"The Chicago Blackhawks are bringing the Stanley Cup to Chicago's gay Pride Parade this Sunday. Chicago Blackhawks president John McDonough made a special arrangement for the Cup to be flown back from Los Angeles, site of the NHL draft, 15 hours earlier than anticipated so it can appear in the Pride Parade," reports Greg Wyshynski. "It's been a progressive year for hockey and tolerance. The late Brendan Burke, the son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke who died tragically in an auto accident earlier this year, shared his story of coming out in the hockey world and received an outpouring of support. Burke's legacy is one of the reasons why Chicago defenseman Brent Sopel and his wife and four children will appear with the Cup at the Pride Parade." READ MORE

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"If it's OK to reject blood from gay men, what about blacks?" Interesting question...

William Saletan writes:

From 1977 to the present, have you had sexual contact with another male, even once? You'll have to answer that question, word for word, on a donor form if you want to give blood in the [United States].

Why?

Because, as the FDA explains, men who have had sex with men—known in the blood world as MSM—"are, as a group, at increased risk for HIV, hepatitis B and certain other infections."

To protect blood recipients from this risk, your blood must be excluded.

The FDA bases its MSM policy on simple math.

"Men who have had sex with men since 1977 have an HIV prevalence … 60 times higher than the general population," the agency observes.

"Even taking into account that 75% of HIV infected men who have sex with men already know they are HIV positive and would be unlikely to donate blood," that leaves a population of MSM blood-donor applicants whose HIV prevalence is "over 15 fold higher than the general population."

So a 15-fold difference is good enough to warrant group exclusion.

How about a nine-fold difference? According to the Centers for Disease Control, HIV prevalence is eight to nine times higher among blacks than among whites, and HIV incidence (the rate of new infections in a given year) is seven times higher.

For black women, HIV prevalence is 18 times higher than for white women.

And these numbers understate the likely difference in risk to the blood supply. READ MORE

The adorable Jonathan Groff (Jesse St. James on Glee) played his first headlining concert at Joe’s Pub in New York City on Sunday night, according to Just Jared. Gay celebs such as Victor Garber and Zachary Quinto attended the show - which by all accounts was fantastic!

Here's Jonathan singing Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin"

"New York City now has so many gayborhoods, it’s hard to keep track!"

Travel reporter Julia Steinecke writes:

"You pick the subculture you want to be part of when you go out,” explains Chris Frederick of NYC Pride. According to him, the “skinny, grungy” crowd goes to the East Village. The young professional “pretty boys” live and party in Hell’s Kitchen. If you’re 30 or over, Chelsea is the place.

Others tell me about Washington Heights and Inwood in Manhattan’s north end; Brooklyn’s Park Slope for lesbians and Fort Greene for black gay men; Jackson Heights in Queens for Latino gays.

In all these areas, small neighbourhood bars have replaced most of the big fabulous nightclubs of the past.

It’s a sign that LGBT New Yorkers have come a long way toward integrating into the larger society. While other American gays fight for anti-discrimination laws and domestic-partner recognition, New Yorkers, who already have some of those protections, go after full marriage and acceptance in the military.

Even the Museum of Sex skilfully integrates a considerable amount of information on multiple genders and orientations. The current exhibit on animal sexuality blows away the idea that any expression could be unnatural. READ MORE

Langston Hughes was a major figure during the Harlem Renaissance  in New York City and one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form called jazz poetry.

Scissor Sisters frontman, Jake Shears pokes distractedly at his iPad and lets out a sigh. "If everything goes according to plan over the coming year," he says, a little ruefully, "I'm going to be totally screwed. You come and see me again in six months' time, and I'm not going to be looking so cute." The Scissor Sisters third album emerged as a dark reflection on gay culture.

