Lynch, who plays the cheerleader coach Sue Sylvester in Glee last year said she was “tickled pink” to be hosting the live TV ceremony in Los Angeles ceremony on 18 September.

“I’m looking forward to singing, dancing and sporting my finest tracksuit,” she said.

The show’s executive producer Mark Burnett said that Lynch, 50 has “incredible comedic timing” and is “a charismatic, talented actress whose energy leaps off the screen and stage”.

“Jane was my first and only choice as the host for this year’s Primetime Emmys,” he added.

She won the best supporting actress in a comedy series, for her role in the hit show Glee last year.

Last year, after she married her long term partner, Lynch said: “It’s funny, when I was younger I used to lie in bed and think, ‘What will I do if I ever get famous and they find out I’m gay?’ I would really angst about that.”

She added: “It just happened so naturally and I didn’t hide anything.”

Jim Adkisson opened fire on the church crowd at just after 10am on Sunday, while children from the Sunday school were performing the musical Annie.

The liberal church is an active supporter of gay and human rights.

“The shotgun-wielding suspect in Sunday’s mass shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church was motivated by a hatred of ‘the liberal movement,’ and he planned to shoot until police shot him,” Knoxville Police Chief Sterling P. Owen IV told the Knoxville Sentinal.

According to TowleRoad.com, Adkisson did not plan to leave the church alive. According to a police report, “officers recovered 76 shells for a 12-gauge, semiautomatic shotgun inside the church … he certainly intended to take a lot of casualties.”

Police obtained a letter written by Adkisson from his SUV, which was parked in the church lot.

In the four-page letter, he expressed his ‘hatred of the liberal movement.’

According to authorities, Adkisson had been planning the shooting for about a week.

Adkisson is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 60-year-old Greg McKendry and 61-year-old Linda Kraeger, who was visiting the church from Westside Unitarian Universalist Church.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

The staunch liberal Ohio congressman presented a single impeachment article, which insiders say is not expected to move forward, according to Fox News.

Still, according to The Associated Press, critics of the Bush administration were eager to move forward with a push to oust the President from office.

According to Fox News, the push for Bush’s impeachment began shortly after 10am, and it didn’t take long for critics of the President to explode with applause.

While the top ranked Republican on the committee—Lamar Smith of Texas—dismissed the hearings as a waste of everyone’s time, but that didn’t stop Democrats from making their voices heard.

One of the first to speak—Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla.—said the administration had committed some serious abuses, that if proven, would certainly constitute high crimes.”

He said the only way to properly move forward “is to hold hearings for impeachment.”

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., followed, saying: “It is my judgement that President Bush is the worst President that our country has suffered.”

Both comments drew an uproar of applause, to which Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., had to warn the crowd: “Let’s restrain ourselves, please.”

Though under the constitution, the power to impeach lies within the House, despite issues that have driven a wedge between the House Democratic Caucus and White House—the Iraq war, energy and the economy to name a few—House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said impeachment is off the table, according to CBS News.

Smith went on to describe the partisan tone of the hearing as “an anger management class,” saying the congressional approval rating’s historic low of near 10% makes Bush’s 28% approval rating look good.

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Steven Hirschfield was shot and killed after he jumped from the 222-foot Inspiration, operated by Hornblower Cruises, over Pride weekend.

The boat, chartered by party promoters as one of the gay Pride parties, had some 800 patrons packed on board.

According to reports, Hirschfield refused an attempted rescue.

When harbour police finally fished the man out of the water, he allegedly attacked a cop, grabbing his taser gun and beating the cop in the face.

Hirschfield was shot when he reached for the cop’s fire arm.

But family members say that just doesn’t sound like Hirschfield.

“He is not violent. I have not seen him hit anybody in my life,” his sister, Kristine Hirschfield, said at a news conference on Friday. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

According to Yahoo! News, the family is planning to file a federal lawsuit, claiming Hirschfield’s civil rights were violated.

They plan to conduct their own investigation into the Hirschfield’s death.

“Steven Hirschfield had everything to live for. So this myth that you are hearing that Steven was attacking a police officer is completely at odds with the type of person that Steven Hirschfield was,” family attorney Brian Claypool said, according to AP.

“The manner in which this police officer handled this situation is consistent with somebody who might hold some preconceived notions against gay people.”

Though onlookers report Hirschfield jumped from the boat, Claypool says he might have slipped.

The lawyer also questions a medical examiner’s report that he was killed by a shot to the chest—he claims Hirschfield was shot in the back.

The dancer, who was employed by Circuit Daze, the event’s party promoter, was down in San Diego visiting from the Los Angeles area. The Harbour cruise had become a staple event of San Diego Pride.

