On Monday, it was announced that a bill to recognise slain San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the country, passed with a 45-23 vote.

After an honourable discharge from the United States Navy, Milk moved to San Francisco, where he opened a camera shop with his partner Scott Smith.

Milk quickly became an active community leader and was widely known as the Mayor of Castro Street.

The Castro district is an area of the city renown for its large gay population.

Milk was elected to the Board of Supervisors for the city in 1977 and was the first openly gay man to be designated to public office in the United States.

He became an outspoken advocate for gay rights and helped pass several anti-discrimination laws during his tenure.

In 1978, Milk and then mayor George Moscone were gunned down by former Supervisor Dan White at City Hall.

White served only five years for the double homicide, arguing that a junk food induced depression caused him to commit the crimes.

If made into law, the bill would make Milk’s birthday, May 22, a day of significance and “all public schools and educational institutions are encouraged to observe (it) and to conduct suitable commemorative exercises.”

“Harvey would be proud to know that his legacy continues to teach us to believe in ourselves and our dreams,” Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), who introduced the bill to the Assembly, said in a statement to the press.

If the bill passes the State Senate, “California would become the first state in the nation to designate a day commemorating a leader of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community,” according to the gay rights group Equality California.

A bronze bust of Milk will be dedicated and installed at San Francisco City Hall on Thursday, the 78th anniversary of his birth.

The sculpture will be the first representation of an openly gay person to be permanently placed in a civic building.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

There once was a trivial pursuit question that asked what kind of people come from Lesbos?

The answer is lesbians, of course. This week, however, some on the small Greek providence is trying to put an end to that with what is perhaps one of the silliest lawsuits ever conceived.

Lesbos residents are claiming that the gay connotation of the word “lesbian” has been a “psychological and moral rape” to the people of the country.

Publisher Dimitris Lambrou, along with two other claimants from the tiny island, filed a suit that stated that the international dominance of the word in its sexual context “violates the human rights of the islanders, and disgraces them around the world.”

They are seeking an injunction from anyone using the word unless they are referring to those who hail from the Lesbos.

The term “lesbian” originated from the famous gay poet Sappho, who was a native of Lesbos during the 7th Century BC. Lambrou, however, is saying that he has historical proof that Sappho was in fact straight despite her homoerotic poetry.

Next month, Holland will file a similar suit, which will only allow the word “dyke” to be used when referring to an embankment of earth and rock built to prevent floods. Imagine that on the back of a biker jacket at a gay pride parade.

Harvey Fierstein is gay. I know there are probably two people in Boise, Idaho throwing up their hands wondering what the world has come to, but the simple fact that he is gay does not mean that he would lower himself to performing in an Adam Sandler movie.

This week, the four-time Tony Award-winning actor, playwright and singer, was approached by the overrated comedian and asked to play a gay caricature in an upcoming film.

The Hairspray star turned down the role, telling the Associated Press, “I think I have more life in me than being a side gag in an Adam Sandler movie.”

Now if everyone else that was ever asked to star in an Adam Sandler film would follow suit then maybe would never have to see another Little Nicky.  

In Memphis, Tennessee, the ACLU has threatened legal action against Hollis F. Price Middle College High School after the staff unnecessarily outed two students.

In an effort to crack down on public displays of affection, the school’s administrative staff circulated a list of dating couples, and boyfriends Nicholas and Andrew were among those listed.

The two boys have said that the public outing was almost like a “witch-hunt”, and that they had been verbally and physically harassed ever since the list was released.

School Principal Daphne Beasley also contacted the students’ parents and stated that she would not tolerate homosexuality in the school and wanted the parents to be aware of their sons’ sexual proclivities.

Beasley informed Nicholas’ mother that her son was gay. The student’s mother, who was supportive of her child, was appalled by the principal’s behavior and called in the American Civil Liberties Union to seek damages for harassment and invasion of privacy.

The ACLU is now mandating new policies from the school system, compensation for the two young men, action against their principal and an apology.

Now, you and I both know that Beasley is just pissed because she’s not getting any.

Last year, former escorts and amateur porn producers Harlow Caudra and Joseph Kerekes were arrested and charged for the brutal murder of Cobra Video Porn producer Bryan Kocis.