Continue reading Scissor Sisters: 'Sexuality Is A Universal Thing'

"After finishing off the Philadelphia Flyers, the Chicago Blackhawks have taken the Stanley Cup to bars, restaurants, clubs, a children's hospital and Wrigley Field. Andrew Sobotka is hoping the team and the trophy will make another appearance on June 27, at the annual Chicago Gay Pride Parade," writes Greg Wyshynski. "Sobotka is the president of the Chicago Gay Hockey Association. Like millions of others in the city, they watched each game of the Blackhawks' run to the Stanley Cup, celebrating their achievements with the civic pride that cut through cultures and demographics for the last few months. What the CGHA hopes is that the Blackhawks continue that mission of bringing the city together in the name of puck, and to support grassroots hockey in Chicago, by appearing at the Chicago Gay Pride Parade for what they believe would be the first time in franchise history." READ MORE

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• America's oldest gay bar to close after 71 years!
• National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce severs ties with McDonald's due to anti-gay bigotry business practices
• VIDEO: Alexander Skarsgard confesses to TV Guide
• Stonewall Uprising: At the dawn of the modern gay rights movement
• VIDEO: Rick & Bubba's Anti-Gay Rant
• You can be gay in FrontierVille
• Two straight Olympians lend support to "Swim For Equality"
• UK: Was the suicide of lesbian cop due to homophobia?
• Adam Lambert shaves his head!
• Obama remains popular outside US
• Andy Murray shirtless
• Elton John is a WHORE!
• Was a legendary Hollywood actor 'outed' by Betty White?
• Locker room footage of a shirtless Cristiano Ronaldo
• Queen Latifah comes out of the closet
• Shirtless celebrity sightings...
• The Tea Party's Racist Roots
• Just Released: Lady Gaga Sex Doll
• Chris Klein busted for DUI
• Hot Shot: Shirtless Cowboy
• Clinic in Spain is being investigated for 'treating' gays
• A shirtless Jared Padalecki (oh, my!)
• New study shows Prop 8 campaigns ineffective
• Porn star tells all about 'date' with Republican Senator, Paul Koering!
• Stress increases HIV risk for gay men: new study
• A shirtless Christopher Meloni (yes, there is a God!)

dot429 is a professional network for LGBT community and allies, dedicated to connecting LGBTA professionals online and in person. You can check it out here.

MORE News & Pop Culture from QTC!

• Hunter Foster: 'Give the Tonys back to Broadway!'
• Colin Farrell's Hollywood Return
• Hot Shot: Domenique Melchior
• America's oldest gay bar to close after 71 years!
• National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce severs ties with McDonald's due to anti-gay bigotry business practices
• VIDEO: Alexander Skarsgard confesses to TV Guide
• Stonewall Uprising: At the dawn of the modern gay rights movement
• VIDEO: Rick & Bubba's Anti-Gay Rant
• You can be gay in FrontierVille
• Two straight Olympians lend support to "Swim For Equality"
• UK: Was the suicide of lesbian cop due to homophobia?
• Adam Lambert shaves his head!
• Obama remains popular outside US
• Andy Murray shirtless
• Elton John is a WHORE!
• Was a legendary Hollywood actor 'outed' by Betty White?
• Locker room footage of a shirtless Cristiano Ronaldo
• Queen Latifah comes out of the closet
• Shirtless celebrity sightings...
• The Tea Party's Racist Roots
• Just Released: Lady Gaga Sex Doll
• Chris Klein busted for DUI
• Hot Shot: Shirtless Cowboy
• Clinic in Spain is being investigated for 'treating' gays
• A shirtless Jared Padalecki (oh, my!)
• New study shows Prop 8 campaigns ineffective
• Porn star tells all about 'date' with Republican Senator, Paul Koering!
• Stress increases HIV risk for gay men: new study
• A shirtless Christopher Meloni (yes, there is a God!)

"Police officer and former Mr Gay UK has been suspended after being charged with male rape and other sex offences. PC Mark Carter, 27, from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, has been charged following an incident at the Etap hotel in Leeds city centre on December 19 last year," reports UK Daily Mail. "The West Yorkshire police officer has been charged with at least one sexual offence and also with offences relating to body-building drugs. He is due to appear at Leeds Magistrates Court on Tuesday." READ MORE

MORE News & Pop Culture from QTC!

