Yesterday, JD over at Queerty posted a story about the online grocery storeKosher.com, which had apparently decided to allow Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH), the notorious Jewish “ex-gay” organization, to participate as an affiliate in their shopping rewards program.

This afternoon, Truth Wins Out launched a petition on Change.org calling on Kosher.com to discontinue their affiliation with JONAH. Just over 90 minutes and 1,000 signatures later, the company responded in an email to Change.org:

“Firstly we wish to apologize if any action taken by any member of our company offended anyone. Our affiliate program has pretty much been an automated system whereby any site can go and join the program and put our banners in their email blasts going to their members. In the past it was not something that we had monitored but considering the current reaction regarding jonahweb.org’s decision to send their members our affiliate offerings, we have decided to discontinue that affiliation and our management will review our affiliate programs guidelines going forward. Our agenda is simply to be a good company selling a good product and to be considerate of people’s feelings and sensitivities.”  deets here

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno Police are not calling this case a hate crime, but the owners there certainly feel they are being targeted because of their sexual orientation.

Construction crews covered anti-gay slurs that had been written on the doors of "The Phoenix" bar Friday afternoon. Owner Karl Jensen now feels he's a victim of a hate crime. "It's become a little bit personal."

Jensen and his partner Bryan Beckstrand walked into their bar Tuesday -- only to find their walls and mirrors covered with anti-gay words.

A photo in particular shows two words that are most commonly used to offend members of the gay community spray painted on a wooden board.

Jensen says the vandals carried out their attack in broad daylight while he went out to lunch.

"I've seen the other graffiti and kind of thought okay maybe that's just kids stuff. But then when I felt like it was really targeting us, I think it really shook me up a little." said Jensen.

Jensen and Beckstrand became the new owners of the bar after the roof had burned down last year. At the time the bar had been called "The Den." Fire investigators would not say arson was to blame -- but Jensen believes otherwise.

Fresno Police officers arrived at the bar Friday night after Action News talked to police Chief Dyer about the incident. Police weren't aware of anything because Jensen and Beckstrand never reported it. But Dyer says they take any potential hate crime very seriously.

"We do not want these things to re-occur. And we certainly don't want these things to escalate to the point where someone is injured." said Chief Dyer. deets here

I was at this bar once a couple of years ago, when it was called the Den. It is a fun, townie type bar...Glad to see it is getting a face lift....

An amendment that would constitutionally prohibit gay marriage in North Carolina was introduced in the House on Wednesday, Charlotte-based gay weekly Q-Notesreported.

A similar measure was introduced in the North Carolina Senate in February.

The Senate version explicitly bans other unions in addition to marriage, which might include civil unions and domestic partnerships, but the House's version only covers marriage.

Opponents worry that the Senate's language could outlaw domestic partner benefits currently offered by private sector employers.

“I think it is a step in the right direction that they didn't introduce as extreme a version as the Senate did,” Equality North Carolina Director Ian Palmquist told the paper. “The fact remains it is still an attempt to write discrimination into our state constitution.”

If approved this year, the question could appear on the 2012 ballot.

Seven Democrats, 31 Republicans and 1 independent had signed on as co-sponsors as of early Friday afternoon. Republicans gained control of both chambers on November 2. In the House, however, the GOP remains 5 votes shy of the three-fourths majority needed to approve a constitutional amendment. deets here

Director Sidney Lumet died today at his home in Manhattan. The prolific helmer of more than 50 films was 86.

His stepdaughter, Leslie Gimbel, told the New York Times that the cause was lymphoma.

Lumet was Oscar-nommed for "12 Angry Men," "Dog Day Afternoon," "Network" and "The Verdict." He never won an Academy Award for directing but was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 2005. His other notable titles included "Serpico," "The Pawnbroker," "Prince of the City," for which he was nommed for screenplay, and recently, "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead."  deets here

Luke Herbert, the Palm Coast, Fla., high school freshman whose shop teacher mocked him and made antigay comments in class, says he is not satisfied with the apology his former school district has given.