“We’ll get to the bottom of this,” said Hirschfield’s father, Alan, standing beside his weeping wife, Nicole, according to AP.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

According to reports, the actor locked himself in his New York apartment to practice The Jokers voice and nail down his mannerisms—in fact, his style of method acting, some say, might have led to the sleeping problems the actor claimed to be having before he overdosed on prescription drugs this January.

Among the prep work Ledger focused on to get into character—a journal, which, according to gossip site PopBitch.com, included a list of things Ledger thought the Joker might find funny.

First thing on the list? AIDS.

According to his co-stars, the actor, who rose to fame in the gay community for his Oscar nominated work in Brokeback Mountain, talked about wanted to find the sick and twisted corners of the Joker’s mind… a character, he said, who had almost no soul.

The Dark Knight is in cinemas now.

Ledger has one more film awaiting release. Several parts of the Terry Gilliam-directed The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus were reworked to incorporate the scenes Ledger had completed before passing away.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

“We need a new President in order to get this passed” — specifically, a President Obama, Representative Ellen Tauscher, (Democrat, California), told reporters on a conference call on Tuesday convened by the Human Rights Campaign and the Servicemembers Legal Defence Network, according to the Associated Press.

While Obama supports a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and says he will work with military leaders to get it done, his opponent John McCain thinks the existing policy is working.

Today’s hearing, convened by subcommittee chair Rep. Susan Davis, (Democrat, California), will include three former military officials who want to overturn the policy and two witnesses who oppose gays serving in the military.

She says no officials from the Pentagon have been asked to appear because “it’s a waste of time… They always have the same answer”—that they’ll follow the law, she said.

According to Tauscher, the policy to repeal the ban on gays in the military has 133 sponsors, but says she has no plans to bring the bill to a vote this year, adding that she has no intention in a “show vote” that her side might lose.

According to a Washington Post/ABC News poll, support for gays and lesbians to serve in the military is overwhelmingly positive, with 75 percent of Americans supporting a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” up from 61 percent in 2001 and 44 percent in 1993.

“We believe that this is a good first step to have this hearing, but we don’t believe that this bill will come forward until we have a new President,” Tauscher said.

Though Democrats seem to agree that Obama is the best chance gays and lesbians have at overturning “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” in a recent interview with The Advocate, the Democratic Presidential hopeful was vague, saying only that he can ‘reasonably see’ a repeal of the current ban if elected President.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was enacted shortly after President Bill Clinton took office on a vow to open military service to gays and lesbians.

The resulting policy, both the President and Hillary Clinton said in later years, was the result of a terrible “compromise” of her husband’s Presidency.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

According to the Ventura County Star, a grand jury has ruled that schools must be safer, mandating that a police officer must be present on each campus and that schools buckle down on perimeter fencing and locking gates.

King was killed in February when his 14-year-old classmate Brandon McInerney brought a gun to school and shot him.

According to school administrators, McInerney shot King after the young boy had asked him to be his valentine.

McInerney is charged with first-degree murder and a hate crime, though gay rights activists have requested he be tried as a minor.

According to the County Star, the buckle down on safety is the result of surveys filled out by 25 middle school principals.

The grand jury conducted school visits and determined that only nine of the campuses had an officer present.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

The film, the second installment in director Christopher Nolan’s reinvention of the Batman franchise, took home more than $155 million (£77.6m) over the weekend, enough to out pace the previous record holder, last year’s Spiderman 3.

Starring Christian Bale as the dark knight, the film received widespread acclaim for Ledger’s performance as The Joker.

The actor, who passed away earlier this year of an accidental prescription drug overdose, is a likely candidate for the supporting actor Oscar.

Several critics have said Ledger is a shoo-in for the role, arguing that he should have won for his work in Brokeback Mountain. That film made him an acting icon in the gay community.

According to his co-stars, Ledger buried himself in prep work for the role. The actor said prior to his death that he locked himself in a hotel room for six weeks before filming to perfect his character’s voice.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

The AMC original drama Mad Men and NBC’s 30 Rock led the charge with 16 and 17 nominations, respectively.

But this year, Emmy shared the love like never before, spreading the nominations among first-timers, old favorites and a slew of first-year series’.

Neil Patrick Harris scored yet another nomination for Best Supporting Actor in How I Met Your Mother, though his two-time guest star Britney Spears failed to snag a Best Guest Actress nod.

Harris will go up against a string of category veterans, including Two and a Hal Men’s Jon Cryer and Entourage’s Jeremy Piven.

The Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy category offered up a couple of huge surprises, including Amy Poehler for Saturday Night Live.

