Elton John is on the verge of signing a two-year, $53.7 million deal to play Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. John would play at Caesars on Celine Dion's nights off and when she performs at the city's new Colosseum Theatre - around 300 concerts over the two years. A joint U.S. tour by John and Billy Joel earlier this year was credited with helping to pull the country's concert circuit out of a three-year slump. Each of their three Las Vegas shows grossed a record $5.4 million. Independent.co.uk

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Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe found increased popularity in the closing stages of their careers, when they were unable to win any titles. Pete Sampras discovered a warmer relationship with fans during his agonizing 33-tournament losing streak before winning the U.S. Open title for the fifth time last year. But it has been different for Martina Navratilova. The 46-year-old veteran has become the object of rapt adulation from the fans, not for making a good effort at an advanced age, but for her uncanny ability to win against opponents half her age. Many matches at the 2003 U.S. Open rarely fill the arenas. But Navratilova packs them in, even when she practices. Call it focus, drive, ambition, she's simply defying all odds. And still adding victories to her massive statistics that place her head and shoulders above any player in the history of the game. nj.com

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Rufus Wainwright says his life got a little "Boogie Nights" there for a while. "I'm a bit hesitant to talk about all this," he says. "... I'm only doing it because it might help somebody - and to say that there is no such thing as casual crystal meth use!" Methamphetamine is one of a number of drugs - including ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and alcohol - to which he has turned over the years to bolster his confidence and to propel quests for anonymous sex. Wainwright says crystal meth presents specific dangers - and specific temptations - for gay men. "Years of sexual insecurity, the low-grade discrimination you suffer, the need to belong - speed takes care of all that in one second," he says. Wainwright says on his last big binge he started hallucinating thousands of boxes of porn starring Jerry Garcia. That's when he knew it was time to quit. New York Times

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A Blyth, England, lesbian couple is living in fear after being attacked in a local pub. Lynsey Cain, 27, and Donna Smith, 24, believe they were singled out because they are gay. At least that's what the people beating them said. Cain says a woman in the bar hit Smith. "This girl just punched Donna in the back of the head for no reason whatsoever. I went over and asked what it was all about and the next thing I knew was this lad coming over, grabbing me by my head and dragging me from one side of the pub to the other. He shoved my head through a window. ... It was like a massacre. There was blood all over my hands and arms and my T-shirt." Cain says she's been going to pubs since she was 17 but doubts she will again. A man and two woman face charges in the attack. icNewcastle

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Rape in Scotland is defined as "the carnal knowledge of a female by a male person, obtained by overcoming her will." So what happened to Neale Shedden doesn't count. He was raped twice by a stranger in his antiques shop in Edinburgh when he was 21. Now Shedden leads the calls for a change: "This crime must be recognized in law. ... [Scotland] can produce legislation on dog fouling, yet it is not doing anything about this while people continue to be raped." Ali Jarvis, director of the gay and lesbian campaign group Stonewall Scotland, agrees. "There should be an offense of male rape. It should be recognized for exactly what it is and not be dependent on gender," she says. Recent research suggests at least 400 adult men are sexually assaulted in Scotland each year, but campaigners believe the figure is a huge underestimate because victims are often reluctant to report their ordeal to the police. Scotland on Sunday

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In the absence of arrests in all of this summer's murders of transgender women in the District of Columbia, police have tried to calm nerves by increasing the visibility of the recently formed Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit. Originally intended as an outreach office to smooth tensions between cops and queers, it now investigates hate crimes. The leader of the unit, Sgt. Brett Parson, was the city’s top drug cop. Parson, who is gay, says he spends a lot of time teaching compassion to fellow officers - advising them, for instance, not to refer to transgender people as "it" in police reports. How nice. However, if transgender activists were hoping for an outpouring of support from the city at large, it has yet to materialize. Two vigils were held at the site of Bella Evangelista’s shooting in the days after the crime. Friends and neighbors lit candles and created a makeshift memorial of pictures, teddy bears and sheet music of her favorite show tunes. By the next morning, someone had destroyed it. Newsweek