The two men allegedly ambushed Kocis by posing as wannabe porn stars and slit his throat, stabbed him over 30 times, nearly severing his head, and burned his house to the ground to cover up the incident.

This week, the father of the victim, Michael Kocis, won a default judgment against the two boys after they refused to respond to a civil suit. Since the two men are reportedly being tried as indigent defendants, the Kocis estate will lay claim to their previously seized assets.

So far the only motive being offered for the brutal slaying is over the rights to use porn star Brent Corrigan in their videos. The men will stand trial in late September.

Janet Jackson has been a gay icon ever since she burst onto the scene, and this week, GLAAD honoured her work in the gay community at the 19th annual award ceremony.

Host Ellen Degeneres presented Jackson with the Vangaurd Award that recognises a member of the entertainment community who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for LGBT people.

Upon receiving her award, Jackson stated, “I love it. I never expected it in a million years, so when I heard they wanted to honour me, I was really taken aback.

“It’s just for the work that I’ve done with AIDS and acknowledging the gay and lesbian community through my music and so on. I’m just very appreciative.”

Unfortunately no one could actually hear her acceptance speech since Jackson as of late can barely speak above a whisper.

Following the much-anticipated kiss between gay characters Luke (Van Hansis), and Noah (Jake Silbermann) on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, The American Family Association launched a formal attack on the Proctor and Gamble Co. who are responsible for the show.

AFA founder Donald Wildmon, called the open-mouth homosexual kiss “repulsive”, and ordered his followers to write complaints to the company and to consider a boycott of P&G products. In his email, he also included a link to the steamy kiss just in case any one happened to miss the scene.

A P&G spokeswoman responded in a statement, saying, “ATWT has been telling the story of Luke as a gay character on the show for two years now, which has included effects on his relationships with family and friends.

“As well, Luke’s romance with Noah is a natural part of telling his story which has evolved in recent months.”

Since the couple was introduced, ATWT has garnered a huge spike in Nielsen ratings and is currently one of the top watched soap operas on television, once again proving that gay people are hot.

Poor Miley Cyrus. The overly-wealthy country bumpkin daughter of music superstar Billy Ray and the alternate ego of the oddly popular hit show Hanna Montana, just can’t seem to get a break.

This week the 15-year-old actress/singer was photographed wearing just a sheet for the June issue of Vanity Fair by acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Upon seeing the semi provocative images, Miley told the press, “I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be ‘artistic’ and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed.”

Cyrus was happy with the photo shot until the Disney Channel began receiving complaints that the spread violated her until now squeaky-clean image.

Although her parents were present at the shoot, Miley and company are suggesting that she was “manipulated” into an uncomfortable position and now regrets the decision to do the shoot at all.

Other celebs like Madonna, Hillary Duff and Rosie O’Donnell have rushed to the teen star’s defence, suggesting that the whole situation has been completely blown out of proportion.

Cheer up Miley; I hear Britney Spears has an extra bed in the teenage slut wing of her loony bin. Just Kidding.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

While at a game in the Aloha stadium in Hawaii, Beckham handed his jersey over to two boys and ignited a fight that could result in legal action.

Since joining the Los Angles Galaxy last season, Beckham has missed games and been plagued with injuries, but still his popularity has soared.

After a Galaxy’s exhibition loss to Japan’s Gamba Osaka in the Pan-Pacific Championship on April 23rd, Beckham removed his shirt and handed it to two 10-year-old former close friends and soccer teammates.

Eric and Yoshika Kerr claimed that the jersey was intended for their son because Beckham had specifically pointed to him.

Wilfred and Yoshika Ho’s son was given the shirt by a police officer that stepped in to break up the fight. The Hos claim that Beckham handed him the shirt first therefore he was the rightful owner.

According to the Associated Press, the Kerr’s suggested joint custody of the jersey, but the Ho’s were unwilling to allow them to borrow it fearful that it would not be returned.

This week, attorneys for the two families swapped letters threatening legal action unless a mutually beneficial outcome could be agreed upon.

The president and general manager of the Galaxy, Alexi Lalas, told the press that the situation is “ridiculous” and he is in “utter disbelief that it has gotten this far.”

