Three years ago, almost to the day, the Southern Decadence festival was cancelled when Hurricane Katrina hit the city full-force, resulting in one of the nation’s most devastating natural disasters.

Although Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has already declared a state of emergency to prepare for a possible Gustav hit, so far Southern Decadence organisers say the celebration is still on track.

Governor Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in Louisiana, putting 3,000 National Guard troops on standby as Gustav continued its trek toward the Gulf coast.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin cut short his stay at the Democratic National Convention in Denver to return to his home city.

Emergency shelters are being readied and evacuation plans are ready to be implemented should Gustav continue its path toward New Orleans.

Friday will mark the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, leaving more than 1,800 people dead and displacing tens of thousands of residents.

In New Orleans, nearly 80 percent of the city was flooded when almost every levee protecting the city failed.

Many of those evacuated from New Orleans, which suffered the greatest damage from the storm, never returned. The culture and demographic makeup of the city was changed forever.

Although Gustav is currently at tropical storm strength, forecasters expect the storm to strengthen to a possible category three or higher hurricane before striking the US coast somewhere between Florida and Texas.

Current tracking projects Gustav to make landfall sometime on Tuesday morning.

Officials in Louisiana are preparing to begin evacuations of New Orleans and other threatened locations as early as Friday.

A mandatory evacuation of New Orleans will be given 60 hours in advance if the storm is expected to threaten the city.

In 2005, the Southern Decadence gay celebration in New Orleans was officially cancelled due to Hurricane Katrina. Nonetheless, a rag-tag group from the LGBT community staged a parade through the French Quarter in the midst of the hurricane’s destruction.

The parade was noted as the first in the city following Katrina’s devastating hit on New Orleans.

Southern Decadence re-launched in 2006 to mass celebration, attracting a near-normal crowd of participants. Southern Decadence 2008’s theme is Decadence Does Disco.

Although organisers are currently keeping a “watchful eye on Gustav,” there are currently no plans to cancel any of the events.

Information on any changes will be posted to the Southern Decadence web site.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

On Monday, Denver police made a lucky traffic stop when they pulled over a man identified as Tharin Robert Gartrell for driving a rental truck erratically.

Inside the truck, officers found two high-powered rifles, a bulletproof vest and other gear.

Authorities quickly uncovered a conspiracy between Gartrell and several other suspects to kill Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention.

According to KOIN News, the FBI has arrested four people as part of an investigation into a possible conspiracy to assassinate Illinois Senator Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention.

The plot was reportedly brought to light after Denver police pulled over a man identified as Tharin Robert Gartrell for erratic driving.

Inside the 28-year-old man’s rental truck, officers found a variety of suspicious gear, including two high powered rifles, a bullet proof vest, wigs, camouflage clothing and quantity of meth.

Gartrell was arrested at approximately 1:30am on Sunday and taken into custody. Police proceeded to track down three other suspects in connection with the guns and equipment found in the rental truck.

Thirty-three year old Nathan Johnson was arrested in a Denver area hotel early Sunday morning. Johnson reportedly stated, according to PerezHilton.com, that he had nothing to do with the conspiracy to kill Barack Obama, but that his friends “were here to do that—to assassinate him.”

Johnson told authorities that Gartrell “planned to kill Barack Obama at his acceptance speech” because “blacks don’t belong in political office.”

Another suspect, 33-year-old Shawn Robert Adolf was arrested at a hotel after attempting to flee from police by jumping out of a window.

Adolf broke his ankle after leaping out a window six stories above the ground. After his arrest, Adolf reportedly told police that he and his friends had to murder Barack Obama during his acceptance speech at the Convention on Thursday.

Adolf reportedly was wearing a swastika ring and may have ties to white supremacist organisations.

An unidentified woman was also arrested and is being held by the FBI.

The FBI is now investigating the case and questioning suspects to uncover whether anyone else was involved in the reported assassination plot.

US Attorney Troy Eid, who is in charge of the case, stated that he is “absolutely confident there is no credible threat to the candidate [Barack Obama], the Democratic National Convention, or the people of Colorado,” according to KOIN.com.

“Federal law enforcement is working hand-in-glove with the Aurora Police Department. Because this matter is currently under investigation, there is little we can say right now,” Eid said in a statement to the press.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved. 

The babies were reportedly born several weeks ago to a gestational surrogate contracted by the 36-year-old singer.

Martin will spend the remaining part of the year spending time with the twins out of the public spotlight.

In a statement to the press, representatives for Martin officially announced the Latin superstar is now the proud father of twin boys.

“Ricky is elated to begin this new chapter in his life as a parent and will be spending the remainder of the year out of the public spotlight in order to spend time with his children,” the statement read, according to OK magazine.

“The children, delivered via gestational surrogacy, are healthy and already under Ricky’s full-time care,” Martin’s representatives stated.

No further details have been released about the children’s birth and the surrogate mother has not been identified.

Enrique Martin Morales, better known by his stage name Ricky Martin, has long been rumoured to be gay. Martin, however, told Plus 7 Days magazine in in 2000 that he was “a normal man. I love women and sex. I am a real hot-blooded Puerto Rican, but have never been attracted by sex with a man.”

