Senator Larry Craig Heads to Bali to Deny Global Warming
As I'm sure you're aware the United Nations climate change conference took place this week in Bali.
My favorite and in my opinion most overlooked part of this whole story is that "I'm not gay and I've never been gay" Senator Larry Craig hauled his ass to Bali to join in on the conferences. That's weird because not only does Larry Craig deny that he's gay, he also denies that Global Warming exists. In 1998 he said that the Kyoto Protocol was an unnecessary response to an exaggerated threat the vice president himself [Al Gore] is caught up in making. He refutes the claims of scientists who believe that man contributes to climate change. He feels it was his mission to follow Senator Barbara Boxer to Bali to "set her straight." He even blogged about it.
Meanwhile, the new Chairman of the Environment Committee, Senator Boxer (D-CA), is determined to pass her own climate change regulations (S.2191) before the U.N. climate conference in Bali in early December. Her bill would include 75% of the U.S. economy in a trading scheme that could cost taxpayers billions in higher energy prices while providing less than one degree of temperature climate change in return .Those of us who take our security and economy seriously may have to follow her there, to keep the record straight.
No pun intended!
Really, it must have been such a sacrifice for this God-fearing, non-gay Senator to take a trip to Bali. According to Asia for visitors:
Bali has a relatively rich gay scene. There's lots of 'eye candy' around for those that just like to look at the male form. Whether it's surfer dudes at Legian or locals performing the Kecak Dance, Bali has plenty to see!
Poor Senator Craig having to spend his time in Bali shielding his eyes from facts about climate change as well as the all-male chorus doing the Kecak dance!
How did he explain this trip to his wife? "Honey, you know this trip is important to me and you know how concerned I am about not being gay so I've done some late night research on the Internet. I now know where all of the gay spots are in Bali so that I can stay away. The M Spa has male gay masseurs. I will not go there.
Honey, stop crying. I'm not lying to you. Listen, the local gays like to cruise at Puputan Square. I'll stay away from that. My travel agent recommended, err, warned me about the Kuta Beach area near the Hard Rock Hotel at sunset. You have nothing to worry about. I promise to thwart Barbara boxer and any Indonesian boy who wants to offer me a massage."
Okay, I'll give it a rest. Let's get back to the important stuff. Some of America's representatives were behaving like their usual Orwellian selves at the conference with their up is down, left is right rhetoric like James Connaughton, Bush's chief advisor on environmental issues.
Late in the week he was asked why America, a global leader in so many other ways, was so unwilling to lead the fight against global warming.
We are leading and we will continue to lead, he growled, to gasps of amazement. But leadership requires the rest of the world to fall in line and follow us.
Connaughton is a lawyer rather than a scientist and was appointed by Bush after a career defending chemical manufacturers and aluminum smelters against environmental lawsuits.
The Kyoto treaty (that America didnt sign in 1997) ultimately ended up being a little bit of a let down. The emissions standards once suggested in the treaty now seem quaint. The new statistics are alarming.
The IEA concluded that we still had a faint chance of keeping global temperature rises below 2.4C by 2020, but only if energy-related CO2 emissions were cut by 25% to 40%. Such a cut would be, said the IEA, unprecedented.
At the heart of the negotiations of the past fortnight was this extremely simple but tough target. The European Union was desperate to include it while America was determined to throw it out.
Throughout the conference, just as countries were coming together in agreement on emissions reduction, American representatives would behave like Biff from Back To The Future strong-arming everyone into doing it their way.
Until Kevin Conrad, head delegate from Papa New Guinea basically told America/Biff to, "Get your damn hands off of her." He got a rousing round of applause.
We seek your leadership, but if you cannot lead, leave it to the rest of us. Get out of the way.
It was after this that America finally yielded and offered a deal.
There is much debate regarding this happy ending. Gore and others are skeptical that this agreement is just a piece of paper. (Hope it's recycled!) While others are optimistic about the fact that America agreed to dramatic cuts in carbon emissions. Many scientists have a much more realistic and quite scary understanding of this and are not really sure any of these climate change conferences can do enough about the damage that's already in motion. I'm not sure why I can't stop referencing movies but here I go again.
The scientists in this scenario are like Danny Noonan at the end of Caddyshack. They sit there analyzing data, patiently watching the golf ball as it teeters on the edge of falling into the cup while the Rodney Dangerfields and Ted Knights of the world are arguing over who cheated. Noonan and the scientists know what's up. We might sign agreements; slap each other on the back and sink the putt but the golf course is gonna blow.
Vicky Pope, a scientist from the Hadley Centre for climate prediction presented new research.
At some time before 2030, greenhouse gas levels are predicted to reach the equivalent of 450ppm.
At this level, said Popes graph, global temperature rises of 2C are 80% certain. If CO2 levels reach 550ppm, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of respected scientists has said they will, probably before 2030, then there is a 70% chance of the global rise exceeding 3C.
Such rises sound small on paper but in reality they would be disastrous. Scientists say Australias climate, already marginal, would become impossible, as would much of Africas and Asias. It is predicted that Britain would suffer longer drier summers and extreme weather ranging from droughts to floods and intense storms. The population might face food shortages as global food chains came under stress, with additional pressures from migration by environmental refugees.