“My suggestion is that the judge get a pair of scissors, cut the thing in half and give half to each,” he said.

“It’s certainly not anything that we would ever want to have happen and certainly not anything that David or any of our players who hand out jerseys would have intended.”

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved

After years of fighting for equal treatment in regards to marriage, some gay couples are finally hearing the other shoe drop.

According to the Associated Press, while Massachusetts has made gay marriage legal, and several other American states have enacted civil union and domestic partnership laws that benefit same-sex couples, the rules surrounding divorce are not as clear cut.

Even though Massachusetts allows non-residents to get married in their state, currently, a couple must reside there for at least a year in order to receive a divorce.

The neighbouring Rhode Island Supreme Court has refused to grant a divorce to a couple married in Massachusetts, saying that the divorce would be a “legal sign of accepting the union.”

Missouri courts are facing a similar predicament, and many conservative lobbyists are similarly urging them not to allow dissolution of gay marriages.

In other words, you better be damn sure you want to get married because you may be stuck with that person until the laws change, which at this rate could be a really long time.

This weekend, White Party gets underway in Palm Springs and promoter Jeffery Sanker is hoping that he can help cut back on the notorious amount of drug use at the event.

“We had a lot of drug problems, but those are kind of past,” Sanker explained to the Desert Sun.

“Our whole community is very aware of that and there are a lot of outreach programmes. Part of what I’ve done is cut back on the late-night events. I’m trying not to cater to that crowd.”

That being said, Friday’s Boxers or Briefs event ends at 4am, the Saturday White Party goes until 5am with an After Party lasting until 10am, and the Sunday Closing Party ends at 6am with a VIP Grand Finale continuing until 8am.

You’re right Jeffery, it sure sounds like an early to bed type occasion.

In the Philippines, a homosexual man plans to sue doctors who filmed his unusual rectal surgery and posted the video on YouTube.

The 39-year-old, known only as Jan-jan, went to the Vicente Sotto Medical Memorial Centre to have a blue perfume canister removed from his anus.

Jan-jan explained that after a sexual encounter with a male prostitute, he awoke to find the bottle stuck inside him and immediately went to the hospital for surgery.

The video, which was taken without consent, shows several doctors and nurses taking pictures and laughing during the surgery.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said that he was dismayed by the doctors’ behaviour and vowed to punish them for their actions. Jan-jan also intends on filing a lawsuit for damages.

What a pain in the ass.

Speculations about bad girl actress Michelle Rodriguez’s sexuality have been circulating ever since she hit the scene, but this week, she reiterated that who she sleeps with is nobody’s business.

In an interview with Latina magazine, Rodriguez explained:

“What the majority of [people] want to know is what I’m doing with my vagina, and I think that that’s sick.”

The actress has been linked romantically to fellow suspect star Vin Diesel and Kylie Minogue’s ex-beau Oliver Martinez, but she has frequently refused to answer questions about her sexuality.

To the journalists and gossip bloggers, Rodriguez says: “I picture them turning into pigs, slime coming out the side of their mouth, and I picture them jerking off.

“I don’t answer those questions. I just keep it to myself and it’s nobody’s business. If I wanna fuck a girl, a boy, a dog, that’s my business. That’s why there’s bathroom doors.”

So apparently she may not be gay, but she does admit to having sex in bathrooms. Just kidding, Michelle… please don’t cut me.

Actor and former Scientologist Jason Beghe, who played Matt Fielding’s sexy boyfriend on Melrose Place back in the day, has come out publicly against Scientology with a viral video about the dangers of the ‘religion.’

At 48-years-old, he is the first celebrity to speak out against the religion, explaining how his 12 years with the church have damaged him.

“My experience personally, and what I’ve observed for myself, is that Scientology is destructive and a rip-off.”

Beghe explained that a recent car accident made him realise what a hold the church had over him.

One official stated that the car accident was caused by Beghe’s friendship with a homosexual.

No news has been released about whether that “gay friend” was actually fellow Scientologist Tom Cruise, but I’m sure Zorat, the king of the magical land of Gerflagunflugen, will be checking into it.

Gay rights advocacy groups have signed a letter to the Ventura County District Attorney urging them not to try Brandon McInerney as an adult.