Martin said in 2003 that he been dating Mexican TV host Rebeca de Alba on and off for over 14 years and was thinking about starting a family.

However, the two later parted ways. He has also been linked romantically to Daisy Fuentes, actress Lilly Melger and tennis star Gabriela Sabatini, among others.

Though Martin has blown off rumours about his sexual orientation and been consistently linked to romantic relationships with women, rumours he is gay or bisexual continue to follow him regardless.

When asked by Barbara Walters in 2005 about his sexual orientation, the Puerto Rico-born singer replied that “sexuality is something that each individual should deal with in their own way. And that’s all I have to say about that.”

In addition to his career as a multi-platinum selling artist, Martin is also known for his charitable activism, including his contributions to the fight against the sexual exploitation of children.

After a sabbatical to get acquainted with his new children, Martin will reportedly return to the studio sometime next year.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved. 

The new season will include such well-known names as singer Toni Braxton, former ‘N Sync member Lance Bass, Olympic gold medallist Misty May-Treanor and Award-winning soap diva Susan Lucci.

Despite rumours, however, openly gay singer Lance Bass will be paired with Lacey Schwimmer, not a professional male dancer.

Rumours have been swirling around the new cast for season seven of Dancing With the Stars for months, including one pervasive rumor that former ‘N Sync boy band member Lance Bass might just be paired up with a male dancer, marking the first same-sex pairing to be featured on the show.

That particular rumour did not pan out.

Though Bass will be strutting his stuff on season seven, he will be paired with female professional dancer Lacey Schwimmer.

Along with Bass, the season seven cast includes a bevy of other hot performers sure to delight gay fans.

Lesbian lust-inspiring Olympic gold medallist Misty May-Treanor will show off her moves with pro dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

Legendary singer Toni Braxton will take to the dance floor with dancer Alec Mazo. Television’s most fabulous soap opera diva, Susan Lucci, will groove to the beat with partner Tony Dovolani. Thirteen celebrities total will be vying to claim the top prize on Dancing With the Stars in the new season.

An earlier ‘leaked’ list of the new season’s competitors turned out to be almost entirely accurate, with one exception.

Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath was listed on the leaked list, but was not part of the officially announced cast. Instead, that slot ended up belonging to chef Rocco DiSpirito.

Twenty-seven year-old TV personality Kim Kardashian, also among the new season’s celebrity guest stars, injured her foot on Sunday night when she cut herself on a glass coffee table, according to People.com.

However, speaking to Ryan Seacrest during his KISS-FM radio show on Monday, Kardashian hopes the injury will not impair her ability to perform on Dancing With the Stars. “This is a challenge, and we’ll get through it, and we’re going to do whatever we can to make this heal as fast as possible,” Kardasian said.

Season seven of Dancing With the Stars premieres at 8pm on September 22 on ABC. The full list of pairings for the show is below.

* Lance Bass and Lacey Schwimmer
* Rocco DiSpirito and Karina Smirnoff
* Misty May-Treanor and Maksim Chmerkovskiy
* Maurice Greene and Cheryl Burke
* Toni Braxton and Alec Mazo
* Kim Kardashian and Mark Ballasdancing
* Cody Linley and Julianne Hough
* Cloris Leachman and Corky Ballas
* Ted McGinley and Inna Brayer
* Brooke Burke and Derek Hough
* Jeffrey Ross and Edyta Sliwinska
* Warren Sapp and Kym Johnson
* Susan Lucci and Tony Dovolani

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

Tubbs Jones was widely known as one of Senator Hillary Clinton’s most avid supporters in the 2008 presidential race before switching her allegiance to Barack Obama in June.

According to a press statement released by the congresswoman’s office, 58 year-old Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, reportedly suffered a brain aneurysm while driving her car in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

CBS News affiliate WOIO in Cleveland reported on Wednesday morning that Jones was on life support and her outlook was not positive.

CQPolitics.com reports that Tubbs Jones passed away later in the morning, according to a senior House Democratic aide.

A police officer reportedly spotted Tubbs Jones driving erratically at high speed on a road in Cleveland Heights on Tuesday night. The officer attempted to pull over the car, which then veered slowly off the road.

Tubbs Jones was found at the wheel, unconscious but breathing, according to Cleveland.com She was transported by emergency services to Cleveland’s Huron Hospital, where doctors determined she had suffered an aneurysm—a burst blood vessel in the brain.
She was elected in 1998 as the first Black woman to represent Ohio in Congress.

During the 2008 presidential primaries, Tubbs Jones was one of Hillary Clinton’s biggest supporters.

However, she changed her allegiance to Barack Obama in June after he was established as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

The Ohio congresswoman was scheduled to appear as a superdelegate in support of Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Denver next week.

A five-term Democrat, Tubbs Jones was a avid supporter of LGBT rights and was given a 100% rating by the Human Rights Campaign for her pro-gay-rights stance.

