-less-oppressive-than-it-used-to-be Salt Lake City has earned its queer cred," writes Matthew Breen for The Advocate. The survey, reports The Salt Lake Tribune, ignores obvious picks such as New York and San Francisco to rank "less expected" places in the third annual list, using admittedly "subjective" criteria, including teams in the Gay Softball World Series and the availability of nude yoga classes to anti-discrimination protections and openly LGBT elected officials. Points are divided by a city’s population to give a per-capita score. Salt Lake City ranks high for having an LGBT bookstore, nude yoga class, a semi-finalist in the International Mr. Leather competition (a men’s beauty pageant featuring black-leather apparel) and frequent performances by LGBT-favoured bands Gossip, the Cliks and the Veronicas. "If we were having a more scientific survey, I don’t know that we would choose these as indicators," says Valerie Larabee, director of the Utah Pride Center in Salt Lake City. "All humour aside, I think that our city has come a long way. If we were to rate the cities that have made the greatest amount of progress over the last 10 years, I think we certainly would rank among the top." In 2009, Salt Lake City became the first in Utah to pass ordinances that forbid housing and employment discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The city scored a landmark endorsement from the LDS Church, which opposes same-sex marriage. And a dozen Utah cities and counties followed the capital’s lead. Salt Lake City also has Utah’s only mutual-commitment registry to recognize the partnerships of same-sex couples. The Advocate overlooked two points Salt Lake City should have earned for having anti-discrimination protections and an openly gay elected official — City Councilman Stan Penfold. Penfold thinks the recognition is good for Salt Lake City. "Nationally, people just can’t imagine that we’re an LGBT-friendly community, and I think this really breaks that stereotype of what people think Salt Lake is like and what Utah is like," Penfold says. "It just has always impressed me how embracing Salt Lake City people are of differences in culture, and I think that works for all kinds of minority populations." Numbers from the 2010 Census shows Salt Lake City and Utah have had an uptick in the number of households headed by same-sex couples. In fact, Salt Lake City ranks No. 3 nationally among mid-size cities for its rate of gay and lesbian couples (17.3 per thousand households). First place went to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which came in fourth in The Advocate’s list of ‘gayest’ cities.

The architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro and the architectural firm HWKN (HollwichKushner) have been hired to design a new entertainment complex to replace the Pavilion dance club, a gay landmark in Fire Island Pines that was destroyed in a fire last year. In November fire gutted the Pavilion, a rite-of-passage spot where three generations of gay men rubbed shoulders with celebrities like Calvin Klein and Madonna while they socialized, danced and drank. In addition to the Pavilion building, the adjacent LaFountaine building, containing seven Pines businesses, was ruined. The New York Times reports that the selection of Diller Scofidio + Renfro, whose recent high-profile commissions include the High Line and the redesign of Lincoln Center, was announced on Thursday by FIP Ventures — a partnership of Blesso Properties, Seth Weissman and Andrew Kirtzman — which owns 80-percent of the Fire Island Pines commercial district. “The fire handed us an unexpected opportunity to create something far better than what was destroyed,” Mr. Weissman said in a news release. “We’re intent upon building something that will reflect the Pines’ reputation as a mecca of style.” The Pavilion site sits at the entry point of the Pines commercial district which, like much of Fire Island, is connected by a series of boardwalks. The redesign is to begin with a temporary entertainment complex for the 2012 summer season, with a new Pavilion complex in place for the 2013 season. Charles Renfro, a partner in Diller Scofidio + Renfro who has spent several summers on Fire Island, said the designers are thinking in “broad strokes” about “heightening” the entire commercial district into something more theatrical. “We’re rethinking it as the Theater of the Pines, a proper name,” he said. “It’s about the comings and goings, the glances, the meetings: all of those things that are particular to the Pines.” Renfro said his own collective memories of the Pavilion will come into play as the design evolves. Much as the firm did in its design of the High Line, seeing and being seen will be crucial elements. “It’s always a parade ground, whether you are intentionally participating or unintentionally participating, you’re participating,” he said. “As you round the corner from the boardwalk, every single time you primp, you fluff, you pluck and you get ready for the entree onto the stage. That’s what we’re making, a new stage.”

Soccer player Lee Steele did not play for Oxford City on Saturday after The Oxford Mail reported a controversial remark he made on Twitter. A posting about openly gay former Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas appeared on the 38-year-old’s account on Thursday night. It said, “I wouldn’t fancy the bed next to Gareth Thomas #padlockeda**ehole”. The tweet, which was criticized by a city gay rights group, had been deleted by 1:00 pm on Friday. The Saturday story prompted debate online and at City’s Court Place Farm ground, where Mike Ford’s team beat Chippenham 2-1 without Steele. One fan, who did not want to be named said, “It was stupid of him to say something on the internet but I don’t think it means he hates gay people.” On the Oxford Mail website, one reader said, “Isn’t the crime here [that some are] gay and unable to take a joke?” Oxford City secretary John Shepperd said the club had no comment.

Tim Tebow, his guns, and the outline of his jock (black?), ahead of Sunday’s AFC Wild-Card game, Tebow leading the Denver Broncos to upset win over the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime 29-23.

The seriously sexy straight gay ally Hudson Taylor tweets a photograph of himself in a woolly hat down parka, cowboy boots, and terribly tight white briefs, en route to Sunday’s 10 Annual New York City No Pants Subway Ride. There truly are no words; although "mounds of joy" comes close.