Last month, the 14-year–old was arrested for the brutal shooting death of fellow student Larry King.

Classmates and teachers have said that King was killed because he was a homosexual.

In a statement of mercy, the letter signed by 27 gay rights advocacy groups including Lambda Legal, the National Centre for Lesbian Rights and the Transgender Law Centre, said:

“We are saddened and outraged by the murder of junior high school student Lawrence King. At the same time, we call on prosecutors not to compound this tragedy with another wrong. We call on them to treat the suspect as a juvenile, not as an adult.”

McInerney, who turned 14 only two weeks before the killing, is charged with first-degree murder and a hate crime, and could receive over fifty years in prison. He is scheduled to be arraigned May 8.

And finally, sexy actor Luke MacFarlane, who plays the gay Scotty Wandell on ABC’s Brothers & Sisters, has finally decided to come out in real life.

In an interview with Toronto’s Globe and Mail newspaper on Tuesday, the actor explained that he has been out for years to his family and his friends, but was hesitant coming out to the public because he feared negative repercussions to his career.

“There is this desire in L.A. to wonder who you are and what’s been blaring for me for the last three years is how can I be most authentic to myself… so this is the first time I am speaking about it in this way.”

Last year, MacFarlane was rumoured to be dating fellow out actor T.R. Knight as well as the hot star of Prison Break, Wentworth Miller.

When asked about his career, McFarlane explained: “I don’t know what will happen professionally… that is the fear, but I guess I can’t really be concerned about what will happen, because it’s my truth.”

Speak on brother.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

This week, competitor Shad Smith became the first openly gay fighter in the sport when he revealed his sexuality in a New York Times interview.

According to the article, Smith entered his first fight in 2000 shortly after his release from prison, where he was serving time for carjacking, one of his many stints.

He joined a more underground organization called Felony Fights, which has similar rules to the way UFC began in 1993.

Smith explained that he started fighting at an early age because of he was concerned about someone discovering his sexual orientation.

“I was always scared that my mom and dad would find out and wouldn’t like me, and my brothers wouldn’t like me,” he explained to the New York Times.

“I was petrified, because I didn’t want anyone to find out. And I would try to be the toughest person around.

“That way, no one would suspect, no one would ever say it, no one would think it.”

Now at 35, Smith has had several run-ins with the law, but is learning to settle down with his boyfriend Jesse.

Of his 20 fights, Smith has won 10 with 8 losses and 2 draws.

Although he most likely will never make it to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, he explained to writer Paul Wachter that he has learned a lot about himself from the sport.

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.

While the Republican Party has elected their representative as John McCain, the other side seems to be a struggle less about the ideals of the candidates, which are very similar, and more about a popularity contest.

Questions have been raised about who is more electable, who has more experience, and who has a better message.

In the past, with organisations like Rock the Vote, celebrities have encouraged the public to get out and vote, but this year, more than ever, they are weighing in on the decision and trying to sway the public to endorse one candidate over the other.

From Oprah Winfrey to Jack Nicholson, everyone seems to have an opinion about who is the better candidate, but does and should the public actually care what Hollywood thinks?

Oprah’s endorsement quickly began to shift the momentum of the race toward Obama’s camp.

The women and men who had issues with Clinton now had an alternative, and for women especially, Oprah’s choice may have decided the outcome of their vote.

A study conducted at Ohio State University suggested that men and women trust people based on different criteria.

“Men look for symbolic connections that you get from belonging to the same group, rather than for personal connections that women prefer,” stated Marilynn Brewer, co-author of the study and professor of psychology.

“The bottom line is that women tend to trust strangers if they think they are connected to that person in some extended friendship network.

“Their network is based on interpersonal relationships.”

Through her years as an iconic figure, Oprah has earned the trust of millions of Americans and perhaps her endorsement of a candidate turned the tide in his favour.

Obama began to earn the respect of the visionaries, the intellectuals, and the college-aged kids, while Clinton seems to hold string with the blue collar labourers, the poor and the older generation, who are more familiar and trusting of her stance in politics.

After Oprah’s endorsement, celebrities began to come out of the woodwork adding their names in support of both candidates.