During her time in office, Tubbs Jones voted against banning gay adoptions in DC, strongly favored same-sex domestic partnership benefits, fought for increased funding for AIDS treatment & prevention and supported more funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

McGreevey will have to pay his ex-wife a lump settlement and pay child support for daughter Jacqueline.

Matos and McGreevey have been separated since the former governor of New Jersey issued a public statement in 2004 that he was a ‘gay American’ and had engaged in an extramarital affair with a male member of his staff.

Jim McGreevey resigned as governor of New Jersey in 2004 after revealing he had engaged in an extramarital affair with a man.

In a now infamous speech, McGreevey announced to the world that he was a ‘gay American’ while his wife Dina stood silently by his side.

His wife claims she had no idea her husband was gay before the affair came to light.

Ted Pedersen, one of the ex-Governor’s former drivers, claimed Dina Matos knew her husband was gay when the couple married.

Pedersen released a statement earlier this year alleging that he had sex on multiple occasions with the couple.

Pederson told the Newark Star-Ledger that the McGreeveys frequently hooked up with him to have threesomes, often after dinner at a local T.G.I. Friday’s restaurant.

Dina Matos McGreevey told ABC News that Pedersen’s accusations were ‘completely false and were prompted by Jim McGreevey.’

She claimed Pedersen’s allegations were an attack orchestrated by her estranged husband to discredit her in the media.

‘He cannot stand it when I am receiving attention in the media rather than him,’ she said.

Jim McGreevey and Dina Matos’ divorce trial proceedings launched on May 6, 2008.

In a decision handed down on Friday, New Jersey divorce court judge Karen M. Cassidy ruled that McGreevey would pay Matos a lump sum of just over $100,000 as well as a share of his pension, but he will not be required to pay alimony.

Matos had asked for a nearly $1 million settlement, plus $2,500 a month in alimony.

Judge Cassidy determined, however, that McGreevey could not afford to pay such large amounts to Matos as she requested and still be able to afford child support.

McGreevey is currently enrolled in seminary school and reportedly earns just under $50,000 a year at present.

McGreevey was also ordered to pay out $1,075 in child support for his daughter Jacqueline, who he will share custody of with his ex-wife.

Matos had sought a higher amount of child support at $1,750 a month.

As for Matos, she will be required to give half of the benefits in her 401k plan to McGreevey, plus $1,500 from a joint checking account.

Both parties will be responsible for paying their own legal fees, estimated at approximately $500,000 each, according to the New York Post.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

The nine-time Grammy Award-winner called on his fans to be more open-minded and accepting of those different than themselves.

West said it took time for him to “break out of the mental prisons” of discrimination and encouraged his followers to do the same.

At the end of his Glow in the Dark concert performance, Kanye West spoke out to a screaming crowd about his feelings on homophobia.

“Open your fucking minds. Open your minds. Be accepting of different people and let people be who they are,” West said.

Talking about his own experience with being the subject of gay rumours and stereotypes, West blasted out a sing-song rant against homophobia.

“You know how many people came to me calling me gay cause I wear my jeans the fresh way?

“Or because I said hey, dude, how you gonna say ‘fag’ right in front of a gay dude’s face and act like that’s ok? That shit is disrespectful.”

West related his own history in having to confront the stereotypes and discrimination he has felt in the past.

“Coming from Chicago, where if you saw somebody that was gay you were supposed to stay ten feet away,” West said.

“It took me time to break out of the mental prisons I was in. The stereotypes of the fear of the backlash that I would get if you don’t believe what I believe in, accepting people for who they are.

“[Gay people] they’re very talented and if they do something special in the world and they’re discriminated,” West said.

“I’ve flown across the world y’all, and I’ve come back here to tell you—open your minds and live a happier life.

“Thank y’all for listening to me,” West told the crowd as he wound down his speech.

“I had a few things to get off my chest. I want y’all to handle the rest. New York City, good night.”

Watch a video of the speech below:

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

Rumors swirled on the Net earlier this week that Olsen had refused to be questioned by federal authorities unless she was guaranteed immunity from prosecution.

According to a report in the New York Post, federal authorities have been frustrated by repeated refusals from Mary-Kate Olsen to cooperate with their investigation into Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger’s death.

Olsen has refused to be questioned by federal authorities unless she is given immunity from prosecution, according to the Post.

Olsen was the first person called by the masseuse who found Ledger’s body in his SoHo, New York apartment in January.

According to an unnamed source quoted by the Post, everyone else federal authorities have approached to interview about the events surrounding Ledger’s overdose has cooperated fully, except Olsen.

A report posted on People.com from Olsen’s lawyer, however, refutes the information published by the New York Post.

According to attorney Michael C Miller, Olsen has provided investigators with all “relevant information” regarding Ledger’s death and has “nothing whatsoever to do with the drugs found in Heath Ledger’s home or his body, and she does not know where he obtained them.”

“We don’t know the source of the information being quotes in the media regarding the government’s inquiry,” Miller said in the statement reported by People.com, “but these descriptions are incomplete and inaccurate.”

Although Ledger’s death was determined to be the result of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, federal investigators are still trying to track down how the actor acquired some of the drugs without a legal prescription.

Five medications were found in Ledger’s body at autopsy, three of which were legally obtained, according to the DEA, but federal authorities are still trying to determine the source of the powerful drugs Oxycontin and Vicodin found during the investigation.

Federal investigators confirmed to Access Hollywood on Tuesday that a subpoena has been issued to force Olsen to testify before a grand jury about any information she may have regarding the drugs which caused Ledger’s death. Olsen’s lawyer continues to insist that the actress “does not know the source of the drugs Mr. Ledger consumed.”

© 2008 GayWired.com, All Rights Reserved

Now Paris Hilton has turned the tables on McCain by taking part in a spoof campaign commercial posted on the Funny or Die website which likens the Republican nominee to such “super old” luminaries as Yoda, Larry King and The Golden Girls.

McCain’s attack ad against rival presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama portrays the Illinois Senator as little more than a celebrity with a crowd of rabid fans.

The ad proclaims that although Obama may be the “biggest celebrity in the world,” that doesn’t make him ready to lead the country.

The ad opens with flashing images of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears and then cuts to shots of Obama waving to massive crowds.

Pundits suggest that the McCain strategy was fuelled at least in part by Obama’s European tour, which featured the Democratic candidate looking very Presidential while meeting with various important world political figures.

In addition to slamming Obama, the ad also slurs Paris Hilton and Britney Spears by proximity with the implication that they too are people who are all surface and no substance.

Not necessarily the wisest move for McCain, considering that the Hilton family donated the maximum contribution of $4,600 ( £2,225) to his campaign last March.

Kathy Hilton, Paris’ mother, told The Huffington Post that McCain’s ad slurring Barack Obama—and her daughter—was a “complete waste of the money John McCain’s contributors have donated to his campaign.”

As for Paris Hilton, she decided to strike back against her portrayal in McCain’s ad by making one of her own.

The spoof commercial video posted on the Funny or Die website featuring Hilton opens with a montage of ‘old celebrities’ such as Larry King, Yoda and The Golden Girls.

A voiceover narrator calls McCain the “oldest celebrity in the world, like super old, old enough to remember when dancing was a sin and beer was served in a bucket.”

Then, in parody of McCain’s ad, the narrator asks, “But is he ready to lead?”

Appearing on screen in a sexy swimsuit, Hilton announces her own candidacy for President, saying that she “is a celebrity too. Only I’m not from the olden days and I’m not promising change like that other guy. I’m just hot.”

For its part, the Obama campaign responded to McCain’s Britney-Paris-Obama ad with a new attack ad of its own which calls McCain’s latest negative spot, “the same old politics.”

Not to be outdone, McCain launched yet another new ad this week against Obama, once again portraying the Democratic candidate as an empty celebrity who isn’t ready for the Presidency.

This time, the ad asks: “Is the biggest celebrity in the world ready to help your family?”

Showing slow motion images of Obama surrounding by a screaming crowd, the ad says the Democratic candidate would raise taxes and cause job loss if elected.

The new ad, while maintaining the same “celebrity” theme, does not feature Hilton, Spears, or any other Hollywood figures this time around.

© 2008 GayWired.com, All Rights Reserved

The True Colours tour was organised to raise awareness of homophobia and gay rights.

Lauper said President Bush is guilty of promoting “hate and fear” and his discriminatory attitude against gays and lesbians makes her “blood boil.”

Speaking to The Times Lauper claimed the gay community as her own, saying: “This community for me is my beloved community.”

Lauper said her long commitment to supporting LGBT causes stems for a lifetime spent surrounded by gay friends and family.

She even tried to be gay herself, but found she just wasn’t wired that way.

“I tried kissing girls,” Lauper told The Times.

“But it didn’t feel right for me and eventually I was forced to come out as a heterosexual.”

As part of her dedication to promoting equality for the gay and lesbian community, Lauper organised the annual True Colours tour in 2007 to help raise awareness of homophobia.

This year’s tour features such performers as the B-52s, Rosie O’Donnell, Andy Bell, Tegan and Sara, Colton Ford, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Deborah Cox and the Indigo Girls.

In the midst of this year’s True Colours tour, Lauper spoke out to Times reporter Paul Burston about her feelings regarding current American President George W. Bush.

“I have been running with this community all my life,” Lauper said, “and when I hear people like George Bush talk about the gay community being anti-American it makes my blood boil.

“The guy who saved the White House, one of the heroes who crashed that plane on 9/11, was gay – the rugby player Mark Bingham, who died on United 93,” Lauper continued.

“And does Bush ever mention that? …That gay guy saved his lousy ass. And this guy who says he prays to God, this guy who promotes hate and fear, this guy we call our President… This guy is the true anti-American.”

© 2008 GayWired.com, All Rights Reserved

Fifty-three percent of all new infections occurred among gay and bisexual men, with men and women in the Black community at the second highest rate of infection.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Saturday that an estimated 56,300 HIV infections occurred in the United States in 2006, according to a new study commissioned by the organisation.

The agency had previously estimated 40,000 new cases during 2006.

The new estimate was released at the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City in a special issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“These data, which are based on new laboratory technology developed by CDC, provide the clearest picture to date of the US HIV epidemic, and unfortunately we are far from winning the battle against this preventable disease,” said CDC Director Dr Julie Gerberding in a press release.

“We as a nation have to come together to focus our efforts on expanding the prevention programs we know are effective.”

The new estimate of HIV infections in the US during 2006 is the result of a more precise method of estimating the number of individuals who become newly infected with HIV in a given year.

The new method is based on direct measurement of new HIV infections and builds on a new laboratory test that distinguishes recent from long-standing HIV infections, according to the CDC press release.

“It’s important to note that the new estimate does not represent an actual increase in the number of new infections, but reflects our ability to more precisely measure HIV incidence and secure a better understanding of the epidemic,” said Kevin Fenton, M.D., director of CDC’s National Centre for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention.

“This new picture reveals that the HIV epidemic is – and has been – worse than previously known and underscores the challenges in confronting this disease.”

Results of the new study show that new HIV infections remain highest in gay and bisexual men, accounting for 53 percent of new HIV cases.

Men and women in the black community had the second highest incidence of new infection, with incidences of new infection among African-Americans 7 times higher than whites.

Injection drug users were estimated to account for 12 percent of new infections.

“Too many Americans continue to be affected by this disease,” stressed Fenton.

“These new findings emphasise the importance of reaching all HIV-infected individuals and those at risk with effective prevention programmes.”

Although rates of HIV infection continue to be high, the study revealed that the average number of new HIV infections annually continues to remain relatively stable over the last decade.

New HIV infections have dropped from a peak of about 130,000 annually in the mid-1980s to a low of approximately 50,000 annually in the late 1990s.

“Prevention can and does work when we apply what we know,” said Richard Wolitski, PhD, acting director of CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention.

“While the level of HIV incidence is alarming, stability in recent years suggests that prevention efforts are having an impact.

“In this decade, more people are living with HIV and living longer than ever before due to advances in treatment. Even though this could mean more opportunities for transmission, the number of new infections has not increased overall.”

Yet, while new HIV cases among heterosexuals continue to drop, HIV incidence among gay and bisexual men has continued to rise since the early 1990s.

“These data confirm the critical need to revitalise prevention efforts for gay and bisexual men of all races and to build upon the growing momentum in the African American and Hispanic communities to confront HIV,” said Wolitski.

“We must all remember that we are dealing with one of the most insidious infectious diseases in history. Reducing this threat will require action from everyone – individuals at risk, community leaders, government agencies and the private sector.”

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

The FBI stuck the thief with the title in reference to the 2005 film Brokeback Mountain, which starred the late Heath Ledger as a gay cowboy.

The Bureau says label has nothing to do with the bank robber’s sexual orientation; apparently it is all about the man’s cowboy hat.

According to a report by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the so-called Brokeback Bandit held up the city centre US Bank branch on Tuesday morning.

Wearing a large white cowboy hat, the man approached a bank teller and demanded cash.

He did not appear to be armed, the FBI said. The perpetrator, described as an athletic black man in his 30s, escaped with an undisclosed amount of money.

The FBI has a history of tagging bank robbers with interesting names as a way to capture public and media attention in the hopes of identifying and capturing the subjects.

In the case of this cowboy hat wearing thief, authorities promptly labeled him with the catchy nickname of “Brokeback Bandit”.

Some of the FBI’s more entertaining nicknames for bank robbers in the past include the “Mad Hatter”, “Pillowcase”, “Pretty Boy” and the “Pony Tail Bandit.”

While “Brokeback Bandit” was perhaps not the most politically correct choice on the part of the FBI, the unusual moniker has already sparked quite a few news stories and blog posts about the incident—which is exactly what authorities no doubt hoped would happen.

While the Post-Intelligencer reports that the FBI understands some people may find the nickname offensive, the organisation did not intend to be defamatory.

“We don’t know his sexual orientation,” FBI spokeswoman Robbie Burroughs said, according to the PI.

“The guy’s got a cowboy hat. It’s a popular movie,” Burroughs said.

“Let’s not be too overly concerned about the bank robber’s feelings.”

The FBI is asking anyone who might have information about the suspect to contact authorities on 00-1-206-622-0460.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

Karen Wesolowski and Martha Padgett, both impregnated via IVF, gave birth to two sets of twins less than 24 hours apart.

The couple’s story was featured in a Discovery Health channel special titled Quads with Two Moms last month.

In the Daily Mail on Tuesday, Ms Wesolowski and partner Ms Padgett recount the long journey they undertook to have children together.

The couple, who met in August, 2000 while working in California, struggled for the past three years to have a child.

Although Padgett was raising a daughter from a previous marriage, the two women desperately wanted to have their own baby together.

After years of IVF procedures using various combinations of Ms Wesolowski and Ms Padgett’s eggs and donor sperm, both women finally became pregnant late last year.

Originally, the two women were only attempting to have one child, but fate had other plans in mind for the couple.

Over the past three years, they spent tens of thousands of dollars on fertility treatments, but nothing worked.

Finally, last November, the couple decided to both be implanted with a combination of Ms Padgett’s eggs and sperm from an anonymous donor.