Thanks, Vicky! Back to Senator Larry Craig for a report on the best gay-friendly local villas!
But when Vicky was asked just how fucked humans really are she reassures:
I am just an optimist, said Pope. I believe we can solve this problem if only we work together.
Let's work together America on climate change instead of following other senators around the globe to prove them wrong!
Firefighters Threaten To Sue The Pants Off Of San Diego After Being Put Out By Flaming Homosexuals
Who doesnt love a Gay Pride parade?
Well, at least four San Diego firefighters arent too fond of them, although that may have something to do with how they were ordered to don their uniforms and drive a city firetruck in this years San Diego Gay Pride parade.
For the 15 years that the San Diego Fire Department has been a part of the Pride parade, participation has been voluntary for San Diegos firefighters. However, when the firefighters who had volunteered for this years Pride parade cancelled one day before the event for personal reasons, including a death in the family, San Diegos openly lesbian fire chief Tracey Jarman ordered the crew from one of the stations along the parade route to fill in. As fire department spokesman Maurice Luque said:
"At the last minute the crew in that community was asked to step up and represent our agency in the parade. We have a responsibility and we take it seriously to participate in these parades."
However, the four firefighters tapped to ride in this years Pride parade promptly freaked out when they found themselves surrounded by gay folks, and are now attempting to sue the city and the fire department for sexual harassment.
While local papers reported that the crowd yelled heroes at the firefighters as they rode along the parade route behind an assortment of antique police cars driven by the San Diego Police Department, and the fire department claims that this is the first time in 15 years that firefighter participation in the Pride parade has resulted in a claim of sexual harassment, lawyers from the conservative Christian Thomas More Law Center who are handling the firefighters case described the parade this way:
During the course of the ensuing three hour long ordeal, the firefighters were subjected to vile sexual taunts from homosexuals lining the parade route. This included the following statements: show me your hose, you can put out my fire, youre making me hot, give me mouth-to-mouth, you look hungry, why dont you have a twinkie? (from a man wearing a Girth and Mirth t-shirt), and blow my hose.
The firefighters were also targets of gross sexual gestures to include the following: exposure of genitals, blowing kisses, grabbing of the crotch, rubbing of nipples, tongue gestures, men hugging and kissing one another passionately, many of them wearing make-up and dressed like women.
Yes, once again the homosexual agenda has unleashed the most feared weapon in its arsenal: Men hugging other men.
Since the parade Tracey Jarman has issued an apology and met with the four firefighters but they still plan to sue. Richard Thompson, president of the Thomas More Law Center, called Jarmans actions
another example of how radical homosexual activists in positions of authority force their agenda on unwilling citizens.
Im sure that the Thomas More Law Center, which considers itself the sword and shield for people of faith fighting the culture war, doesnt have an agenda they try and force on unwilling citizens.
The lawyers for the firefighters did take care to point out that the firefighters were not physically assaulted during the Pride parade.
If youre wondering who is physically assaulted during San Diegos Gay Pride, the answer is sadly not that surprising: Gay people.
For example, the six gay men who were beaten with baseball bats and stabbed by local teenagers shortly after the 2006 Gay Pride festival.
But hey, at least they didnt have to hear anyone make fire-based innuendos as they rode by.
Gayfiesta in Stockholm!
This weekend the annual pride parade and festival took place in Stockholm, the Venice of the north. Sweden is one of the most HBT-friendly countries in the world and that really showed itself in the parade.
We saw doctors, nurses, police officers and military all in their uniforms parading proudly and shaking their booty to gay anthems such as "Freedom" by George Michael and "YMCA" by The Village People.
We loved the police part, they rocked!
Stockholm started the festival in 1998 and it has since then grown to be the biggest pride event in the north and has got its own festival area with games and workshops mixed with speeches and performances.
Love was in the air, and apparently in the hair:
We had lots of different types of pride,
Dogpride
Babypride
Piratepride in the shape of Jacqueline Sparrow:
Transvestitepride
Marriagepride:
And we even had a visit from the storybooks!
Alice in transgenderland:
And all the babyoil in Stockholm was sold out because of these two gentlemen:
The most important message of the day was brought to us by these guys
SuicideGirls was represented by Morrigan and DeeDee who took it upon themselves to shake their sweet little booty too, wave the pride flag and take loads of pictures to spread the joy of gayness all over the world.
Say it loud, we support the gay and are PROUD!
Florida Mayors Proposed $250K Anti-Homo Robo-Toilet Pisses Off Gay Folks
How many times have you been waiting patiently in line to use a public restroom, only to discover that the non-stop orgy of anonymous gay sex thatd been taking place inside had left the toilet stall in a bit of disarray?
Thankfully, Fort Lauderdale mayor Jim Naugle has found the courage to ignore budget woes and a rising crime rate and tackle the pressing issue of hot man-on-man sex in public restrooms head-on.
Earlier this month, Naugle proposed that Fort Lauderdale pony up $250,000 to install a self-cleaning automated toilet in the rainbow parking lot near one of Fort Lauderdales gay-friendly beaches. This robo-john can be programmed to open its doors automatically after a certain amount of time. Noting that this amount of time wasnt long enough to allow anyone to engage illegal sex, Naugle touted the cyber-crapper as a way to
provide a family environment where people can take their children who need to use the bathroom without having to worry about a couple of men in there engaged in a sex act.