Representatives for Flagler Palm Coast High School say a public service announcement they created and aired at the school should be apology enough, but Herbert, who no longer attends the school, says he never saw it and would prefer his apology to be more public.

"The definition of public is not a local high school," Herbert told CFNews13.com. "I thought it wasn't aimed towards me, and I thought it was fake."

The PSA went up Wednesday on the school’s website, two months after Herbert was bullied.

"If it was a public apology, it would have been on their website when it first happened," Herbert said. "Or called the news media? Or put it on YouTube? I know they have a YouTube account. A lot of people know what happened to me, a lot of people."

Herbert, who recently posted his story on his own YouTube account, says he and his mother are still considering suing the school district. deets here

Stephen C. Jones -- the 21-year-old Navy petty officer who was threatened with discharge after his bunkmate "caught him" asleep on his bed with a fellow sailor, wearing only boxer shorts -- is not going to be kicked out. Jones, who is gay but cannot say so without the threat of discharge under DADT, was accused of "willful failure to exhibit professional conduct" for being in bed with another man when the pair dozed off while watching The Vampire Diariesat the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command outside Charleston. (He was not charged under anything related to DADT.) Now all that's going away, says a release from Servicemembers United. While Jones hired a former JAG to represent him in fighting the Navy's attempted termination, Brian McGee, the fellow sailor who was in Jones' bed, previously admitted to committing a lesser crime, which means docked pay but he'll remain in the Navy. deets here

For decades it has proved a popular tourist attraction.

And while the Morning Glory Pool in Wyoming with its stunning colours continues to attract visitors from around the world its appearance has undergone a dramatic change.

Just a few decades ago, the natural hot spring was a distinctive blue colour.

But now it has taken on a deep green hue with a distinct yellow and red ring around its circumference.

While still an extraordinary spectacle, the reason for this change is less alluring.

Tourists have for decades been throwing coins into the pool for luck. Unfortunately, these have blocked the pool's heat vents and reduced its temperature.

At the same time, chemicals from the coins have caused a reaction that has caused several bacteria to grow.

These have slowly worked its way to the water's edge, creating the predominantly yellow ring around the pure blue centre which has turned green as a result. deets here

Lols, i love it! Rose let Daily Mail know exactly what she thinks of Sheens & Lohan's behavior... 


 “I cannot stand the people who get wonderful starts in show business and who abuse it. Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen for example."

“They party too much, don’t learn their lines, are unprofessional, and they grumble about everything. I think they are terribly ungrateful.”

Back in her day, Betty adds, "We considered ourselves lucky ... and were always on our best behavior in public." 


I couldn't agree more Rose...They are just classless...

A prominent Italian historian has provoked a furious row after claiming that the Roman Empire collapsed because a "contagion of homosexuality and effeminacy" made it easy pickings for the barbarian hordes.

Professor Roberto De Mattei, 63, the deputy head of the country's National Research Council, claimed that the empire was fatally weakened after conquering Carthage, which he described as "a paradise for homosexuals".

He told Radio Maria, a Roman Catholic radio station, that it was the result of "the effeminacy of a few in Carthage . . . infected the many. The abhorrent presence of a few gays infected a good part of the [Roman] people".

The remarks prompted calls for Prof Mattei's resignation, with critics saying his comments were homophobic, offensive and unbecoming of his position.

Prof Mattei, a conservative Catholic and a former adviser on international affairs to the government, drew a parallel between the supposed moral degeneracy of imperial Rome and that of contemporary Italy. "Today we live in an era in which the worst vices are inscribed in law as human rights," he said. "Every evil must have its punishment, either in our times or in the afterlife."  deets here


He should look in the mirror if he believes every evil must have its punishment....

Two Columbus State Universitystudents are facing public indecency charges after they were reportedly caught having sex in the study room on campus.

The Muscogee County Jail confirms that 21-year-oldNakita Holt and 18-year-old Jessica Bass have both made bond.