Hoping for just one successful pregnancy as a result, the couple was amazed when they both discovered they were pregnant.

“I had the blood test first and when it came back positive, I was thrilled of course, but still wanted to know what Karen’s results were,” Ms Padgett told the Daily Mail.

“And when the doctor opened the door with a smile on her face and told us we were both pregnant, we could hardly contain ourselves.”

Although the couple was well aware of the increased chance of having twins through IVF pregnancy, they never thought it would be possible that both of them might be carrying two babies.

“The idea of having quads never really occurred to us then,” Ms Padgett told the Mail.

As it turned out, both women were carrying twins and both would go on to give birth to two healthy babies—a boy and a girl each.

Even more astounding, the two women ended up giving birth within 24 hours of each other in a completely unplanned chance event.

Ms Padgett went in for a routine checkup three weeks before her due date and found out she was in the early stages of labour.

A short time later she had given birth to baby girl Sophia and baby boy Alex.

Twenty-two hours later, Ms Wesolowski delivered son Andrew and daughter Sienna.

Although life with a quad set of new babies has not been easy, the two women are thrilled to finally have the children together they had desired for so long.

“Now we have four babies who are all brothers and sisters,” Ms Wesolowski told the Mail.

“Our family is complete.”

Ms Padgett and Ms Wesolowki were the subject of a Discovery Health documentary, Quads with 2 Moms, which aired in June.

Read the full interview with the happy couple here.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

Nault is reportedly dating fellow Project Runway contestant Daniel Feld, who is still in the running to take home the top prize in the fifth season of the show.

In an interview with The New York Post, Nault said the two started dating on the show, but that they tried to keep their personal relationship away from the cameras.

“We tried to keep it suppressed at first… it’s hard to read stuff in the blogs and stuff, it kinds of creates a stress in your relationship, but I think it’s going very well.”

“We met on the show,” Nault told People magazine on Thursday. “We tried to keep it very professional on the show because we were both there for our careers, and we didn’t really expect this to come out of it. But I’m really happy.”

People.com reported a rumour earlier that two of this season’s Project Runway contestants were dating each other, which was confirmed by the show’s fashion mentor Tim Gunn. However, Gunn refused to name the contestants.

Once Wesley Nault was eliminated from the show during this week’s episode, he freely spoke about his ongoing relationship with his former fellow contestant. At first, he was actually quite surprised anyone cared that the two were dating.

“I am shocked that they’re talking about this, I really am… I’m shocked it’s such a big deal,” Nault told People.

Both Nault, 23, and Feld, 25, originally hail from Massachusetts, though they now both live in New York City. They eventually plan to collaborate professionally once this season of Project Runway comes to an end.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

The Vanity Fair McCain cover cartoon features the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee hunched over a walker with wife Cindy McCain cradling an armful of prescription pill bottles.

As part of what the magazine calls an “affectionate rivalry” with the New Yorker, Vanity Fair published a faked cartoon cover of a geriatric McCain on its web site this week.

The spoof Vanity Fair cover mocks a cover published by the New Yorker earlier this month showing Barack Obama as a turban-wearing terrorist figure.

Presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Obama bumps fists with his wife Michelle Obama, drawn as an afro-wielding, gun-toting guerilla fighter.

The Obama campaign responded to the New Yorker magazine cover with accusations the cartoon image was “tasteless and offensive,” but the illustrator of the cover, Barry Blitt, said it was simply political satire of the purist kind.

A statement issued to the press by the New Yorker said the cover was simply meant to satirise “the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the presidential election to derail Barack Obama’s campaign.”

Just as the furore over the New Yorker cover seems to be dying down a bit, Vanity Fair decided to revisit the issue with its own ‘fake’ magazine cover featuring presumptive Republican Presidential nominee John McCain and his wife, created by illustrator Tim Bower.

It portrays 72-year-old McCain as an ancient oldster with a walker in one hand, fist-bumping wife Cindy McCain with the other.

She, meanwhile, stands primly with legs crossed, cradling an armful of prescription pill bottles like an infant.

Bandages on McCain’s head reference scars from skin cancer, while the pill bottles echo Cindy McCain’s past history with prescription pain killer addiction.

The post on the Vanity Fair website accompanying the parody cover cartoon says the McCain cover was created “in a selfless act of solidarity” with rival New Yorker magazine.

In a tongue-in-cheek tone, Vanity Fair proclaims they have always had “a kind of affectionate rivalry with our downstairs neighbours at the New Yorker” and has been “watching the kerfuffle over last week’s New Yorker cover with a mixture of empathy and better-you-than-us relief.”

Acknowledging their own past controversy-provoking coverage, including the recent media furore over near-nude photos of teenage Disney star Miley Cyrus, Vanity Fair said “heaven knows we’ve published our share of scandalous images, on the cover and otherwise.”

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

A similar vaccine from Merck was pulled from research trials last year after it failed to prevent infections and was found to have possibly increased recipients’ chances of contracting HIV.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) planned to test the PAVE-100 vaccine in 2,400 male volunteers at a cost of around $63 million, according to HealthNews.com.