• America's oldest gay bar to close after 71 years!
• National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce severs ties with McDonald's due to anti-gay bigotry business practices
• VIDEO: Alexander Skarsgard confesses to TV Guide
• Stonewall Uprising: At the dawn of the modern gay rights movement
• VIDEO: Rick & Bubba's Anti-Gay Rant
• You can be gay in FrontierVille
• Two straight Olympians lend support to "Swim For Equality"
• UK: Was the suicide of lesbian cop due to homophobia?
• Adam Lambert shaves his head!
• Obama remains popular outside US
• Andy Murray shirtless
• Elton John is a WHORE!
• Was a legendary Hollywood actor 'outed' by Betty White?
• Locker room footage of a shirtless Cristiano Ronaldo
• Queen Latifah comes out of the closet
• Shirtless celebrity sightings...
• The Tea Party's Racist Roots
• Landmark Proposition 8 trial has ended: Read Prop. 8 trial closing arguments
• Just Released: Lady Gaga Sex Doll
• Chris Klein busted for DUI
• Church says softball team with gay coach can't play
• Hot Shot: Shirtless Cowboy
• Jon Stewart blasts Obama for war-related lies, broken promises
• Clinic in Spain is being investigated for 'treating' gays
• A shirtless Jared Padalecki (oh, my!)
• New study shows Prop 8 campaigns ineffective
• Porn star tells all about 'date' with Republican Senator, Paul Koering!
• Stress increases HIV risk for gay men: new study
• German court: Gay marriage is only 'partnership'
• The reason why Elton performed at Limbaugh's wedding revealed!
• A shirtless Christopher Meloni (yes, there is a God!)

"The largest GLBT business association in the US, the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (which reps nearly 1.4 million businesses), sent a stern letter to McDonald's to sever its relationship with the corporation after its second-in-command, Don Thompson (Chief of Operations), revealed anti-gay bigotry in his business practices," writes Jonathan Higbee.

MORE News & Pop Culture from QTC!

• VIDEO: Alexander Skarsgard confesses to TV Guide
• Stonewall Uprising: At the dawn of the modern gay rights movement
• VIDEO: Rick & Bubba's Anti-Gay Rant
• You can be gay in FrontierVille
• Two straight Olympians lend support to "Swim For Equality"
• UK: Was the suicide of lesbian cop due to homophobia?
• Adam Lambert shaves his head!
• Obama remains popular outside US
• Andy Murray shirtless
• Elton John is a WHORE!
• Was a legendary Hollywood actor 'outed' by Betty White?
• Locker room footage of a shirtless Cristiano Ronaldo
• Queen Latifah comes out of the closet
• Shirtless celebrity sightings...
• The Tea Party's Racist Roots
• Landmark Proposition 8 trial has ended: Read Prop. 8 trial closing arguments
• Just Released: Lady Gaga Sex Doll
• Chris Klein busted for DUI
• Church says softball team with gay coach can't play
• Hot Shot: Shirtless Cowboy
• Jon Stewart blasts Obama for war-related lies, broken promises
• Clinic in Spain is being investigated for 'treating' gays
• A shirtless Jared Padalecki (oh, my!)
• New study shows Prop 8 campaigns ineffective
• Porn star tells all about 'date' with Republican Senator, Paul Koering!
• Stress increases HIV risk for gay men: new study
• German court: Gay marriage is only 'partnership'
• The reason why Elton performed at Limbaugh's wedding revealed!
• A shirtless Christopher Meloni (yes, there is a God!)

"History can happen in the least expected places. Certainly, the eight members of the New York Police Department’s Public Morals Squad who raided the Stonewall Inn very early one Saturday morning in June 1969 had no idea they were participating in a momentous event," writes Mark Feeney. "Kate Davis and David Heilbroner’s riveting documentary, Stonewall Uprising, looks at more than just the Stonewall riots. It provides a context for them, offering a highly evocative sense of gay life in the decade or so before Stonewall. That life was largely invisible to the general public. When it did get noticed, it was universally condemned and persecuted." READ MORE

This film is a must-see for everyone in the LGBT community.

I can't wait to see it!

For theatrical dates go here.

Read more about Stonewall Rising and watch the trailer below:

June 28, 1969: NYC police raid a Greenwich Village Mafia-run gay bar, The Stonewall Inn.

For the first time, patrons refuse to be led into paddy wagons, setting off a 3-day riot that launches the Gay Rights Movement.

Told by Stonewall patrons, Village Voice reporters and the cop who led the raid, Stonewall Uprising compellingly recalls the bad old days when psychoanalysts equated homosexuality with mental illness and advised aversion therapy, and even lobotomies; public service announcements warned youngsters against predatory homosexuals; and police entrapment was rampant.