Naugles crusade to curb the epidemic of raunchy beach-adjacent dude-tacular toilet sex was all the more daring because, according to Fort Lauderdale police Sergeant Frank Sousa, that epidemic doesnt actually exist.
"There's no evidence, no reports or arrests made for any men having sex in any restrooms"
Fort Lauderdales large and vocal gay community reacted by starting a Flush Naugle campaign, urging Fort Lauderdale residents to mail rolls of toilet paper to Naugles office.
Naugle, who previously endeared himself to his gay constituents by claiming he uses the word homosexual instead of gay because most of them arent gay, theyre unhappy and opposing efforts to move the Stonewall Library and Archive into the Fort Lauderdale public library because the archive contained gay porn, responded by saying he would issue an apology at a news conference.
Of course, he didnt mean he was going to apologize to the gay community.
Instead, Naugle apologized to all the straight folks of Fort Lauderdale for underestimating the non-existent tidal wave of gay as blazes fucky-sucky that had been forcing local families and children to shit themselves in fear rather than venture into a public restroom. He also suggested that the Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau should stop trolling the Internet for hot gay tourists.
Meanwhile, local gay-friendly businesses are worried that having a homophobic windbag for a mayor might have an impact on the over $1 billion that gay tourism brings to the Fort Lauderdale economy each year.
Shockingly enough, this isnt the first time Naugle has raised some eyebrows by making controversial statements. The conservative Democrat (who campaigned for Bush in 2000) has previously been quoted as suggesting that people who objected to a 2003 Christian outreach event should move to Iraq, that a proposal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was hate-America stuff and that a proposed affordable housing law was communism that would subsidize some schlock sitting on the sofa and drinking a beer, who wont work more than 40 hours a week.
But alas, it seems that Naugles brave struggle to liberate Fort Lauderdales public toilets from the grip of gay sexual tyranny has been thwarted. Fort Lauderdale city commissioners removed the automated toilet from the proposed yearly budget, apparently unaware that San Francisco is now 100% heterosexual thanks to the introduction of similar public robo-potties. Jim Naugle is term-limited from running again for a seventh term as mayor, but at least hell have a whole bunch of free toilet paper as a going away present.
(With a tip o' the leather daddy cap to oh_stella)
Lesbian Sues eHarmony for eHomophobia
Everyone meets their boyfriend/girlfriend/significant other/orgy partner/drummer on the Internet. Its ubiquitous. Hell, I met my special ladyfriend on this very Web site. And lets be honest, if Brosas doing it, that means its officially hip. Or something.
And whats the nation's most visible online dating service? Why its uber-Christian powersite eHarmony.com! I mean, who doesnt love their oh-so-descriptive commercials?
Yes, my friends! Get matched based on who you really are. And who you really are is totally NOT an eLesbian. Trust eUs. We know because eHarmony does not allow customers to use its service if they do not meet certain pre-existing eCriteria. If you dont, youre eShit out of eLuck.
Apparently, some uppity Bay Area homosexuals arent feeling the eLove.
A lawsuit alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of Linda Carlson, who was denied access to eHarmony because she is gay.
Lawyers bringing the action said they believed it was the first lawsuit of its kind against eHarmony, which has long rankled the gay community with its failure to offer a "men seeking men" or "women seeking women" option.
They were seeking to make it a class action lawsuit on behalf of gays and lesbians excluded from the dating service.
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According to the lawsuit, Carlson, who lives in the San Francisco Bay area, tried to use the site's dating services in February 2007. When she was denied access, she wrote to eHarmony saying that its anti-gay policy was discriminatory under California law but the company refused to change it.
"Such outright discrimination is hurtful and disappointing for a business open to the public in this day and age," she said.
Carlson's lawyer Todd Schneider said the lawsuit was "about changing the landscape and making a statement out there that gay people, just like heterosexuals, have the right and desire to meet other people with whom they can fall in love."
God, why do the gays always have to ruin everyone elses fun? Just because a bunch of good, straight, Christian folks want to get together in a pure, untainted space on the intertubes and talk amongst themselves about not having sex until Jesus says they can doesnt mean that anything wrong has happened, right? Its not like theres any law against discriminating against the queers, is there?
California Civil Code Sec. 51, Unruh Civil Rights Act
(a) This section shall be known, and may be cited, as the Unruh Civil Rights Act.
(b) All persons within the jurisdiction of this state are free and equal, and no matter what their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, marital status, or sexual orientation are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments of every kind whatsoever.
Oh. Well then. Curse California for going the extra mile to attempt to ensure that their citizens are treated fairly!
Anyway, eHarmonys not having any of this ghey Unruh stuff and is relying in part upon the power of limited resources to safeguard them against possible liability.
The company said the allegations of discrimination against gays were false and reckless.
"The research that eHarmony has developed, through years of research, to match couples has been based on traits and personality patterns of successful heterosexual marriages," it said in a statement.
"Nothing precludes us from providing same-sex matching in the future. It's just not a service we offer now based upon the research we have conducted," eHarmony added.