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He's been missing since just before Christmas, but Steven Roy's family still has hope he will be found. They also believe he's not so much missing as hiding or maybe bingeing. Roy, who has a history of abusing cocaine, left his wife and two kids last year after telling a friend he was gay and meeting men on the Internet. Clues keep leading the family to New Orleans' French Quarter, where numerous people say they've seen Roy, including a man says he recognized Roy in a bar on Christmas Day, but the patron denied being Roy. Roy's father combs the streets, passing out fliers. "We're looking for my son," he says again and again. "He's been missing since December. Hear he might be in this area. That's what we've been told. He left in the middle of the night. Got two kids at home." nola.com

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Neil McGurk was not popular in high school, and he tells the reality-TV cameras for "Freshman Diaries" that he knows why: "All these people in this high school," he says. holding up his yearbook, "they were [expletives] to me, because I'm gay. And that's exactly the reason. Yes, that's exactly the reason, because they said so. I hate this school. I hate them. But, hey, I'm in college now, so screw them all." And what a freshman year he's about to have. McGurk finds himself attracted to a female classmate and mightily confused by it. Then he'll enter into a relationship with Luis Rocha, a gay freshman also featured in the series, and wind up even more confused. McGurk says he "doesn't know how to be gay," but he's working on it. Sunspot.net

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Can a tousled, T-shirted, hirsute, 5'11", 280-pound man be transformed into a stylish, bouffant-coiffed 1962 Bawlamer matriarch? That's exactly what the makeup and hair artists clustered in a 42nd Street rehearsal hall are wondering. Their mission? To transmogrify Bruce Vilanch into Edna Turnblad, the zaftig middle-aged mother in "Hairspray," John Waters' movie-turned-Tony-Award-winning-musical, which launches its national tour at the Mechanic Theatre on Sept. 9. In the musical, it takes only a few verses of the song "Welcome to the '60s," to turn drab Edna into a model mom. In real life, it remains to be seen how long it will take to turn Vilanch - who's trying on his makeup and wig for the very first time - into the mother of the musical's irrepressible heroine, a tubby teen determined to win a spot on a local TV dance show. Sunspot.net

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Officials of colleges and universities in the D.C. metro region are unanimous in their support of freedom from harassment for transgender students, but only American University and Gallaudet University have specific policies in place to protect transgender students from discrimination. The linked article lists numerous colleges in the region and their policies. Some recent developments: The University of Maryland is in the final stages of approving an amended code that would include protection against discrimination for transgender people. Virginia Tech tried to move in the opposite direction, removing even sexual orientation as a protected class in March. It reversed itself in April after large contributors threatened to withhold donations. Washington Blade

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Reporters Without Borders called today on the European Union and Western embassies to push for the release of jailed Uzbek journalist and human rights activist Ruslan Sharipov, who says he pleaded guilty to sex charges at his recent trial after being tortured. It also called on the German, French, U.S., Swiss and EU embassies in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, to ensure international standards of justice were observed in the case and to guarantee the safety of Sharipov's family and his lawyer, human rights activist Surat Ikramov, who was beaten up by thugs in Tashkent on Thursday. Sharipov, who is gay, has been frequently harassed by the authorities in recent years to drop his human rights work and criticism of the government. CATEGORYNET

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Will 2004's Willie Horton equivalent be queer? The Bush White House is considering endorsing the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment. The administration's decision will depend on whether courts in Massachusetts and other states uphold same-sex marriage rights in rulings that are expected any day. Democrats say the Bush administration is acting from political expediency and reneging on a campaign promise by Vice President Dick Cheney to leave regulation of marriage to the states. "With President Bush's popularity dropping and the serious problems confronting America worsening, the administration seeks to divert attention by demagoguing on the issue of same-sex unions," says U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, who is gay, for those of you just tuning in. "This is a far cry from October of 2000 when, seeking votes from supporters of equal rights, Dick Cheney told a national television audience that the question of same-sex relationships should be left to the states." Omaha.com

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A transgender woman from Butler, Pennsylvania, convicted in the castration death of her husband wants a judge to reconsider her prison sentence and says her trial lawyer was more interested in book and movie rights than in defending her. Tammy Felbaum this month filed a handwritten document from prison appealing the five- to 11-year prison sentence imposed by Butler County Judge William Shaffer. Felbaum was convicted in a nonjury trial of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and the unauthorized practice of medicine in the February 2001 death of her husband, James Felbaum. Prosecutors say Felbaum died from a combination of the pain from a castration performed by his wife and the effects of a painkiller. Tammy Felbaum says her husband castrated himself as a sign of devotion to her. We say, ouch. Philly.com

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In , conservative commentators worry aloud that recognition of same-sex marriage will undermine society, but many queers express the fear that it will undermine their notions of who they are. They say they want to maintain the unique aspects of their culture and their place at the edge of social change. David Andrew, 41, says he broke into a sweat when he heard marriage was being approved, fearing that his partner would feel jilted when he told him that he did not believe in the institution. "Personally, I saw marriage as a dumbing down of gay relationships. My dread is that soon you will have a complacent bloc of gay and lesbian soccer moms." His skepticism about marriage is a recurring refrain among Canadian gay couples, who have not rushed to marry in great numbers in the few weeks since June 10 when they became eligible. Tribnet.com


Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of has tentatively set aside April 16, 2004, to hear arguments on whether same-sex couples can legally marry, potentially making the divisive issue fresh in the minds of voters if a federal election is called next spring. A coalition of religious groups is already saying it plans to take aim at individual federal politicians whom the organizations believe are vulnerable to electoral defeat if they vote for same-sex marriage. The coalition plans a news conference Tuesday to threaten about 30 southern Ontario legislators. Ottawa Citizen

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As television winds down a very queer summer - dominated in media circles by Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" - the debate has begun shifting from tonnage to quality. Gay men have become TV's foremost fashion accessory, shown to possess fabulous taste and deliver the best catty one-liners at any party - a contemporary equivalent of Paul Lynde on "The Hollywood Squares" that not everyone is sure is a step forward. But it's at least a step. For fall, producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron - whose credits include "Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story" - offer "It's All Relative," a clashing-cultures show about a woman with two fathers who falls in love with the son of heterosexual working-class bar owners in Boston - are unapologetic that their priority is to connect with the widest possible audience. "We're not setting out to change the world," Zadan said. "We're setting out to make a sitcom. The main question is, 'Is it funny?'" Sun-Sentinel

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Every year the MTV Music Video Awards show has some kind of "wow" opener. This year, it was Madonna snogging Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, which StarTribune.com refers to as "lesbian kisses." We wonder, are they really lesbian kisses if no actual lesbians are involved? If your grandma kisses your sister hello, is that a lesbian kiss, too? But we digress, mainly because there's nothing else to say about this article except that it does contain a link to a large photograph of Madonna kissing Britney. StarTribune.com

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The anti-queer attorney hired this week by the Florida Department of Children and Families has ties to the Bush family. James H.K. Bruner's father was the rector at Kennebunkport, Maine's St. Ann's Episcopal Church, where Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, is a longtime member. On Friday, a spokeswoman said Jeb Bush had no role in hiring Bruner, who will earn $82,000 annually as "special assistant to the general counsel" of DCF. Bruner has compared the battle over same-sex marriage to Armageddon, says schools are becoming tools for the "pro-homosexual agenda," and argues that medical evidence proves "the homosexual lifestyle is unhealthy and should not be supported by the state." Sun-Sentinel

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A lesbian couple says Eugene, Oregon's O'Hara Catholic School refused admission to their 4-year-old daughter because of their sexual orientation.
The couple has complained to the Eugene Human Rights Commission and the Oregon Child Care Division. One of the women, Lee Inkmann, said O'Hara Principal Dianne Bert told her in mid-August that having a family with two mothers at the school would confuse other children, and that gay unions are in conflict with Vatican teachings. O'Hara issued a slightly irrelevant statement that said the school does not discriminate on the basis of "race, color, national and ethnic origin." A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Portland said a number of factors were involved in the decision to refuse the child and noted "The school did not make the nontraditional lifestyle of the parents the issue. The parent did." The Olympian

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Was the DJ baiting him or asking about a rumor? We're not sure, but what's clear is that R&B singer Jaheim and his entourage tore up the studio at New York's WQHT when interviewer Jimmy Marr asked Jaheim if he was "a homosexual." "It was like the opening of 'Saving Private Ryan,'" says employee DJ Sway. "Fat Man Scoop said we should rename our show 'The Fight Club.'" Station program director Tracy Cloherty downplayed the incident: "All that happened was the guest didn't like a question and threw some stuff around. That's really it." EurWeb

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Citing the First Amendment, a federal appeals court ruled that a Vermont law cannot stop a nonprofit organization and the American Civil Liberties Union from publishing information about sexuality on the Internet. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found Wednesday that a law signed in 2000 by Vermont Gov. Howard Dean to curb Internet crimes against children was too broadly applied. The ruling benefits the ACLU and the Sexual Health Network, a Connecticut-based nonprofit corporation that provides sexuality-related information for people with disabilities, illnesses and lifestyle changes. The ACLU Web site covers subjects such as birth control, safe sex practices, gay and lesbian rights, abortion and sex education. Dayton Daily News

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Club Obsessions promoter Mike Sorenson loves the Make-A-Wish Foundation. "I think [it's] a great cause," he says. On July 11, the Garden Grove, California, club dedicated the funds from its weekly Topless Transsexual Show to Make-A-Wish Orange County. "But to be honest with you, the agency didn’t want anything to do with us." A spokeswoman for Make-A-Wish would only say,"This organization chose to hold an event for us without notifying us, and we were unable to proceed with it." "They said we could do a generic fund-raiser and give them the money," says Sorenson, "but we couldn’t use their name." Orange County Weekly

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Mounted police escorted more than 200 Christian protesters chanting "Hallelujah" through New Orleans' French Quarter Friday night to demand an end to Southern Decadence. Along their route, the protesters, holding signs that said "Homosexuality is sin" were booed and heckled by pretty much everyone on Bourbon Street, gay or straight. The Rev. Grant E. Storms had promised 1,000 protesters. He wants the festival shut down because of nudity and public sex. Festival organizers say lewd acts do occur in public (as they do during Mardi Gras each year) and that this year they posted and handed out fliers informing visitors that Louisiana has passed a tougher law against such things. Houma Courier

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Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano told queer-rights group Arizona Human Rights Fund that she has signed an executive order banning discrimination against queer state employees. "We're ecstatic," says Kathie Gummere, public affairs director for AHRF. "It's one more step forward for us in gaining the rights that everyone else takes for granted. I hear from at least one person a week who feels like they were discriminated in the workplace," Gummere said. The Center for Arizona Policy, a conservative Christian group, called the governor's action a "total outrage" and vowed to find ways to reverse the order. Gay.com

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Jimmy Bryan, 18, says he's had enough of Wyoming. You may remember Bryan because he was blamed for his own stalking by the accused's attorney, who said Bryan wouldn't be harassed if he didn't act so gay. Bryan says stalking suspect Michael Grissom, 19, has harassed him since high school, and that on the evening in question, he was dressed up for Halloween, thank you. "I have a gay pride flag in my car and when I walk there is a bit of swagger in my hips. But I don't introduce myself as 'Hi, I'm Jimmy and I'm gay.' My world doesn't revolve around being gay." Bryan is moving in with his boyfriend in Denver, he says, where he will pursue a modeling career. TheDenverChannel.com

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Canadian legislator Peter Goldring says despite warnings, he'll continue to hand out buttons that oppose same-sex marriage recognition with the governmental seal of Alberta. The province isn't planning to take action against him. "I'm using up the badges that have been printed," Goldring says, acknowledging that the province has told him it doesn't allow its logo to be used by others. His buttons are merely "repeating a well-known Alberta government policy" against same-sex marriage, Goldring says. One man who objected to the seal on the buttons says that's probably why the government hasn't done anything. David Leigh, who is heterosexual, says he decided to speak out on the issue because "gays should not have to fight this fight alone." Edmonton Sun

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Surely schools in Denmark already offer benefits for same-sex partners. Actually this article is about Denmark, Wisconsin, where the school district and employee unions are just starting to talk about the issue. School employees in state capital Madison already have the benefit. "The reason behind it is equal opportunity, looking for a benefits package that is more equitable for all employees," says Melissa Dupke, one of the teachers who made the request. "You see it more and more in corporate America. So do I see the school district eventually having it? I would like to say yes." Green Bay Press-Gazette

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"LUST - Four Letters. Infinite Possibilities," by Geoff Ryman, would make a great indy film, says reviewer Paul Skevington. "It's also the sort of book that would make Hollywood executives squirm." The concept? A gay scientist discovers he can conjure up anyone, living or dead for the sole purpose of having sex with them. "Quantum physics and psychology collide like long-lost lovers running on ice, a joyous and bewildering experience. Who cares if the actual science may be a bit on the ropy side, this book doesn't need reality to make you believe" says Skevington. "Also it's full of sex." ComputerCrowsNest.com

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Now that same-sex marriages are recognized in , Vancouver is seeing the beginnings of a tourism boom. "There's incredible interest in among the U.S. gay community," said Kevin Kailey, president of Above and Beyond Tours of Palm Springs, who booked 40 men on the cruise ship Crystal Harmony a year ago. "When the law changed and they found out they could now get married while they were in , eight of the 40 decided to go for it" in a group ceremony, he says. Being members of such a large wedding party has given the Palm Springs group celebrity status aboard Crystal Harmony. "I had a little old lady come up to me and say, 'Can you tell me how to do this because I have a son at home who I'm sure wants to do it,'" Kailey says. Vancouver Sun

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California gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a 1977 interview with porn mag Oui said men "shouldn't feel like fags just because they want to have nice-looking bodies. ... Gay people are fighting the same kind of stereotyping that bodybuilders are: People have certain misconceptions about them just as they do about us." Was he fer us or agin' us? Does it matter in 2004? You make the call on that one; we can't decide. Of those remarks and his recounting of a gang-bang, illegal drug use and more, Schwarzenegger now acknowledges, "I haven't lived my life to be a politician." True that. Hollywood.com

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There's a cyclist in Darwin, Australia, who has been turning heads. The bike alone stands out. It's more of a smallish train. But it's the owner of the bike who draws the most interest. Maybe it's the tattoos, or maybe it's the workboots with a dress. "I'm a transgender person, I wear a dress and I think that would be the first thing I think people would notice about me and they see the rig that I'm pushing and probably their eyes would fall out of their heads," says Kristina Ootjers, who's on a ride for charity, raising money for a Uniting Church foundation called Exodus - but not that Exocus - that looks after homeless people and has set up a school for mentally disabled children. Darwin 105.7 FM

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Silver Bullet Comics profiles writer Devin Grayson, who is bisexual. We could write something explanatory or clever here, but we'd rather just let Grayson talk. Does she think her orientation gives her an advantage? "I think the coolest thing about writing is that everything you are and everything you know is brought to bear. ... You could say that I'm at an advantage, because I have first-hand personal knowledge of what it feels like to be in love with both men and women. But on the other hand, I've only been in love with a few specific men and women, and only as myself (um … for the sake of argument), so I really don't know any more or any less than anyone else. The most important thing is to be open to and aware of other realities. As a bisexual, I've been forced to acknowledge that there's more than one way to do things, more than one viewpoint out there. ... It's got nothing to do with who you do or don't tend to fall in love with, and everything to do with your capacity to hold that other people may do things differently." Silver Bullet Comics

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Florida Department of Children & Families Secretary Jerry Regier, still facing criticism over his efforts to appoint a guardian for the fetus of a disabled rape victim, has hired James H.K. Bruner, the founder and former executive director of the conservative New York Family Policy Council, as ''special assistant to the general counsel." In a July newsletter for the Policy Council, Bruner likened the fight over gay marriage to "Armageddon." "Yes, the battle is coming, and the pro-family army is woefully unprepared," he wrote. "We haven't put one troop into position, one aircraft carrier into service. The other side is lined up on the battlefield, and our soldiers are still crawling on their bellies in boot camp." Miami Herald

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Ron Stotts says his Catholic faith has helped him forgive the man he believes killed his boyfriend, Guinn Richard "Richie" Phillips. But he won't forget. "This has destroyed dreams and hopes of a bright future for myself and others with Richie," Stotts said. In June, Phillips' body was found stuffed in a suitcase in a Kentucky river. Josh Cottrell has been charged with the murder, and reportedly has said he killed Phillips because he was gay. Stotts tells the local newspaper, which refers to the queer population as "alternative lifestyle residents," that he may face repercussions for talking about his relationship with Phillips. But he doesn't care. "I've got nothing to hide, and I'm happy with who I am," he says. "People who want to hate me because I'm gay are certainly allowed to do that," he said. "But we all worship the same God and have to live here among each other." News-Enterprise

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The Political Council for Gay Rights in Israel has sent an official letter to Denmark's Embassy in Israel, welcoming Carsten Damsgaard, the new ambassador to Israel. Damsgaard is gay. The letter not only welcomes the new ambassador, but also praised the Danish government and the Danish Foreign Ministry for appointing a queer man to the position. "We are aware of the fact that some circles in your country have expressed dissatisfaction over this appointment. We wish to back you on this wise and courageous decision. We are confident that Mr. Carsten Damsgaard will do an excellent job, as well as we are sure that the people of Israel will warmly welcome the new ambassador, as all other ambassadors before him," writes the council. RainbowNetwork UK

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Just weeks after a lesbian couple lost a legal appeal to marry under South African law, the South African Law Refrom commission has made proposals that could legalize same-sex marriages. Well, kind of. Queers might instead be allowed to register "s," with the rights of marriage. The commission has made seven proposals, addressing both same-sex and opposite-sex relationships, which are now open for public comment. The proposals, that is, although we suppose the relationships are open for comment, as well. After public comment, the proposals will be redrafted early next year and submitted to Justice Minister Penuell Maduna. IOL


Meanwhile, in Colombia, the Vatican’s recent condemnation of gay relationships, and its demand that Catholic politicians oppose them, has scored its first direct hit. The Colombian Senate in Bogota has shelved plans to legalize same-sex relationships, a decision that was received with "satisfaction" by the hierarchy of the country’s Catholic Church. The bill was supported by three ex-presidents and had been expected to pass easily until the Vatican issued a document on July 31, which stated that all laws that seek legal recognition of same-sex unions are "gravely immoral," and cannot receive the vote of Catholic politicians. Say it with us: Church. State. Church. State. Church. State. RainbowNetwork UK

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"Miles Swain's ambitious and moving 'The Trip' is a journey well worth taking," says reviewer Kevin Thomas, "encompassing a tender, wrenching love story set against an 11-year span of the gay rights movement, from 1973 to 1984. Swain balances the personal and the political, allowing his film to be intimate while keeping a larger perspective." When characters Alan and Tommy meet, they are at opposite ends of the political spectrum. Tommy is a queer activist, while Alan, a Young Republican, has just begun a career as a reporter at a Los Angeles daily; in an attempt to deny his homosexuality, he is completing a homophobic history of gays. But sex overwhelms politics, and Alan embarks upon the path of self-acceptance as his romance with Tommy flourishes. IndyStar.com

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There was no walk down the aisle, no elaborate ceremony and no wedding vows. The two men, wearing matching blue jackets and white roses over their hearts, just signed a Village of North Hills logbook in Long Island, New York. But the simple act of putting their names on a notarized affidavit, to so appear in the village's new domestic partners registry, symbolically bound John Hirsch and Herbert Leiman together. For the men, who have been together 36 years, it was another step beyond a private partnership contract entered in 1988 before their rabbi in Great Neck, and a Vermont in 2000. "OK, your registration number is zero, zero, one. ... It's a great honor for me to be the person to register you," said Mayor Marvin Natiss. Newsday

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Florida's U.S. Rep. Mark Foley is disputing a newspaper report that he told Republicans in a conservative county that he opposes allowing queers to adopt children. Foley has a mostly pro-gay voting record but emphasizes his conservative positions on other issues as he campaigns for the Senate. According to the St. Petersburg Times, when asked at an Aug. 4 meeting with Republican activists whether his pro-gay positions are out of step with his party, Foley boasted about his support for the Defense of Marriage Act and said he opposes gay adoptions. Foley's camp cops to the DOMA part, but says he's never opposed adoptions. The Times says it stands by the story. Earlier this year, the New Times in West Palm Beach published a front-page story saying Foley is gay. Foley refused to confirm or deny he's gay, saying his private life should not be part of the public discourse. Houston Voice

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The Gay Men's Chorus of Houston's desire to include women was eminently clear when the group hired Mary Jean Tiernan as its executive director in December. Tiernan, a lesbian native New Yorker and a 20-year Houston resident, previously worked for a local architectural firm. But in her "spare" time she was involved with queer non-profits, most notably AssistHers and the Songfest. She was one of several candidates — male and female — who applied for the GMCH position and found out she was selected just before Christmas 2002. "It was the best Christmas gift I'd ever received," Tiernan says. Houston Voice

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"Nobody quite makes it to the other side of the bed in the new Spanish musical comedy 'The Other Side of the Bed,' but that's not for lack of talking about it," writes Roger Ebert. The other side is apparently the queer side, he says. "For people who do nothing about it, characters spend an inordinate amount of time discussing homosexuality. ... We keep expecting the theory to be tested in the laboratory on the other side of the bed," he writes, but no dice. "There is a lesbian in the movie," he writes, "... and she has the thankless task of standing there while other characters reveal their astonishing ignorance of lesbianism, sexuality and indeed the nature of life on the planet which we occupy." Oops. Chicago Sun-Times

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The lawyer for a Wyoming man charged with stalking and harassing a gay man says the victim brought it on himself. Michael Grisson is accused of following and yelling obscenities and threats at Jimmy L. Bryan, 18. "[I] wish it wasn't illegal to kill fags out of innocent fun," Grisson is alleged to have told Bryan. Defense attorney Louis Walrath claims Grissom may have been provoked by Bryan's "gay" appearance. In court documents filed by Walrath, the attorney says a person who acts gay "invites these kind of remarks." Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Alex Sitz III has moved to limit the scope of Walrath's defense, saying Bryan's behavior is irrelevant. SunSpot.net

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Singer-songwriter Janis Ian married her partner of 14 years, Patricia Snyder, in Toronto on Wednesday, says her publicist. The couple opted for a short civil ceremony at city hall. It was the second marriage for both. The ceremony was attended by a few close friends. Ian's publicist said there were no plans for a honeymoon because Ian is working on a live CD set for release in October and a studio album for early 2004. Mazel tov! Washington Post