A treasure-trove of archival footage gives life to this all-too-recent reality, a time when Mike Wallace announced on a 1966 CBS Reports: "The average homosexual, if there be such, is promiscuous. He is not interested in, nor capable of, a lasting relationship like that of a heterosexual marriage."

At the height of this oppression, the cops raid Stonewall, triggering nights of pandemonium with tear gas, billy clubs and a small army of tactical police. The rest is history. Read more here.

Watch the trailer:

"President Barack Obama remains popular around the world, amid declining job approval ratings at home." READ MORE

"The final arguments in the landmark Proposition 8 trial have ended, with the case now in the hands of Judge Vaughn Walker (pictured at left)."

This is a must read!

Howard Mintz's recap of the day's proceedings:

8:47 a.m.: Closing arguments set to begin at 9 a.m.

Closing arguments in the landmark Proposition 8 same-sex marriage trial are scheduled from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. today in San Francisco.

The historic trial is in its final stage as lawyers on both sides have their last chance to influence a federal judge deciding the fate of California's ban on same-sex marriage.

Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker has scheduled a full day of arguments, the final step before he rules on a lawsuit that argues that Proposition 8 violates the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian couples.

The first federal court test in the nation of a state law forbidding same-sex nuptials, it is widely expected to ultimately push the gay marriage issue to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In January, Walker conducted an unprecedented three-week trial featuring a number of experts and other witnesses who testified on the impact of the law, which California voters backed in 2008, that restored the state's ban on gay marriage.

Walker's ruling, which is likely to come this summer, is expected to a prelude to a legal fight most believe is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Whatever Walker decides, the case is expected to be appealed first to the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

9:30 a.m.: Plaintiffs lawyers up first in closing arguments

After a nearly five-month hiatus, the Proposition 8 trial is about to resume with a long day of closing arguments.

Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker has set out a schedule for the arguments, and it is as follows: the plaintiffs lawyers start the proceedings, with former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson set to argue the case to overturn California's same-sex marriage ban.

Therese Stewart, a lead attorney for the San Francisco city attorney's office, will then chime in with a short argument against Prop. 8.

The governor and attorney general's office were given some time, but have decided not to argue in the case (AG Jerry Brown has said Prop. 8 is unconstitutional).

In the afternoon, Prop. 8 defense attorneys will make their case for two hours, and then plaintiffs will have a short rebuttal to round out the day.

The media crush is back on for today, much as it was on the first day of trial.

Gay marriage supporters started the morning outside the federal building with a rally, and more are expected as the day progresses.

10:16 a.m.: Opening arguments begin

Plaintiffs attorney Ted Olson just got his arguments underway.

"We conclude this trial where we began," he told Judge Vaughn Walker. "This case is about marriage and equality."

"Their state," he continued, " has stigmatized them as unworthy of marriage."

Walker opened up the day with a trademark wisecrack, noting the delay since January.

"It's appropriate the case is coming to closings now," he told the jammed courtroom. "June is the month for weddings."

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom just took a seat in the front row.

11:06 a.m.: Judge asking a lot of questions

Judge Walker has already been extremely active in his questioning, not surprising in that he issued 11 pages of questions on the Prop. 8 case for lawyers in advance of today's arguments.

He has peppered plaintiffs lawyer Theodore Olson with questions on why California's domestic partnership laws don't suffice for gay and lesbian couples, which the judge noted as "essentially all the rights of marriage."

And he wondered, when Olson discussed the U.S. Supreme Court's precedent establishing a fundamental right to marry, "Why can't California collectively establish the parameters of that right?"

Finally, Walker also asked whether the plaintiffs case would be different, or weakened, if the California Supreme Court had not refused to invalidate the 18,000 same-sex marriages that were licensed before Prop. 8 was enacted in 2008.

"It would be less worse," Olson replied, rejecting the theory that the state could still deny gay couples the right to marry.

He noted that those couples now married would not be able to remarry if they divorced, under Prop. 8.

Olson is now playing video of the testimony of the plaintiffs that took place earlier in the trial, including Kristin Perry and Sandy Stier of Berkeley.

11:35 a.m.: Judge continues his questioning

The banter between Judge Vaughn Walker and plaintiffs attorney Theodore Olson has continued unabated.

Walker's line of questioning doesn't seem a matter of tipping his hand on how he'll rule on California's gay marriage ban.

Instead, he appears to be turning over every rock in his exploration of when, and whether, a federal court should intervene in a legal fight over a contentious social issue, particularly when the voters have adopted a law such as Prop. 8.

"When does it become right for a court to weigh in on these issues," the judge asked Olson at one point.

Olson has stressed that history is replete with examples of courts correcting discrimination.

He compared the record in the Prop. 8 trial to what was assembled in the Brown v. Board of Education case that wound up in the Supreme Court.

"The evidence is overwhelming....this is a government imposed stigma...placed in the constitution of the state of California," Olson told the judge.

Olson has just wrapped up his argument, and how Therese Stewart, San Francisco's lawyer, has 15 minutes to argue against Prop. 8.

Stewart has experience: she's argued the issue in the California Supreme Court.

12:10 p.m.: Plaintiffs finish arguments, trial breaks for lunch

San Francisco lawyer Therese Stewart completed a very short argument (she had to make short, she got 15 minutes) to argue that Prop. 8 has a particularly discriminatory impact on San Francisco, where one expert during the trial estimated its cost to the city amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars, from lost tourist revenue to public health costs.

Judge Vaughn Walker seemed a bit skeptical, but Stewart concluded by saying the law essentially requires the city to discriminate by denying marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

Lawyers for both Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown then both waived their arguments, which Walker seemed to find disappointing because in theory those two offices would ordinarily defend a state law.

Brown has said he considers Prop. 8 unconstitutional, and the governor has taken no position, other than saying the federal courts need to resolve the legal issues surrounding Prop. 8.

Walker has broken for lunch.

When the proceedings resume, lead Prop. 8 lawyer Charles Cooper will have more than two hours to defend the law.

He can be expected to stress the theme he relied upon during his opening statement back in January: that voters have the right to restrict marriage in the state to preserve the traditional definition of marriage, as well as to promote procreation as a societal reason for marriage.

1:20 p.m.: Defense attorney begins closing arguments, judge questions thesis

The Prop. 8 trial has resumed with the closing arguments of Charles Cooper, lead defense attorney for the Prop. 8 team.

Cooper began by stressing the state has a strong interest in regulating marriage and promoting the institution for procreation.

The judge, however, has been quick to question Cooper's thesis.

The judge has wondered aloud why government even regulates marriage at all.

"Do people get married for the benefit of the community," Walker asked at one point, later adding that it seems otherwise. "What you think," he said, "is I'm going to get a life partner I can share my life with."

At another point, Walker asked Cooper: "Why couldn't the state start saying marriage is entirely a matter of private conduct?"

Cooper stuck to his guns. "Marital relations are fundamental to the existence of the race," he said.

The debate is central to the challenge to the state's same-sex marriage ban.

Prop. 8 defenders must show that California has a compelling interest in restricting marriage to heterosexual couples.

1:40 p.m.: Judge asks Prop 8 attorney "where's the evidence?"

It was inevitable that Prop. 8 lead lawyer Charles Cooper would find some rough sledding over the fact that the defense put on just witness in January's three-week trial.

And Judge Vaughn Walker has doused him in hot water on the topic for the past 20 minutes.

When the judge repeatedly asked Cooper what evidence his side had for the argument that barring gay marriage is justified to promote the procreative purpose of traditional marriage, Cooper kept insisting that the premise is self-evident.

And that countless courts have found that to be the purpose of traditional marriage.

And that millions of Californians backed Prop. 8 to preserve traditional marriage and the need for couples to bear children.

Where's the evidence? Walker asked.

"You don't have to have evidence of this," Cooper tried to assure him.

The judge tried again. "Why in this case did you present but one witness on this subject?"

2:33 p.m.: Judge and Prop 8 attorney continue lively exchange

Prop. 8 defense lawyer Charles Cooper has continued his lengthy argument to uphold the legality of California's same-sex marriage ban.

And Judge Vaughn Walker continues to engage him in a lively exchange over whether there is justification for the ban that doesn't violate the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian couples.

At one point, the judge noted that many similar arguments were raised before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967 finally outlawed state bans on interracial marriage.

"Why are we not at that same tipping point here with respect to same-sex marriage," Walker asked Cooper.

Cooper, however, insisted the two civil rights fights are completely distinct.

He noted that bans on interracial marriage actually conflicted with the "fundamental ' reason for marriage laws, that being to foster procreation.

That, he said, is different than restricting marriage to heterosexual couples.

Walker has also asked about why there is a difference between providing domestic partnership rights, or why it is different for the state to allow infertile couples to marry, but not gays and lesbians.

"It's not quite the same," Cooper said of allowing couples to marry if they need egg or sperm donors to procreate

3:01 p.m.: Defense winding down closing arguments

Prop. 8 lawyer Charles Cooper is close to winding up his closing arguments.

Again, he repeated the core argument in the defense of the law: "The right to marry," he told Judge Vaughn Walker, "is bound up with the fundamental purpose of procreation and the existence and survival of the human race."

Plaintiffs lawyers will have a brief opportunity to provide a rebuttal argument to conclude the day.

The judge, meanwhile, indicated he's considering striking the testimony of David Blankenhorn, a family values leader who was the only witness for the Prop. 8 defense (and the judge is already clearly troubled that Prop. 8 lawyers didn't put on much evidence in the first place).

Plaintiffs lawyers have argued that Blankenhorn doesn't qualify as an expert.

4:02 p.m.: Arguments end, case in judge's hands

As he winds up his rebuttal argument, plaintiffs attorney Theodore Olson is pouncing on the lack of evidence presented on the other side for denying same-sex couples the right to marry. "You have to have a reason for that," he said. ' "I don't know, I don't have any evidence,' doesn't cut it."

Walker has just ended the session for the day and the fate of Prop. 8 is now in the judge's hands.

Read the full OFFICIAL transcript here.

"If you think that the Tea Partiers are just a bunch of misinformed republicans who hate paying taxes, think again. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center who monitors the activities of extremist hate groups, the Tea Party is actually helping to strengthen the white supremacist movement in America, and has helped to re-energize some specific hate groups that were on the verge of extinction. Mike Papantonio talks about this with Mark Potok, editor of the SPLCs monthly Intelligence Report."

WATCH VIDEO:

Dolphins and sharks are showing up in surprisingly shallow water just off the Florida coast. Mullets, crabs, rays and small fish congregate by the thousands off an Alabama pier. Birds covered in oil are crawling deep into marshes, never to be seen again. Marine scientists studying the effects of the BP disaster are seeing some strange phenomena," reports Associated Press. "Fish and other wildlife seem to be fleeing the oil out in the Gulf and clustering in cleaner waters along the coast in a trend that some researchers see as a potentially troubling sign. The animals' presence close to shore means their usual habitat is badly polluted, and the crowding could result in mass die-offs as fish run out of oxygen. Also, the animals could easily get devoured by predators." READ MORE

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• Jon Stewart blasts Obama for war-related lies, broken promises
• Clinic in Spain is being investigated for 'treating' gays
• Gay pride and prejudice in Kenya
• A shirtless Jared Padalecki (oh, my!)
• New study shows Prop 8 campaigns ineffective
• Porn star tells all about 'date' with Republican Senator, Paul Koering!
• Stress increases HIV risk for gay men: new study
• Has "Real Housewives of New York" crossed the line with Kelly Killoren Bensimon's mental illness?
• German court: Gay marriage is only 'partnership'
• The reason why Elton performed at Limbaugh's wedding revealed!
• Gay men targets of violence as hate crimes increase in Canada
• A shirtless Christopher Meloni (yes, there is a God!)
• Apple’s App Store censors gay kiss in graphic novel adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s 'Being Earnest'
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• Spotlight: This summer's 20 hottest TV shows
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• Photo Gallery: World Naked Bike Ride in Vancouver
• Meet the Queen of Queer Cinema
• Simon Baker shirtless
• Broadway's Tarzan comes out of the closet!

"The government in Spain's Catalonia region is investigating a clinic in Barcelona that is allegedly offering treatments to cure homosexuality... [The] Policlinica Tibidabo in the Catalan capital is offering pills and psychiatric treatment to convert homosexuals," reports Independent Online. "The clinic could face fines if the Catalan government's health department confirms that such treatments are being carried out when it completes a month-long investigation."