Originally, the PAVE (Partnership for AIDS Vaccine Evaluation) vaccine was intended to be tested in 8,500 volunteers last October.

However, the trial was suspended after the failure of a similar HIV vaccine from Merck.

The Merck HIV vaccine was pulled from research trials last year after failing to prevent infections in research participants and failing to lower the amount of HIV in the blood of infected volunteers.

In addition, further evaluation determined the vaccine may have actually increased the risk of becoming infected by the virus.

The Merck vaccine was composed of a weakened version of a common cold virus, which delivered three synthetically produced genes from the AIDS virus.

The theory behind the vaccine was that the synthetic genes would stimulate T-cells in the body to provide a higher immune protection against the HIV virus.

Those infected with HIV who have strong T-cell response tend to do better than those who do not.

The PAVE-100 vaccine also used components from the cold virus as part of its delivery system.

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of NIAID, stated the decision to suspend a large scale trial on the PAVE-100 vaccine stemmed from meetings with scientists in an attempt to understand why the Merck vaccine failed.

Dr. Fauci said more research was needed to determine the safety and efficacy of the new vaccine before testing it in a large number of human subjects.

“Show me that the vaccine works by lowering the amount of HIV in the blood,” Dr. Fauci told The New York Times.

“Then we will move to a larger trial that will document the link with a particular immune response.” Until the vaccine can be proven to lower HIV in the blood, Dr. Fauci stated that “doing a large trial is not justified.”

While the large scale trial for PAVE-100 has been cancelled, NIAID said in a statement that it “believes the vaccine… is scientifically intriguing and sufficiently different from previously tested HIV vaccines to consider testing it in a smaller, more focused clinical study.”

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

Reider, who has performed with such lesbian music icons as Melissa Ferrick, Michelle Malone and Catie Curtis, was just 30 years-old.

Reider was diagnosed with a myofibroblastic inflammation tumour two years ago, which eventually left her totally unable to perform.

Although recent chemotherapy treatments seemed hopeful, Reider died from a sudden brain haemorrhage early on Monday morning.

A member of OutMusic.com, Reider was a frequent performer at gay Pride celebrations and performed during her career with luminary musicians as Ferrick, Malone, Curtis, Antigone Rising, Ember Swift and Shawn Mullins.

By 2006, Reider had already garnered thousands of fans nationwide and had done national spots on ABC television, Dawson’s Creek on WB and on Lifetime Television’s Strong Medicine.

Then, at the peak of her musical career, Reider was suddenly stricken with a terrifying illness.

The young singer was diagnosed with a rare myofibroblastic inflammation tumour in her upper left jaw, which rapidly grew to eventually take away her sight in one eye, and finally, her voice.

In May, one of Reider’s fans and friends, Lauren Fernandes, launched a web site where supporters could donate $1 for a digital download of Katie’s Voice, a digital compilation of nine of Reider’s original songs.

The site, www.500kin365.org, was created to help Reider’s family pay for medical bills.

Now the money raised for the site will also help to cover Reider’s funeral arrangements.

Reider’s family recently reported that chemotherapy treatments had shrunk the singer’s tumour significantly.

In late June, an MRI revealed the tumour appeared to be 95 percent to 97 percent gone, according to Reider’s 500kin365 MySpace page.

A post from Reider on the Katie Reider Band MySpace page on June 21 showed the young singer in strong spirits after taking a vacation to her father’s house in Maine, saying the trip was “truly amazing” and she had enjoyed “some of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen.”

Reider had planned to return for another visit in August.

Sadly, the shrinkage from the chemotherapy that had so encouraged hope for a final recovery resulted in a severe haemorrhage in Reider’s brain as the tumour became dislodged.

At first doctors were able to stop the bleeding, according to Cincinnati.com, and Reider was scheduled for surgery in early August to remove the remainder of the tumour.

Bleeding in Reider’s brain began again on Sunday, however, and she died while in transport to Beth Israel Hospital in New York City.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

© 2008 LesbiaNation.com; All Rights Reserved.

A petition filed by a collection of gay and lesbian advocacy groups sought to remove the ballot initiative on the grounds it would deprive gay and lesbian couples of their fundamental rights to marriage equality.

The California Marriage Protection Act, if passed by voters in November, would amend the state constitution to define marriage as only “between a man and a woman.”

The measure was put forth in reaction to the California Supreme Court decision in May overturning a ban on same-sex marriages in the state.

The Court voted 4 to 3 to strike the ban on gay marriage in California, making the state only the second in the nation behind Massachusetts to allow same-sex couples to marry legally under state law.

Proponents of the amendment, also known as Proposition 8, hope voters in the state of California will overrule the court’s decision, which opened the door for gay and lesbian couples to begin legally marrying in June.

Opponents of gay marriage raised over one million signatures to place the ballot initiative on the November ballot.

A collection of gay rights advocacy groups, including Equality California and the National Centre for Lesbian Rights issued a challenge to remove the proposed California Marriage Protection Act from the November ballot.

The organisations argued that the amendment, if passed, would deprive gay and lesbian couples of their rights.