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Three weeks after the city Board of Elections mildly disciplined a worker accused of racist comments, the agency is drawing criticism for failing to fire an employee caught on videotape scrawling anti-gay graffiti in 1999. The employee, a 53-year-old Brooklyn resident who still works in the agency's lower Manhattan headquarters, was videotaped writing obscene graffiti directed at a gay co-worker. Over the objections of the target of the graffiti, the man was not fired but demoted and had his pay docked. The man recently accused of racist remarks was moved to another office and also had his pay cut. Oh, and they sent everyone a memo that said discrimination is bad. Newsday

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A foreign group is throwing a lot of money around to in effect buy support for "gay activities" in Uganda, says the country's minister of state for Information, Nsaba Buturo. "They are financing the politicians, MPs and you [media] so that you support their activities in the country," he says. Buturo joins the chorus of African leaders who say there are no queers in Africa, that it's all a Western import, by urging Africans to fight for their dignity and shun any foreign culture. "We are not a dumping ground," he said. The Monitor

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Hiriki Okuma is the first person to be allowed to work as a gender that does not match her family registry (think birth certificate). Okuma was employed by the Osaka government in 1989, but last year took a leave of absence because of depression her doctor attributed to gender identity disorder. Osaka officials did not change Okuma's sex in their personnel records, but they gave her a female worker's uniform and provided a separate changing room, effectively treating her as a woman. Okuma returned to work in April. At a news conference by Forest Kansai, which fights for the rights of sexual minorities, Okuma said, "I'm grateful that I've been allowed to work without discrimination. I hope this makes it easier to achieve a society in which people with sexual identity disorders can live easily." Mainichi

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Moments after his "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and nine other civil rights leaders hurried off to the White House to confer with President John F. Kennedy. Left behind to wrap things up was Bayard Taylor Rustin, the gay organizer and impresario of the March on Washington, on Aug. 28, 1963, 40 years ago today. Until recently, Rustin was often left behind in histories of the march and of the civil rights movement, too. Star Telegram

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DirecTV launches its queer pay-per-view channel today. Here! Pay Per View is a movies-only channel available to subscribers of DirecTV, a digital satellite-television service, who can choose four to six new films a month. Filmmakers Paul Colichman ("Gods and Monsters") and Stephen J. Jarchow created and financed here! through their film company Regent Entertainment. They chose pay-per-view as an outlet because it was a much cheaper option than launching a traditional 24-hour channel. Movies will include dramas, comedies and thrillers, says Colichmann. "In each case, we will be looking for media images that provide validation and support for the gay community." Boston.com

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This year is the sixth for the Queerdoc festival in Paddington, Australia. It remains the only dedicated gay and lesbian documentary festival in the world. This year, the festival has 23 short and feature-length films covering themes as diverse as queer cops, BDSM and religion as well as the evergreen theme of the internet and sex. Usually attendance at film festivals is limited to those 18 and over, but Queerdoc got an OK to show three sessions of films to viewers 15 and over. Programmer David Pearce says he was determined to get these films screened to a younger audience because "we feel that queer youth will find many kindred spirits in these stories of pain, love, discrimination, wonder, and excitement being faced by those growing up queer in a straight world." SSONET.com

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Ron Gay, that is. It was the best we could do. Gay will be inducted September 19 into the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, an honor bestowed upon Catholics who are nominated at the local level and approved by the pope. There will be a Gay audience with the pope in October at the Vatican, and Ron's wife, Terri, who is also a Gay, will be in attendance. There will be a little Gay tourism, as well, as the couple plans to leave a few extra days to tour Southern Italy. The Bryan-College Station Eagle

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Barely two years have passed since Philadelphia architect Adam Levy was found half-naked, handcuffed and strangled in Pennypack Park. Dennis Urban, who says Levy's death was the result of sex gone wrong, will go free after less than a year in state prison, having served his minimum sentence. Levy's family is outraged. The Philly district attorney isn't too happy, either. Urban says Levy asked to be choked to enhance his sexual pleasure and that his death was unintentional. Philly.com

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