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• Gay pride and prejudice in Kenya
• A shirtless Jared Padalecki (oh, my!)
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• Porn star tells all about 'date' with Republican Senator, Paul Koering!
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• Has "Real Housewives of New York" crossed the line with Kelly Killoren Bensimon's mental illness?
• German court: Gay marriage is only 'partnership'
• The reason why Elton performed at Limbaugh's wedding revealed!
• Gay men targets of violence as hate crimes increase in Canada
• A shirtless Christopher Meloni (yes, there is a God!)
• Apple’s App Store censors gay kiss in graphic novel adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s 'Being Earnest'
• Vancouver gay couple beaten in front of their own home
• Eric Marcus: 'A gay celebrity doesn't help bring about acceptance'
• Zac Efron shows off his buff bod
• Dominic Cooper's sweaty muscles glistening in the sun
• Spotlight: This summer's 20 hottest TV shows
• Ace Young shirtless
• Photo Gallery: World Naked Bike Ride in Vancouver
• Meet the Queen of Queer Cinema
• Simon Baker shirtless
• Broadway's Tarzan comes out of the closet!

"Ishmael, an openly gay Kenyan man living in the small coastal town of Mtwapa, just north of Mombasa, says that many gay men have come to live here, attracted by its open-minded and liberal atmosphere. But this image of the town has been overshadowed by an increasingly vocal and mobilised anti-gay campaign which has been garnering local support," reports BBC. "This comes after similar moves in neighbouring Uganda and Malawi. Human rights groups are warning that hardening attitudes to homosexuality in Africa are driving gays and lesbians underground." READ MORE

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• A shirtless Jared Padalecki (oh, my!)
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• Porn star tells all about 'date' with Republican Senator, Paul Koering!
• Stress increases HIV risk for gay men: new study
• Has "Real Housewives of New York" crossed the line with Kelly Killoren Bensimon's mental illness?
• German court: Gay marriage is only 'partnership'
• The reason why Elton performed at Limbaugh's wedding revealed!
• Gay men targets of violence as hate crimes increase in Canada
• A shirtless Christopher Meloni (yes, there is a God!)
• Apple’s App Store censors gay kiss in graphic novel adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s 'Being Earnest'
• Vancouver gay couple beaten in front of their own home
• Eric Marcus: 'A gay celebrity doesn't help bring about acceptance'
• Zac Efron shows off his buff bod
• Soccer stud Freddie Ljungberg talks about 'those gay rumours'
• Dominic Cooper's sweaty muscles glistening in the sun
• Spotlight: This summer's 20 hottest TV shows
• Ace Young shirtless
• Photo Gallery: World Naked Bike Ride in Vancouver
• Meet the Queen of Queer Cinema
• Simon Baker shirtless
• Broadway's Tarzan comes out of the closet!

"State Senator Paul Koering is best known for being Minnesota's first gay Republican to hold elected office. Despite being gay, his platform (anti-abortion, pro-guns) is unremarkable for a conservative. So what was the 45-year-old senator thinking when he took 20-year-old gay porn star Brandon Wilde on a date last Sunday?," asks The Sword.

Brandon Wilde discusses his date with Senator Paul Koering in an interview with The Sword. Read it here (site NSFW).

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• A shirtless Christopher Meloni (yes, there is a God!)
• Philly Boy Scout Chapter Fights To Keep Out Gays, But Keep City-Owned Rent-Free Space
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• Vancouver gay couple beaten in front of their own home
• Eric Marcus: 'A gay celebrity doesn't help bring about acceptance'
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• Dominic Cooper's sweaty muscles glistening in the sun
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• Ace Young shirtless
• Photo Gallery: World Naked Bike Ride in Vancouver
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"Stressful life events appear to increase the risk of HIV infection for gay men, Canadian researchers report in the online edition of AIDS," reports Michael Carter. "Men testing HIV-positive were more likely than those who tested HIV-negative to report five or more recent stressful events. Stress has been associated with an increased risk of sexually transmitted infections amongst heterosexuals. However, the impact of stress on HIV risk for gay men is little understood." READ MORE