On Wednesday, the California Supreme Court rejected the challenge to the ballot initiative without comment in a unanimous decision.

Jennifer Kerns, a spokeswoman for Proposition 8, told CNN the decision was a “huge victory” for those seeking to overturn the California Supreme Court’s ruling allowing same-sex couples to marry.

“We believe it deals a strong blow to our opponents and sends a strong message that they won’t be able to keep the ballot initiative away from the people of California,” Kern stated.

Equality California, the National Centre for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union issued a joint statement to the press regarding the court’s rejection of their challenge to the voter’s initiative.

“We’re disappointed, but this ruling does not affect the campaign against Prop 8 in any way,” the statement read.

“We have bee focused on continuing with the election and moving forward, talking to voters ad working I the precincts—asking Californians to Vote No on 8.

“Californians do not want their Constitution to single out people to be treated differently. We are confident they will vote NO in November to make sure everyone is treated equally under the law.”

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

Conservative political commentator Tony Snow, who served briefly as White House Press Secretary under Bush, died at the age of 53 on Saturday after a long battle with colon cancer.

“We had some bad news this weekend,” President Bush said in a statement to the press issued by the White House Press Office.

“Our good friend Tony Snow passed away. Tony, you know, worked with us and made a lot of friends in the White House, and Laura and I are – we’re really saddened by his death.”

Snow, who had had been battling a recurrence of colon cancer since March, 2007, died early on Saturday morning.

He is survived by his wife, Jill Ellen Walker Snow, and their three children.

Robert Anthony Snow was named as White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush in April, 2006 to replace Scott McClellan.

Snow also worked with George H. W. Bush as a chief speechwriter and Deputy Assistant of Media Affairs.

“I came to know Tony as a very smart and capable man,” President Bush said in his statement.

“He had good values. He was an honest guy. You know, he had a wonderful sense of humour. He loved to laugh, he loved his country, and he loved his family.”

Previous to his appointment as White House Press Secretary, Tony Snow served as the first host of Fox News Sunday and later hosted his own conservative radio programme, The Tony Snow Show, on Fox News Radio.

In the past, he had worked for such media outlets as USA Today, The Detroit News, The Washington Times and National Public Radio.

He had most recently joined CNN in April, 2008 as a political commentator.

Snow was first diagnosed with colon cancer in February 2005 and underwent surgery to remove his colon, followed by six months of chemotherapy.

Snow’s mother died of colon cancer in 1973 when he was only 17-years-old.

After treatment, Snow returned to work and appeared in remission for several years.

He was often spotted wearing a yellow Live Strong bracelet from the Lance Armstrong Foundation at press briefings. It was announced in March, 2007 that Snow’s cancer had returned.

Snow eventually stepped down from his position as White House Press Secretary in September, though he claimed at the time it was not because of his ongoing illness.

Instead, he said he had “ran out of money” because the position did not pay enough and that he needed to go back to the private sector to earn money to support his family.

Snow died early on Saturday morning at Georgetown University Hospital. According to ABC News, Snow had been hospitalised for several weeks.

“…Our thoughts are with Jill and the three children now as they deal with their grief,” President Bush’s statement continued.

“We went to church this morning at Camp David and I prayed for Jill and the family, that they would have – find comfort and strength during this tough time for them.”

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

Now to add fuel to the fire, King, the chairman of John McCain’s Alabama Leadership Team, has been removed from the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee’s website.

Last week, reports began hitting the news wires that Troy King, a conservative Christian Republican who has called homosexuality the “downfall of society,” may be on the way to resigning his post as Alabama Attorney General over a gay sex scandal.

After being caught having sex with his male aide by his wife, Troy King was reportedly banished from his home in Montgomery by his infuriated spouse, according to PerezHilton.com.

So far, King’s office has denied the rumours of the affair and state the Alabama Attorney General has no plans to resign from his post.

King is a long-time supporter of presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain and his name has been tossed about as a possible candidate for Alabama governor in 2010.

King was previously listed as the chairman of John McCain’s Alabama Leadership Team on the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee’s website.

However, King now appears to have been wiped off the site, leading some media sources to speculate that the rumours of King’s impending resignation over a gay sex scandal may indeed be true.

According to Pensito Review, a press release featuring King on McCain’s site was removed after the reports about the rumoured gay affair began to circulate.

As detailed by EDGEBoston.com, Pensito Review was investigating the connections between King and McCain when they came across the press release about Alabama politicians working as part of the Senator’s ‘leadership team’ in the state.

After publishing a story that linked to the press release, Pensito Review was notified by a reader a few minutes later that the press release had vanished.

A blank page came up instead, leading Pensito Review to speculate the press release had been “scrubbed” from McCain’s site.

No mention of King or the missing press release can now be found on the site.

As a law student at the University of Alabama, King wrote frequent editorials for The Crimson White in condemnation of gays, affirmative action and abortion.

In his editorials for the student newspaper, King called homosexuality the ‘downfall of society’ and said AIDS could be cleansed from America if “this nation’s current purveyors of perversion would refrain from committing sodomy.”

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.