With the help of director extraordinaire Rob Reiner, Jack Nicholson created an amusing internet video which supported Clinton as the party representative.

Barbra Steisand made public appearances for Clinton, stating, “Under her leadership, our country will regain its respect within the global community.

“She will prioritise issues of global climate change, universal health care and rebuilding a strong economy.

“After eight long years, the public will once again have faith in their government.”

Academy Award winners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon joined singer/songwriter John Legend in a video tribute to Obama called Yes We Can, based on his powerful message of change.

Saturday Night Live’s Tina Fey and Amy Poehler made headlines with their ‘Bitch is the new Black’ endorsement of Clinton, and many others declared their choice through fundraisers, speeches or through the news media.

It became the latest form of self-promotion for the celebrities, and the rest of America is left exhausted by the constant back and forth and the political mudslinging.

In the end, however, there is still a question about who is the best choice for the party.

Most likely, an outcome will not be determined until the Democratic convention is held in late August, and hopefully, the party will have to time to repair itself after such a divided contest.

Like on American Idol, celebrities are trying to sway the vote through their endorsements, but this time, the stakes are too high to leave it up to popularity.

For most celebrities, either way the candidate represents a great change and a better political future.

Oprah herself even stated in her interview: “I have great respect for Hillary Clinton. I think I’ve said this before and it’s true: Because I am for Barack does not mean I am against Hillary or anybody else.”

Just because Oprah can turn books into best-sellers or put companies out of business if she doesn’t like their products doesn’t mean she or any other celebrity can decide what is best for the country.

A young blogger on Zimbio.com calling herself outlookeverything summed things up best, saying:

“Follow your own advice of doing research on the issues in choosing the next President of United States.

“Voting for the next President of the United States of America is too important to following a famous wealthy person endorsement.”

On the top rated show American Idol, audiences are swayed to vote for the next big music star by a panel of ‘expert’ judges.

While Simon Cowell offers controversial criticism, Randy Jackson cannot utter an intelligible sentence without adding some sort of slang colloquialism, and Paula Abdul is barely lucid.

Still, the three amigos have been effective at convincing the television watching audience to call in and cast their vote for questionable winners like Taylor Hicks and Jordin Sparks.

Given that many times the winners sell fewer albums than those eliminated from the show, the power to decide seems less about the public’s intentions and more about a popularity contest orchestrated by producers.

If you read blogs or news articles after the show airs, often times fans will take the judges criticisms as fact and vote accordingly.

While those likely to vote in a Presidential election are not made up of the same demographic as those who vote on Idol, the power of suggestion and the role celebrities play in the public’s decision presents an interesting conundrum.

Before the start of Presidential campaigning, Hillary Clinton was the clear front-runner for the Democratic Party.

With her eight years of experience in the Senate, and documented history on the national scene, Clinton had proven herself a tough and powerful leader.

Whether she was loved or hated, the public knew her past and what she stood for, and she’s garnered a certain amount of respect among the people.

With delegate wins in large states like Michigan and Florida, Clinton seemed to be the default choice for the nomination because she was viewed as a radical change from the current administration.

Voters knew where she stood on specific issues, and being married to popular former President Bill Clinton didn’t seem to hurt her approval ratings either.

But the ebb and flow of the race began to change when a new visionary began to claim the political landscape.

Barack Obama lost his first bid for Congress in 2000, but was elected in 2004 to the Senate after a powerful speech at the 2004 Democratic National convention pushed him into the limelight.

Creating a Presidential platform based on ending the war and fighting for the rights of all Americans, Obama began to gain ground with the American public as a beacon of hope and change.

That beacon began to burn brightest when talk show icon Oprah Winfrey decided to lend her support to Obama’s campaign.

Winfrey has never publicly supported any candidate before, and while she was a close friend to Bill Clinton during his administration, her support does not extend to his wife, Hillary Clinton, in her bid for the White House.

When asked on Larry King why she chose to stand up for Obama, Oprah replied, “I think that what he stands for, what he has proven that he can stand for, what he has shown was worth me going out on a limb for, and I haven’t done it in the past because I haven’t felt that anybody.

“I didn’t know anybody well enough to be able to say, ‘I believe in this person.’”

© 2008 GayWired.com; All Rights Reserved.