The late night sketch comedy show is repeatedly ignored for its talent, but break out star Poehler broke the streak. She’ll go up against Kristin Chenoweth for Pushing Daisies and Jean Smart for Samantha Who?, both nominated for first-year series.

While all four leading ladies of Desperate Housewives were shut out, cable series fared particularly well this year. FX show Damages and Mad Men will face off in the Best Drama Series categories, the first time Basic Cable shows have ever been nominated in that category.

Damages star Glenn Close scored a Best Actress nod, and her co-star Zeljko Ivanek-whose character was revealed to be gay in the bloodied season finale—scored a Best Supporting Actor nod.

Of course, we’ll see some old favourites and legends come Emmy night. Elaine Stritch does the guest actress category again… another year, another show, this time for 30 Rock. And Claire Huxtable herself, Phylicia Rashad, looks to parlay her historic Tony win into an Emmy for A Raisin in the Sun.

And perennial gay fave Kathy Griffin, who caused a ruckus when she told Jesus to “suck it” accepting last year’s trophy, is nominated twice—once for her reality show My Life on the D List and once for her comedy special.

The Emmys will be handed out Sunday, September 21 at the Kodak Theatre.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

The Obama campaign has called the caricature “tasteless and offensive,” but the artist is standing by his work.

Barry Blitt, who’s behind the controversial cover, says it’s pure satire.

But some, including John McCain’s campaign, fail to see the humour.

“We completely agree with the Obama campaign, it’s tasteless and offensive,” McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds e-mailed CBS News.

Obama’s camp elaborated”

“The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama’s right-wing critics have tried to create,” spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement. “But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree.”

According to a news release sent out by the magazine previewing the issue, the purpose of the cover is to satirise “the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the Presidential election to derail Barack Obama’s campaign.”

According to reports, the article manages to paint Obama in a positive light, despite what some feel is a misleading cover (an American flag burns in the fireplace behind the political power couple).

Obama was first made aware of the cover at a press conference in San Diego by a reporter for the local CBS affiliate.

“The upcoming issue of The New Yorker, the July 21 issue, has a picture of you, depicting you and your wife on the cover,” the reporter said. “Have you seen it? If not, I can show it to you on my computer.”

At the conference, Obama declined to comment.

Several political analysts have said that while the cover is controversial, it’s nothing out of line with covers The New Yorker has delivered in the past. Writer Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune argued that the cover is “quite within the normal realms of journalism,” adding “it’s just lampooning all the crazy ignorance out there.”

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

According to TowleRoad.com, Jones was offered $500,000 to appear on the FOX reality series Moment of Truth, where contestants are strapped to a lie detector test to tell the truth about some aspect of their lives in front of America.

“It would be a ratings bonanza if I went on,” Jones said, according to TowleRoad.com.

“But I volunteered to take a polygraph test when my story first broke, and I flunked it, so those things can happen. I’m not going to humiliate myself on national TV. And who needs $500,000 anyway? I could use $1,000.”

Jones submitted to his first test just after he came clean about his relationship with the evangelical preacher.

He failed that test, but the administrator said he doubted the test’s validity given the tremendous amount of stress and lack of sleep Jones was under.

Jones had been working as a masseuse when his alleged relationship with Haggard began.

At the time, Jones said Haggard told him a fantasy of his was “to have sex with about 6 young college guys ranging from 18 to 22 in age.”

Following the accusations—including Haggard’s confession to purchasing and using methamphetamines with escorts—the preacher entered three weeks of reparative therapy, now claiming to have been cured of his homosexual leanings.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

Queerty.com reports that Romney’s name is creeping up McCain’s list of potential running mates, the only potential spoiler, the site reports, is a clash of personalities.

Still, Politico.com reports that Romney has the potential to be a serious contender for the seat because of his ability to raise a lot of money, quickly, from former business partners and through the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints.

According to the Website, a McCain insider predicted Romney could raise up to $50 million (£36m) in two months.

Queerty.com posits that Romney would also be a score among conservative Republicans and faith based voters, suggesting its time for Democrats to remind Republicans of Romney’s flip-flop on gay rights.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

There is zero truth to the rumours, the publicist told the gossip rag.

rumours began circulating late last week that Crawford and his Gossip Girl co-star (whom he also lives with) were dating.

According to posts on both PerezHilton.com and Queerty.com, both gossip blogs had been contacted by reporters at NY Daily News and The New York Post claiming to have proof the heartthrobs are a couple.

Interestingly though, Perez Hilton reported that while both papers felt compelled to leak the info to see that it get out there, they weren’t going to run with it.