CSU Police Chief Rus Drew says an officer on patrol discovered the two women in a study carroll at the library.

Bass is also charged with bribery after campus police say Bass offered the officer $100 if he wouldn't say anything. deets here

“I do not have an estimate,” Boehner said. “But we were placed in a position where we were in effect allowing the administration to determine the constitutionality of a bill that passed the United States Congress because they were unwilling to defend it. I don’t think the House had any choice but to take the position that we were going to defend the work that the Congress — and only the courts are in the position of determining the constitutionality of any bill.” deets here

Thanks to the House GOP's decision to add a policy "rider" defunding women's health services provider Planned Parenthood to the budget and Democrats' pushback, abortion has taken center stage in this week's government shutdown battle.

Democrats say a rider to "defund" Planned Parenthood--a national health care provider that also offers abortion services--is a prominent reason why Democrats and Republicans have failed to reach an agreement on how to fund the government past Friday's midnight deadline.

"Now the tea party--among others, but they're the biggest push--is trying to move its extreme social agenda, issues that have nothing to do with funding the government," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Friday on the Senate floor. "They're willing, it appears--clearly, to throw women under the bus even if it means they'll shut down the government. Because that's where we are. That's the one issue that was remaining last night."

Federal law prohibits federal funds from being used to pay for abortions, so Planned Parenthood's abortion services are paid for by private funding. But Republicans, including House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), have made defunding the organization a priority in the budget battle, seeing it as an opportune time to push their social issue agenda.

Abortion is seen as a political third rail--it's an issue so charged, that any politician who ventures to touch it will be harmed. The exception is social conservatives, whose base largely supports abortion restrictions. The current shutdown battle provides a perfect opportunity for social conservatives--with Congress under pressure to agree on a budget before the midnight deadline, all lawmakers are now being forced to address the Planned Parenthood rider, whether or not it's politically safe. deets here

Louis Marinelli, who was hired by the National Organization for Marriage to run last summer's nationwide marriage tour, has done an about-face and now says he support full civil marriage equality. However after reading his exchange Goodasyou, i am glad for his about face on gay marriage, he is still way off on his thoughts of the gay community and his views on their sex lives...Click the link above to read his full bio and hateful things he said about gays and then how he feels now....To tell you the truth i am not that impressed...

A marriage equality group can continue its canvassing operations in front of Target stores, a San Diego Superior Court judge ruled Thursday.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Judge Jeffrey B. Barton denied a preliminary injunction sought by the retailer against the group, Canvass for a Cause, but ruled that solicitors must stay 30 feet from the entrance.

Canvass for a Cause executive director Tres Watson called the ruling “a win for people who believe in free speech.”

In court documents, Target attorneys argued that the group violated its no-solicitation policy and had exhibited "angry and aggressive" behavior toward shoppers outside a Target store in Poway, near San Diego.

"Our legal action was in no way related to the cause of the organization and was done so to be consistent with our long-standing policy of providing a distraction-free shopping experience by not permitting solicitors at our stores," Target representatives said last month in a statement. "Target has taken similar action against a number of organizations that represent a wide variety of causes and issues." deets here

WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. — A Brevard County man blasted away with an assault rifle at a SWAT robot while wearing nothing but his birthday suit.

The suspect's dog was the only onlooker as the robot approached the door at the West Melbourne home on Del Mar Circle.

Authorities said a man with several guns was suicidal and threatening authorities.

"He said he'd shoot anyone he could," said Lt. Bruce Barnett with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.

Instead of risking any lives, deputies sent the $65,000 robot into the home. The robot has cameras, which record all of its actions.

The video shows the robot searching each room, its electronic eye roving from side to side while officers watch safely from a command post.

As the robot slowly pushes the man's bedroom door open, the man comes out, stark naked, with an AK-47 in hand. The man then starts shooting at the robot. deets here

Uganda’s “Kill The Gays” bill, which would make life in prison or possibly death the penalty for being homosexual or having same-gender sex, is back on the table in the parliament of Uganda. A petition signed by a reported two million Ugandans was presented by anti-gay activists, led by a right-wing zealot, Pastor Martin Ssempa, to Speaker of the Uganda Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, on Wednesday. The “Anti-Homosexuality bill,” also known as the AHB, reportedly died an unexpected and sudden death exactly two weeks ago, when Uganda President Yoweri Museveni claimed the bill — which has been public since 2009 –is now “redundant.” MP David Bahati, who sponsored the bill and has been working on it for at least two years, at the time of the bill’s demise, did not appear to be willing to let the bill die.

Speaker Ssekandi said Wednesday, upon being presented with the petition, “even if the current Parliament doesn’t debate it, the new Parliament will do it,” leading some to believe the bill could find its way out of the Committee on Legal and Parliament Affairs and into Parliament, presumably at some point, for a vote.

RumorFix contacted Reichen about the cam scandal and here is what he had to say: "I don't feel that this story represents anything different in me than what the majority of gay men have done at one point or another -- as far as posting a private picture over internet lines for private viewing."

He goes on to write, "In my, now, nine years of being in the public eye, I've seen many less-flattering photos attributed to me, so that's a plus. Moving on..."

The Delaware senate passed a measure Thursday afternoon that would allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions.

According to theAssociated Press, the bill passed by a 13 to 6 vote and now heads to the house.

“Lawmakers defeated two last-minute amendments to the legislation offered by Laurel Democrat Robert Venables,” reports the AP. “One would have allowed civil unions for heterosexual couples as well as homosexuals. The other would have required that a majority of Delaware residents approve civil unions in a statewide referendum before they could take effect.”

The measure, introduced by Senator David Sokola and Representative Melanie George, would only allow civil unions for same-sex couples in Delaware. Similar legal unions from other jurisdictions would be recognized as civil unions in Delaware.

Gov. Jack Mackell supports the civil unions legislation. deets here

Nearly half of the members of the U.S. Senate are urging Attorney General Eric Holder to step up federal prosecutions of adult pornography.

In a letter sent to Holder earlier this week, 42 senators encouraged Holder instruct prosecutors and FBI agents to counter what the lawmakers called "the growing scourge of obscenity in America." Anti-pornography activists have noted with alarm that, under President Barack Obama, the Justice Department has not filed a single new obscenity case anywhere in the country.

"We write to urge the Department of Justice vigorously to enforce federal obscenity laws against major commercial distributors of hardcore adult pornography," the senators wrote. "We believe it is imperative that the Department, with cooperation by the FBI, investigate and prosecute all major producers and distributors of adult obscenity. We need your leadership."

The signatures on the letter from socially-conservative Republicans like Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, and Jim Demint of South Carolina are unsurprising. However, some fairly liberal Democrats also joined in: Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Tom Carper of Delaware and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Also on board from the Democratic side, though less surprisingly: Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut. deets here

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) is calling on the Obama administration to stop denying green card applications submitted by same sex bi-national couples.

The Massachusetts senator and 11 of his Senate colleagues sent a letter (.pdf) to the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice Wednesday asking them to hold applications in abeyance instead of rejecting them while the courts litigate the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

"Specifically, we ask the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to hold marriage-based immigration petitions in abeyance pending a legislative repeal or a final determination on DOMA litigation," the senators wrote.

Gay marriage might be controversial, but apparently, Mississippi Republicans aren’t quite used to the idea of interracial marriage yet. In a new Public Policy Polling survey, 46% of Mississippi Republicans said they thought interracial marriage should be illegal, Raw Story reports. A mere 40% said it should remain legal, with the rest undecided. deets here

A concerned father has developed the world's first bullying alert system for Facebook which scans text and flags up abusive behaviour.

NHS consultant Paddy Clarke's software scans walls and inboxes for trigger words and phrases such as 'gay' and 'fat' and alerts parents when they appear.

The father-of-four came up with the idea after reading a string of cyber-bullying horror stories.  deets here

I am all for to each's own, but girl i must say this is not my cup of tea. 
Maria Jose Cristerna's striking appearance may generate gasps, but the 35-year-old tattoo artistreportedly says a horrific history of domestic violence triggered her decision to re-invent herself as a "vampire."

Cristerna recently showed off a new set of titanium "horn" implants -- along with dental "fangs" and multiple facial piercings -- at a Monterrey tattoo exhibition, but insists she lives a normal life. "The horns I have are a symbol of strength and were implanted without anaesthetic," the Catholic-raised mother-of-four tells the Sun proudly. "I had the fangs done because I loved vampires as a little girl and I changed the colour of my eyes so they were how I really wanted them to be.'

Yet Cristerna's transformation is still not complete: she says she wants to have more titanium horns implanted in the back of her head. "Tattooing is my way of being immortal, of really being a vampire and not dying -- leaving my work on other people's skin." deets here

As the White House met with congressional leadership Thursday afternoon in an effort to avert the impending government shutdown, members of the House Armed Services Committee sought answers from military officials on the implementation of “don’t ask, don’t tell” repeal — a hearing derided by critics as a waste of time and taxpayer money.

The hearing included testimony from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A.

Schwartz, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James F. Amos, and Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli (testimony continues Thursday afternoon following floor votes; C-SPAN is broadcasting the hearing).

Similar to an armed services subcommittee hearing last week on “don’t ask, don’t tell,” some DADT repeal detractors used the hearing in part to question the wisdom of the repeal bill, which President Barack Obama signed into law in December. In opening remarks, committee chairman Rep. Buck McKeon of California said that research on ending the policy lacked “in-depth analysis” and led to a “rush to judgment” by Congress, which passed the bill during the lame-duck session.

The four officials, some of whom expressed concern about the impact of repeal on military readiness in congressional hearings last year, reported no problems thus far with initial training, however — nor was there any indication that recruitment efforts were being harmed as a result.

“The U.S. Navy can successfully implement repeal of the law,” Roughead said in prepared remarks. “Repeal will not change who we are or what we do.”

Amos, who said in December that repeal could lead to “distraction” and possibly endanger the lives of Marines, told the committee that on a recent trip to Afghanistan he noticed, “there hasn’t been the recalcitrant push-back, there’s not been the anxiety from the forces in the field. ...

“Overall I am confident that Marine leaders at all levels will ensure compliance” of DADT repeal, Amos said.
deets here

Renowned sex columnist Dan Savage, who is an openly gay man, will be taking his popular sex and relationship advice column to MTV in a show appropriately called "Savage U" where he intends to educate your college student about the importance of honesty over just about anything else, including fidelity.... Savage, who for all his experience, does not know what women are like, advises [one recent correspondent] to tell [his girlfriend] openly and honestly what he wants, because otherwise the young man will just cheat on her.... The possibility of taming one's sexual desire for the sake of another, or of a vow, is not in the Savage moral imagination. Libido will have out, and honesty about that is the best policy. He brings, in other words, the best of gay sexual ethics and experience to a straight audience, with potentially disastrous results.

MADISON, Wis.— A 17-year-old is charged with a hate crime for allegedly punching another bus passenger who is gay.

Jayvon Flemming, of Madison, was charged Wednesday with battery to a public transit passenger as a hate crime. According to the complaint, he and two others allegedly teased another man about being gay before Flemming punched him as they left a public bus Sunday.

The Wisconsin State Journal reports that Flemming had lived in the same foster home as the alleged victim in 2009.

The complaint quotes Flemming as telling police he previously told the man that if he ever saw him outside the foster home, he was going to "hit him in the mouth." deets here

Eastern Michigan athlete Austin Hendrix wrestled with his sexuality through high school. Now that he is out in college, he has helped start a campus group to fight homophobia in sports.

Hugh Walsh and partner Barry Dignam will be the first gay couple to have a civil partnership ceremony aside from those who obtained an exemption from the State Photo by Journal.ie

The first gay couple to be granted civil partnership, Barry Dignam and Hugh Walsh, celebrated in style on Tuesday after their ceremony in Dublin.