Yeah, well see the man-on-man eHarmony commercials when eMonkeys fly out of my eKiester. Besides, the fact that eHarmony may at some point add same-sex matching in no way excludes them from Unruh requirements. That argument is the rough equivalent of a whites-only lunch counter asserting that because its theoretically possible for them to serve blacks, they shouldnt have to comply with the Civil Rights Act. It's not a winner.
We shall see where this suit leads, but eHarmony could be eFucked.
Subrosas father met his current fiancé on eHarmony. True fact.
Dude, Your Car is So Gay!
And when I say gay, I dont mean it in the 7th-grade-synonym-for-lame kind of way. I mean in the boy-on-boy-hot-manlove kind of way. Thats right. Some cars are gay. Totally, seriously, completely gay. The Mazda Miata? Gay. The MiniCooper? Gay. The Jeep Cherokee? Huge lesbian.
Dont believe me? Im sorry, but the New York Times says its true. As a card-carrying member of the vast left-wing media conspiracy, Im contractually obligated to take every word the Times prints as Gospel.
Ron Geren, an actor in Los Angeles, commutes to auditions and jobs throughout Southern California in a sleek black Mazda MX-5 Miata convertible. But for a recent date with a woman, he rented a Cadillac Escalade because he was so used to friends saying his Miata is gay.
Guys say, Hey, thats cute, Mr. Geren, 40, said, adding that the comments come from gay as well as straight men. You have to fend off that perception.
A few years ago, Meghan Daum, an op-ed contributor to The Los Angeles Times, wrote about a promising first date with a man that never led to a second one because, she later learned, the guy saw that she drove a Subaru Outback station wagon and concluded she must be a lesbian.
See? Someone alert the 700 Club! That car youre driving, that inanimate object with no possible sexual preference whatsoever could actually be a homosexual. Sweet Heavens!
Cars are no more straight or gay than cellphones, office chairs or weed whackers.
Oh my God its spreading! Eeek!
But in recent years that truism has not stopped a perception among some motorists that certain cars can, in the right context, be statements about a drivers sexual orientation.
At a time when car makers are marketing aggressively to gay consumers and mainstream culture has become more literate about stereotypically gay tastes through television shows like Will & Grace and The L Word (on which one of the main characters, Alice, drove a Mini Cooper), it may not be surprising that some people make such assumptions about motorists based on their cars.
Ahhhh, so thats what Im missing. That the actual car itself is not a potential Friend of Dorothy, but that its being marketed to those who are a little light in the loafers. Gotcha.
Well that isnt anything new, is it? I mean, maybe its because I live in San Francisco, but I see gay targeted advertising all the time, for everything from travel websites to home and garden stores to (ahem) automobile dealerships. Hell, directed marketing to gays and lesbians is even something of a cottage industry, and theres even a website for gay auto buyers called GayWheels.com. In other words, this local trend is expanding to gay up the whole darned country!
But what is also slightly different in this case is the implication that a straight person might buy a car that would make them seem gay. Not to mention the idea that a gay person might try and avoid purchasing a certain car to avoid being labeled as too stereotypical. And speaking of stereotypes, couldnt this entire notion be a little politically incorrect? I mean, isn't it kind of offensive that we now have marketers exploiting perceptions about a particular class to help their bottom line?
But to some people, such stereotyping is homophobia, pure and simple. A poll seeking to determine the most gay automobiles, conducted by a South African Web site, was a topic of heated interest last December on Gizmodo, the New York-based technology blog, where one reader wrote: Since when are cars gay or straight? Were really polling peoples prejudices here.
Others, though, including gay theorists, say many gay motorists happily embrace certain cars as reflections of identity.
People presume you want to throw off a stereotype, said Judith Halberstam, a lesbian who is a professor of gender studies at the University of Southern California. She drives a black Mazda 3 hatchback that she considers butch. But, she said, If you are a masculine woman, you might not feel bad about it, so you might become excited about knowing how to fix your pickup, or driving a 68 Mustang.
Not all gays want to present an image that is normative, she said.
Fair enough, but not all straight folks do either. On the other hand, Id be lying if I said the idea of purchasing a Miata didnt make me chuckle at the assumptions that people in this city might make about my sexuality. And while around SG I might act a little swishy from time-to-time, in San Francisco Im never clocked as a homosexual. This is because on some level I consciously engineer my image so that Im perceived as a straight male. I dont think theres anything wrong with that, so is it then wrong to avoid buying a car that might compromise that image?
Im not quite sure. Something about the idea of allowing other people define which cars mean you're gay and which don't rubs me the wrong way. What if I just really, really dig the idea of flitting around town in a white Volkswagen Cabriolet with leopard-print seat covers? That doesn't make me gay, it just makes me ironical. Or something.
Of course, it truly makes little difference to me because I have nowhere near enough money to buy a car nice enough to where any of this would be an issue. As you can see from About.coms list of 2007s gayest cars, most of the rides are pretty swanky.
Which really brings us to the bottom line of this minor cultural phenomenon. The gay community has proven that it wields enough market power to demand attention from conscientious companies looking to sell their higher-than-average-end wares. That's encouraging to me because beyond any political, psychological or philosophical debate about the fairness of stereotypes associated with the advertisements, the issue for marketers is a much simpler one. One GM marketing exec summed it up thusly:
I dont think internally we ever asked the question, If we put Cadillac in The Advocate, are we going to lose straight Cadillac buyers?
Frankly, he added, the moneys all the same color.
That, my friends, is social progress. And a coming out party of an entirely different sort.
Stay tuned for Part Two in Subrosa's exploration of perceived homosexuality entitled "Yes I've Just Ordered an Appletini and No, There's Nothing Wrong With That", due on the Newswire this Summer.
Nigeria: A Bad Place to Be Gay
Homosexuals face difficulties all over the world, whether it's finding acceptance from peers or coworkers, coming out to their parents, gaining recognition from governments for their relationships or just facing reactionary politicians. While gay rights groups have faced an uphill battle in many Western countries, progress continues to made, albeit slowly, in convincing different societies that homosexuals are people just like everyone else. However, progress in some places doesn't equate to acceptance everywhere, indicated by potential setbacks like this in Nigeria.
Nigeria's House of Representatives has held a public hearing on a new bill seeking to outlaw gay relations.
The bill, which could become law before April's elections, proposes a five-year sentence for anyone convicted of being openly gay or practising gay sex.
Critics say the bill is anti-freedom, but religious leaders say it will help "protect society's morals and values".
Homosexuality is taboo across most of Africa, although South Africa recently legalised gay marriages.
The committee conducting the public hearing say they have received over 100 petitions from rights groups asking that the proposed bill be withdrawn.
"The bill is going to seriously violate the rights of people. This bill is evil and should not be allowed to see that light of the day," says Alimi Ademola who heads Independent Project Nigeria, a gay rights organisation.
As hard as it is to believe, sodomy is still illegal in many US states, and it wasn't long ago that just about all of them criminalized homosexual acts. But the freedom of thought that is the underpinning of any open society is held sacrosanct by so many Western cultures that the notion of a law criminalizing the mere fact of disclosing homosexuality borders on the absurd. What's even more ridiculous is that the bill apparently stands a reasonable chance of becoming law.
Parliamentary insiders say the bill is likely to be passed by both chambers of the Nigerian National Assembly by the end of March, he says.
Speaking at the session, Deputy Speaker Austin Opara said he did not want Nigerians to forget their "religious and cultural backgrounds".
The Christian Association of Nigeria (Can), the umbrella body for Nigerian Christians, called for speedy passage of the law, describing same sex unions as "barbaric and shameful".
The National Muslim Centre also condemned gay relations as "immoral, and runs contrary to our cultural and religious values".
Unfortunately the homophobia that still permeates Nigerian culture is not limited by the country's borders. An outspoken archbishop created a schism in the Episcopal church last year when he opposed the ordaining of an openly gay bishop that had ramifications around the globe, as member churches squared off against one another in a debate that caused many to leave the parent church and join Akinola's splinter group.
In an increasing globalized society it is becoming more and more difficult to chalk up gross human rights violations such as these to mere "cultural differences," or to pretend that their impact is purely local and will not affect people in other countries. Passage of this law would be a major step in the wrong direction, and a blow to gay rights activism everywhere.
Bloc Party Singer Comes Out Of The Closet
In an interview with The Guardian, Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke reveals that he is gay. It's not the most shocking revelation, but a breath of fresh air in the very white and straight dominated world of indie rock. Apparently, Okereke's says his decision to come out was prompted by a feeling he would be forced to discuss such matters when Bloc Party's sophmore album, A Weekend in the City, is released in February- Two songs on the album, "I Still Remember" and "Kreuzberg", have overtly homosexual themes. Okereke told The Guardian why he waited until now to discuss his sexuality,
"I didn't talk about it when I did interviews for the last record because it wasn't an area really reflected in the music; I didn't talk about race for the same reason. Why was that still a discussion point? The only reason it was a discussion point was because of the racial prejudice that exists in the mainstream media."
"I think I'm going to have to [discuss my sexuality]. With the first album I didn't think it was essential to the experience. I didn't want to have to talk about it in a tabloid way. It wasn't there in the songs, so why did people need to know? But yeah, there are songs on this record that do feel like they're about desire, longing. So yeah, I am gonna talk about that."
A Weekend in the City is released February 6th.
Recommended Viewing:
"I Still Remember" Video
Another Gay Pastor Resigns, Possibly Not the Last
A month after preaching to his congregation about responsibility and character (using the Ted Haggard scandal as an example), Rev. Paul Barnes revealed his homosexuality in a pre-recorded message. The pastor, who has avoided combining his beliefs and politics, announced his resignation only after being outed by an anonymous member of the Denver-based, 2,100 member megachurch.
Now, the 54-year-old Barnes joins Haggard as a fallen evangelical minister who preached that homosexuality was a sin but grappled with a hidden life.
Sitting cross-legged in jeans and an open-collar shirt, Barnes spoke in his video about evolving feelings growing up in a firm moral family: from confused little boy to adolescent racked with self-loathing and guilt.
In their only talk about sex, Barnes said his father took him on a drive and talked about what he would do if a "fag" approached him.
Barnes thought, "'Is that how you'd feel about me?' It was like a knife in my heart, and it made me feel even more closed."
Barnes expressed hope for a future where one can "be who you are" and be accepted and loved in the Christian community and also spoke about "separating some of the teachings from Scripture" from Jesus Christ.
When asked for his opinion on whether Barnes' admission would warrant further criticism of the evangelical community and accusations of hypocrisy, an associate of Barnes, Dave Palmer, said, "The criticism is valid if you look at perfection being the mark, because the next person who stands at our pulpit is going to be guilty of not being perfect as well," he said. "Does that mean we have to change what we say about the word of God? We can't do that."
Will this be the last instance of exposed homosexuality in the evangelical community? Another evangelical leader in Denver doesn't think so.
Denver Seminary president Craig Williford said once one person gets caught or confesses, others in a similar situation are more likely to get the courage to speak out. He said the people they were involved with could also come forward.
Illustration: Robert Neubecker
James Bond Actor Wants Some Boy-on-Boy Action
The newest actor to portray James Bond, Daniel Craig, stated the character could use some updating and modernizing. He claimed the best way to do this is to give the notorious ladies man some new proclivities. Craig suggested a gay scene might spice things up.
"I mean, look at (British TV series) Doctor Whothat has had gay scenes in it and no one blinks an eye," he added.
Craig also stated he was fine going full-frontal in the newest Bond installment, Casino Royale.
"Why not? I think in this day and age, fans would have accepted it,"
Um, ok
Was it really your dick, dude? Craig reportedly had a body double for nude scenes.
"I had stunt men all the way. Stunt penises? I've got four or five."
Whats with the stunt penis? Dame Judi Dench claimed you have a gigantic schlong. She caught a glimpse of your junk when she was stalking you outside your trailer.
She revealed: "It's an absolute monster! Maybe I shouldn't have said that. How uncouth of me!"
Oh, Judi! You dirty girl!
Mexico City Legalizes Gay Unions
This month, Mexico City legalized Gay Civil Unions. Despite being the world's second-largest Catholic nation, the vote allowing gay unions passed easily in the city's assembly chambers, winning 43 to 17.
The new law allows gay residents of the country's capital and largest city the right to make medical decisions for their partners and also list partners as beneficiaries of pensions and inheritances in the event of death. The measure was spearheaded by the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD), the party which narrowly lost the hotly contested presidential election this past summer.
The mayor is likely to sign the bill into law, against the open opposition of the country's President Felipe Calderon of the National Action Party (PAN). Mexico City is a federal district unto itself and is ruled under its own legislation. The laws of Mexico City apply only to its roughly nine million residents. Alejandro Brito of the activist group Letra S hopes the capital's example will influence the country as a whole.
"This is a historic day," said Alejandro Brito, director of the activist group Letra S: Health, Sexuality and AIDS. "It will reinvigorate our movement. Our law here in Mexico City could cause a chain reaction."
Already the large Mexican state of Coahuila, which shares a border with Texas, is considering a gay union law.
Neil Patrick Harris : "I'm Gay"
Actor Neil Patrick Harris, 33, today revealed to People magazine that he is gay:
"Rather than ignore those who choose to publish their opinions without actually talking to me, I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love."
Harris is best known for playing the title role in Doogie Howser M.D. from 1989-1993, and has also starred in the stage production of Rent. In 2004 he was featured in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, and is currently starring in the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.
Religious Leader says it's ok to Kill Gays
The highest Islamic authority in Manchester, England believes that gay men should be executed according to the Koran. Time yet again to celebrate our multicultural diversities and show our respect for all religious beliefs:
The leading imam in Manchester, confirms that he thinks the execution of sexually active gay men is justified, the rights group Outrage reported.
Arshad Misbahi of the Manchester Central Mosque confirmed his views in a conversation to John Casson, a local psychotherapist.
Casson said: "I asked him if the execution of gay Muslims in Iran and Iraq was an acceptable punishment in Sharia law, or the result of culture, not religion.
"He told me that in a true Islamic state, such punishments were part of Islam: If the person had had a trial, at which four witnesses testified that they had seen the actual homosexual acts."
"I asked him what would be the British Muslim view? He repeated that in an Islamic state these punishments were justified. They might result in the deaths of thousands but if this deterred millions from having sex, and spreading disease, then it was worthwhile to protect the wider community."
"I checked again that this was not a matter of tradition, culture or local prejudice. 'No,' he said, 'It is part of the central tenets of Islam: that sex outside marriage is forbidden; this is stated in the Koran and the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had stated that these punishments were due to such behaviours.'"
Gay Kissing Scenes in Rockstar's "Bully" Game
Bully, the controversial new PS2 title from Rockstar games, makers of the Grand Theft Auto series, has earned a rocky road leading up to its release. Everyone from CNN's Lou Dobbs, to game hating laywer Jack Thompson, to the British House of Commons have all weighed in on Bully's potentially civilization-eroding threat.
The actual game play involves schoolyard fights, wedgies, and dunking weaker students' heads in the toilet. Now surprisingly, it also features hott boy-on-boy kissing.
For no apparent reason, Bully's main character Jimmy Hopkins can be led into steamy homosexual kissing scenes when he approaches certain characters. Maybe the designers were taking out a little "controversy insurance" just in case the game's violence didn't make enough of a stir.
Or maybe Jimmy just had a special awakening at Bullworth Academy.
'Grey's' Star Comes Out of Closet Amid Rumors of On-Set Brawl
Congratulations to actor T.R. Knight; the Greys Anatomy star found the courage to officially come out last week.
"I guess there have been a few questions about my sexuality, and I'd like to quiet any unnecessary rumors that may be out there," Knight tells People in a statement. "While I prefer to keep my personal life private, I hope the fact that I'm gay isn't the most interesting part of me."
Unfortunately, this news followed a rumor one of Knights co-stars on the hit ABC show hurled homophobic remarks on the set. According to wide-spread reports, Greys star Isaiah Washington and co-star Patrick Dempsey argued, throwing punches at each other. The National Enquirer recounted the scene, but refused to publish the name of the actor who received the gay slur.
The melee has set off World War III on the show and may cost Isaiah his job," an insider told The Enquirer. "The cast is divided over the shameful event."
As The Enquirer exclusively revealed last week, Patrick and Isaiah clashed over cast members being late to the set, right before shooting a scene at Prospect Studios in Los Angeles.
A heated discussion quickly escalated to violence when Isaiah snapped, revealed an eyewitness. At one point, Isaiah yelled, "I'm not your little faggot like (name deleted)," according to the source. Those who heard him were stunned.
According to witnesses, Dempsey responded to the gay slur by saying, Pick on somebody your own size. Washington did just that, allegedly grabbing Dempsey by the neck and shoving the actor back several feet.
A few days after the incident, Knight announced he is gay, quelling any rumors about his sexuality. No word yet if Washington faces disciplinary action by Greys producers; if the story is true, we can only hope his ass lands in the unemployment line.
T.R. Knight
Family Research Council Blames Predatorgate on "Diversity"
The Family Research Council, the same organization that brought you the "war on porn" and pushed hard for the Clinton impeachment debacle, is now blaming the folly of Mark Foley on - what else? - the cutlural influences of liberals. When you can't blame a Clinton, it's the old conservative standby.
Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins released the following statement:
"We are all shocked by this spectacle of aberrant sexual behavior, but we shouldn't be. This is the end result of a society that rejects sexual restraints in the name of diversity. When a 16-year-old boy is not safe from sexual solicitation from an elected representative of the people, we should question the moral direction of our nation. If our children aren't safe in the halls of Congress, where are they safe? Maybe it's time to question: when is tolerance just an excuse for permissiveness?
"Both political parties need to be more serious about protecting children from sexual predators. We need public policy in our country that protects marriage, respects parental authority and aggressively polices boundaries around our children."
Who exactly, besides NAMBLA, hardly an organization with much political clout, is pushing for a rejection of sexual restraints in the name of diversity? What does it even have to do with diversity? The landmark Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas, which is the best I can decipher Perkins' words to imply, had nothing at all to do with diversity, but was about privacy and the what the scope of government can be in people's personal lives. Which, by the way, has been a staple cause of libertarian-influenced conservatives since time immemorial.
Crooks and Liars has a different take on what the real problem is with the entire Foley scandal, however:
Many on the right are starting to turn this into a gay issue. This is a gay issue. What is at issue here is the fact that a gay man in the United States of America can not be open about his sexuality in the year 2006. Having to hide his chosen life style is what causes someone to sink to the low and possibly criminal levels that Foley did. If Foley could have been openly gay and possibly even had a companion in life then we very well may not be having this discussion today.
Tough to say - being gay does not equate with pedophilia, which is a fallacy that Christian conservative groups have been pushing for decades. So even if Foley had been out of the closet the result may have been the same - repressed pedophilia manifesting itself in creepy IM conversations. However, the fact that so many conservatives have been fixating on the gay aspect of this rather than the pedophilia aspect suggests that homosexual advocates still have a long way to go before openly gay politicians can expect to be accepted. Will and Grace can only accomplish so much.
Star Jones and Husband Love Late-Night Vistors, Spandex
Random dudes apparently show up at the home of Star Jones and her totally straight husband Al Reynolds at all hours of the night, but neighbors claimed this is nothing new.
A neighbor of Reynolds and Jones who lives on a lower floor in the same ritzy Yorkville building where the couple have a penthouse says a mystery man rang his lobby buzzer Monday at 4 a.m. and asked for Star's better half. "He said, 'I'm looking for Al Reynolds,' " tattled the neighbor, who told the nocturnal visitor that he was calling the wrong apartment number.
"He was a really big black guy in a bucket hat," said the mole, who glimpsed Reynolds' gentleman caller on his TV monitor via the building's closed-circuit cameras.
Woah, woah, woahdont get the wrong impression. Jones spokesman, Brad Zeifman, said the stranger didnt show up for some anonymous gay sex with ReynoldsZeifman claimed his clients were not even home on the particular evening in question. I would have said the stranger was a sushi delivery man, but I guess Zeifman knows more about public relations than I do.
Als penchant for spandex does not help his wifes My-man-isn't-gay stance.
"I know Al. I see him in the elevator all the time - in Spandex," the neighbor said, adding that Jones and Reynolds appear to be together "only when they go to parties. They are always together at night when they go to events. They drive around the neighborhood in a new car - a black 2007 S-Class 550 Mercedes."
Spandex? How could she not know?
Ann Coulter Gay Bashing.... Bill Clinton?
It wouldn't come as a shock to most people, conservative or liberal, that Ann Coulter, the right's answer to Noam Chomsky (if he were first beaten, drugged and forced to ride the tilt-a-whirl for an hour) enjoys family-values style pass times like gay bashing. What might surprise people, however, is her latest target.
Ms. COULTER: I think that sort of rampant promiscuity does show some level of latent homosexuality.
DEUTSCH: OK, I think you need to say that again. That Bill Clinton, you think on some level, has is a latent homosexual, is that what youre saying?
Ms. COULTER: Yeah. I mean, not sort of just completely anonymous I dont know if you read the Starr report, the rest of us were glued to it, I have many passages memorized. No, there was more plot and dialogue in a porno movie.
OK. So because former president Bill Clinton liked to fool around with (female) White House interns he's a homosexual? That apparently makes sense only in mind of someone like Ann Coulter, a place where sanity and logic fear to tread. That is, until her agenda is laid bare at the end of the interview.
DEUTSCH:
a former president of the United States, and just saying, `You know what? I think he has latent homosexual tendencies.
Ms. COULTER: No. I think anyone with that level of promiscuity where, you know, you I mean, he didnt know Monicas name until their sixth sexual encounter. There is something that is that is of the bathhouse about that.
DEUTSCH: But what is the homosexual thats you could say somebody who maybe doesnt celebrate women the way he should or just is that hes a hound dog?
Ms. COULTER: No. Its just random, is this obsession with his
DEUTSCH: But wheres the but wheres the homosexual part of that? Im once again, Im speechless here.
Ms. COULTER: Its reminiscent of a bathhouse. Its just this obsession with your own with your own essence.
DEUTSCH: But why is that homosexual? You could say narcissistic.
Ms. COULTER: Right.
DEUTSCH: You could say nymphomaniac.
Ms. COULTER: Well, there is something narcissistic about homosexuality. Right? Because youre in love with someone who looks like you. Im not breaking new territory here, why are you looking at me like that? (emphasis added)
So homosexuality is just a form of narcissism. Is dating or having sex with people with the same hair color narcissism? How about eye color? Skin color? Apparently, as long as the other person involved in the relationship is of the opposite sex, it's perfectly normal. But because homosexuals like to fool around with people of the same gender, they're narcissistic. And since Bill Clinton likes to fool around, he's somehow... gay. Like I said before, logic is something that is basically a foreign concept to Coulter.
Pointing out Ann Coulter's idiocies is like stealing candy from a baby. A baby who was dropped on its head, and just woke up after a long nap. What's disturbing about Ann, who is a living caricature, is not the fact that she's obviously off her rocker. There are plenty of other people who wander around the streets, muttering to themselves loudly and violently, who probably share a lot of her views. It's the fact that in spite of all this, she gets an absurd amount of air time on talk shows and news interviews, and that her books sell extremely well. Maybe I'm not giving her readership enough credit, and there really are millions of people out there dying to appreciate her laughable "politcal commentary" in an ironic fashion. But I doubt it, and that's what's so scary.
Sir Ian McKellen Tops the "Pink List"
Sir Ian McKellen topped the Pink List, a ranking of the U.K.s most influential gay men and women who lead their respective fields, including the arts, media, politics and business. Critics lauded not only McKellens work in The Lord of the Rings, but also for his work campaigning for gay rights. He knocked last years number one from the top spotElton John.
Despite the strides McKellen and other gay advocates made in recent years, McKellen claimed he worries for children who, struggling with their sexuality, face abuse at the hands of uncaring bullies. He said the word gay picked up a disturbing stigma, and he would like to see it change.
He says, "One of my main concerns is for school children who think they are gay and get bullied in the playground. Gay now has a new definition. Young people use it to mean 'rubbish' - how awful is it for a young adolescent boy or girl to think that they are rubbish? Schools and school teachers need to be trained how to help these children. I was one of the speakers in Trafalgar Square at the weekend and I suggested we abandon that word and use another word beginning with G. Gorgeous. I said, 'Look at me. I am gorgeous!'"
Others on the The Gay and Gorgeous Pink List:
1. Sir Ian McKellen - Actor
2. Sir Elton John - Musician
3. Gary Frisch and Henry Badenhorst - Founders and owners of gaydar.co.uk
4. Sir Cameron Mackintosh - Impresario
5. Peter Mandelson - EU Trade Commissioner
6. Sir Michael Bishop - Chairman, BMI
7. John Galliano - Fashion Designer & Couturier
8. Alan Bennett - Playwright & Author
9. Matt Lucas - Comedian
10. Alexander McQueen - Fashion Designer
Why isnt Tom Cruise listed? Oh yeah, hes American.
Johnny Depp Addresses the Gay Pirate Issue
In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Johnny Depp claimed he decided his character Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest should be a little flamboyant and a whole lot of fabulous.
Depp says he was intrigued by a scholarly work titled "Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition." I liked the idea of [Jack] being ambiguous," he tells Mark Binelli in the new summer double issue of Rolling Stone. "Because women were thought to be bad luck on ships. And these pirates would go out for years at a time. So, you know, there is a possibility that one thing might lead to another. You're lonely. You have an extra ration of rum. 'Cabin boy!'"
Didnt Depp state previously he used Keith Richards as a template for the role? Since when is Keith Richards on the d-low?
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