It seems both publications have a strong policy against outing celebrities, yet reps for both went to the blogs with juicy details, claiming the two weren’t even keeping a secret on set, were regularly seen getting close on public outings and had even been spotted making out in public.

True or false?

The Post is famous for running blind items on closeted gay celebrities, particularly in its Page Six gossip section.

But with openly gay columnists like Liz Smith on staff, the publication has shied away from going for the jugular, instead choosing to leave the outing to other publications.

Still, word on the street is The Post is known for offering juicy tidbits to bloggers in exchange for the credit… a sort of ‘you scratch my back’ scenario.

The Post, at least, has built a reputation on getting it right most of the time, so while those rumours of Crawford and former ’NSync-er JC Chasez knocking boots died out rather quickly, as to how long these supposed on set hook-up rumours will last, who can say?

Crawford has repeatedly told the press that flattered though he may be by the attention he gets from gay fans, he, in fact, is straight.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

According to Media Matters, the conversation started when a caller wanted to know why the Republican Party was willing to say goodbye to their conservative voter base—30 percent of the voting block, the caller opined.

Limbaugh answered back, and it wasn’t pretty.

“You want to know why the Republicans are willing to say, ‘Screw you,’ to 30 percent or more of their voters and yet Democrats will bend over, grab the ankles, and say, ‘Have your way with me,’ for 10 percent and 2 percent of the population?”

The caller—who said African-Americans and gay men and women make up 12 and 10 percent of the population, respectively—urged Limbaugh to continue.

Limbaugh went on to suggest, “these kooks—and I’m not talking about just the blacks, I’m talking about a whole kook-fringe base”—have influence because they have money. ”

Media Matters dug further into Limbaugh’s long history of using his ‘bending over’ analogy as an insult aimed at politicians.

In 2005, the site reported, Limbaugh used it to attack former Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman for his planned apology at the annual NAACP convention for the GOP backed ‘Southern Strategy’, which started under former President Richard Nixon as a way to use race as a campaign wedge issue.

“He’s going to go down there and apologise for it,” Limbaugh said. “In the midst of all of this—in the midst of all that’s going on—once again, Republicans are going to go bend over and grab the ankles.”

Back in January, Limbaugh launched a full scale verbal attack on John McCain, saying he refused to support the Republican presidential hopeful “no matter what.”

© 2008 GaySports.com; All Rights Reserved.

Smith appeared on Late Night with David Letterman to promote his upcoming big budget action flick Hancock.

And when Letterman started to ask Smith how he’s in such good shape, things turned intimate.

“Every time I see you, you just look better and better,” Letterman said, “and I’m wondering, because when you get to be my age you start thinking about…”

Interrupting the late night host, Smith leaned in to the desk and puckered up for a kiss.

After Letterman urged him to “stop it,” Smith leaned further in where he planted a kiss on each of Letterman’s cheeks and a third straight on the pucker.

“Once you go black, you never go back Dave,” Smith joked, to which Letterman responded, “this has taken an unforeseen direction.”

Even longtime sidekick Paul Schaeffer got in on the action, saying, “black is one thing, but this is ridiculous.”

Getting back on track, Smith said the secret to his youthful appearance is running five miles a day, six days a week—if you do that, “your body will look like whatever you want it to look like.”

Smith also said his wife Jada has urged him to take the second half of 2008 off from working, to which the soon-to-be 40-year-old actor responded, she “might need to be prepared to have lots of sex, Dave.”

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

Perhaps no celebrity couple will draw quite as much media attention as talk show host Ellen Degeneres and her girlfriend, Portia De Rossi.

And according to the National Ledger, they’ll do it without a pre-nup.

Ever since Ellen announced on her daytime talk show that she and De Rossi had made plans to tie the knot, all eyes have been on the happy couple.

Mariah Carey presented Ellen with a nightie for their honeymoon.

Jenna Bush even offered up the Bush ranch as a wedding location.

Now, as the date draws closer, the Ledger reports that despite their 15 years age difference, and estimates putting Degeneres at being worth considerably more money, they will walk down the aisle with no prenup.

According to the article, Degeneres says she’s not worried about a legal agreement because she’s confident her relationship with the Aussie actress is going to last.

A source also told the publication Degeneres “finds prenups unromantic.”

Degeneres and De Rossi have been together since 2004.

De Rossi officially came out in The Advocate in 2005 after years of openly dating women but not discussing her personal life with the press.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

Then, by most accounts, Madonna and brother Christopher Ciccone had a falling out.

So what’s an estranged brother to do? Write a tell all, of course.

The Associated Press is reporting that Madge’s gay brother Christopher has closed a deal with book publisher Simon & Schuster to ink a bio on her life, a bio her publicist reveals she’s not involved with.