Although they are now the sixth gay couple of celebrate their civil partnership Dignam and Walsh are the first to celebrate it so publicly. Last week the couple was featured on Ireland's most watched TV show, "The Late Late Show". They were featured on Ryan Tubridy's morning radio show on the day of their wedding.

When they were invited to kiss at the end of the ceremony a familiar tune broke out. Laughter ensued as the crowd realized that that it was an orchestral version of Abba's "Dancing Queen". deets here

UK rugby star Ben Cohen's campaign to support gay charities and groups kicks off next month in Atlanta.

The Atlanta Bucks rugby club will host Cohen's first stop on his U.S. tour to combat homophobia.

“It is to promote anti-bullying,” the openly straight athlete told ESPN. “We want to use rugby clubs to send an olive branch to people to join a rugby community, not necessarily just to play. The gay-friendly rugby clubs have really turned it around. They want to be more accepted in the community because they are perceived to be different, which they are not.”

“There are a lot of straight rugby players playing in gay-friendly clubs,” he added. “Rugby accepts all shapes and sizes, genders and colors and that is its beauty and why I love the game so much.” deets here

“What’s not fun about a gay-pride parade,” says the highly visible host of Watch What Happens: Live. “I got my waving down.”

Cohen’s wrists will get a workout Saturday, April 16, when he serves as grand marshal of the third annual Miami Beach Gay Pride parade on Ocean Drive.

“Just being who you are goes a long way,” Cohen says. “We’re still in a society where every person who comes out counts. You saw the impact Ricky Martin had. The more people are out and clear about who they are and open about what they are, that just helps. There becomes a greater community of people who are out.” deets here

Nashville City Council passed an anti-discrimination measure Tuesday that extends the city's gay protections to contractors in a 21-15 vote.

The new rules make it illegal for firms doing business with the city to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Love it!

WASHINGTON -- The chiefs of the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps say they will implement the new policy on allowing gays to serve openly in the military.

In prepared testimony, the leaders of the services said the training of the rank and file is under way and they are working to ensure compliance with the new law.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead said that although a specific date for repeal has not been set, the service has begun the process for a quick transition. Gen. James Amos, the commandant of the Marine Corps, said Marine leaders were working to ensure compliance.

President Barack Obama signed the law last year repealing the 17-year ban. Training and certification by the Defense Department are required before the ban is lifted. deets here

City and county officials in Jackson, Mich., defended their decision to hire Crystal Dixon, a human resources director fired from her previous job for publishing a column asserting her belief that gay rights are not civil rights.

According to the Jackson Citizen Patriot, officials have received hundreds of e-mail messages, most from outside Jackson, about Dixon, who will begin overseeing a merged city and county human resources department April 24.

“Dixon was fired from her position as the University of Toledo’s associate vice president for human resources in 2008 after writing a letter about her stance on gay rights to the Toledo Free Press,” reports the Citizen Patriot. “In it she argued gay and lesbian individuals are not civil rights victims because they have the ability to choose a homosexual lifestyle.”

The hire has sparked a debate between organizations including Equality Michigan, which wants officials to rescind the job offer, and the American Family Association, which supports Dixon. deets here

The Arkansas supreme court ruled Thursday that a 2008 ballot initiative that barred gay and lesbian couples from adopting children was unconstitutional.

The court ruled that such a policy, while never enforced, would violate an adult's right to privacy in their bedroom, according to the Associated Press.

"Act 1 directly and substantially burdens the privacy rights of 'opposite-sex and same-sex individuals' who engage in private, consensual sexual conduct in the bedroom by foreclosing their eligibility to foster or adopt children," Associate Justice Robert L. Brown wrote. The court also wrote that imposing a categorical ban on anyone who was not in a heterosexual marriage from adopting or fostering children, would keep many children away from suitable, responsible homes. deets here