Life With My Sister Madonna will have an initial print run of 350,000 copies and chronicle Christopher’s 47 years of growing up with Madonna, the publisher said.

No financial details were revealed.

Ciccone will work closely with famed biographer Wendy Leigh, best known for her works on Liza Minnelli, Grace Kelly and a highly critical look at the life of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

According to the singer’s publicist, Liz Rosenberg, Ciccone and his sister are no longer close.

No further information was given on their falling out.

Look for Life With My Sister Madonna in July.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

What’s her next move, many wonder, as she acknowledges Obama’s victory as far as delegates go but stops short of conceding the race.

And that Vice Presidential seat? She’s open, the New York Senator assures.

“It has been an honour to contest these primaries with him, just as it is an honour to call him my friend,” Clinton said, speaking to a crowd of supporters tonight from Baruch College in lower Manhattan.

She continued to lavish such praise on Obama that many expected the inevitable announcement that she’d be ending her bid for President.

In St. Paul, Minnesota, Obama prepped his victory address, ready to take to the stage and congratulate Clinton on a campaign well fought.

“Because of you, tonight I can stand here and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for the president of the United States of America,” Obama said.

But instead of allowing him his victory, Clinton went on to discuss why she’d be the better candidate to go toe to toe with John McCain in November.

In continuing to tout her skill set, she made it clear she has yet to play her last card.

According to the Times Online, many analysts suspect Clinton is dragging her heels in an attempt to court Obama into offering her the Vice President slot on the ticket.

And given the support she’s ammassed in this election, many argue she’s earned it.

Moments later, her campaign chair Terry McAuliffe introduced Clinton as the next President of the United States amid chants urging her to take the flight all the way to the DNC in Denver.

“In millions of quiet moments in thousands of places you asked yourself a simple question: who will be the strongest candidate?,” she asked the roaring crowd.

“Who will be ready to take charge of the White House and ready to be commander-in-chief? I often felt that each of your votes was a prayer for our nation … I am so proud we stayed the course together.”

Though many question whether the so named ‘dream ticket’ could actually rise out of the mud-slinging that’s shaped this race, some suggest it’s the only possible match up to beat McCain.

Perhaps aware of what she’d bring to the ticket, Clinton offered: “This has been a long campaign, and I will be making no decision tonight.”

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

The news service is reporting that the Clinton camp is ready to acknowledge that Obama has the necessary delegates to secure the nomination as early as tonight.

Though wins in the two states won’t quite take him over the top, the number of superdelegate votes he is expected to receive could well do the trick.

Obama currently sits 40 delegates shy of the nomination.

Clinton had been banking on the seating of delegates from Florida and Michigan to propel her campaign forward, but the Democratic National Committee’s ruling that those states delegates would only count for half votes all but sealed the fate of her campaign.

The AP is reporting that Clinton will stop short of formally ending her campaign tonight.

She will continue to speak on health care and other issues, a campaign official said, but by and large, the campaign is over.

According to reports, most campaign staff will be let go and paid through June 15.

By not formally withdrawing from the race, Clinton has more leverage to negotiate with Obama for things including a Vice Presidential seat and talking points in the autumn, insiders said.

The Clinton camp noted that they reserved the right to appeal the DNC’s ruling.

Former President Bill Clinton was said to be placing calls to campaign supporters and friends from their home in New York last night.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

Barr, who co-authored the Defence of Marriage Act while the Republican Governor of Georgia, now says he opposes DOMA, which bars the federal government from recognising same-sex marriages.

Interestingly, according to radio journalist Michelangelo Signorile, just a week ago, Barr appeared on his radio show and vowed to support DOMA.

Why the change?

As bloggers speculate, Barr beat out staunch gay rights supporter Mike Gravel for the nomination, indicating that a vow to overturn DOMA might have been his concession to cinch the nomination.

“We went back and forth about DOMA, the full faith and credit clause of the Constitution, and how, in my view, his position just didn’t gel with libertarian principles. Nonetheless, he staunchly defended DOMA,” Signorile explained.

“Then, two days later, in his acceptance speech after snagging the Libertarian Party nomination, Barr vowed that he would work to repeal DOMA.”

As Ralph Nader has done to the Democrats in years past, Barr looks too be a spoiler for the Republican Party, potentially costing the McCain campaign votes.

With this flip-flop, analysts say Barr’s standing in the Republican Party could be damaged beyond repair.

“Some political observers have cast some doubt that Mr. Barr, who once supported the Patriot Act and strict drug laws, and helped lead the impeachment of President Clinton, could energise enough in the party to make a difference.”

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved