The South African government has released a list of 17 churches that have had their applications to perform gay marriages approved. The churches are all outside of the major denominations. The Anglican, Baptist, Presbyterian and Catholic churches have barred their clergy from performing the ceremonies, which were legalized last November, but some churches are considering leaving their denominations for ones …

A few weeks ago, Joel Derfner, a NYC blogger, author, and composer exchanged a few emails with me about the Westboro Baptist Church’s appropriation of USA For Africa’s famine relief anthem, We Are The World, which the members of Fred Phelps’ clan of crazies had performed on YouTube as “God Hates The World.” Joel was incensed, naturally, and was curious …

NRP has an interesting piece about the “Crate and Barrellization of gay culture” due the “radical shift” of gay life from an “outcast culture” to one in which lesbian couples go to PTA meetings. The piece mentions “diaper dads” being more visible at pride parades than drag queens. Well, not quite, perhaps. But we are in the midst of a …

National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases head Anthony Fauci has released the results of a study which suggests that new HIV drugs from Merck and Roche may “cure” HIV in patients who have very low levels of the virus, provided those patients have already been treated “early and faithfully” with over 7 years of combination drug therapy. Patients are …

The southernmost building on Roosevelt Island is the ghostly shell of New York City’s former Smallpox Hospital, which is lit nightly by the floodlights you can see in the grass, for maximum eerie effect. Just across the East River from the United Nations, it was the first hospital in the nation to treat and quarantine smallpox victims. Smallpox Hospital was …

Get out your barf bags. From today’s column in Front Page: Falwell was a perfected Christian. He exuded Christian love for all men, hating sin while loving sinners. This is as opposed to liberals, who just love sinners. [snip] Let me be the first to say: I ALWAYS agreed with the Rev. Falwell. Actually, there was one small item I …

OK, you got me. Another cat post. But this one does have a purpose. Sometime last Saturday it started to seem like Shelley was in heat, showing all the usual signs: yowling, rolling around, being overly affectionate. Impossible for a neutered shelter animal, you say? I checked her records and called the APSCA who confirmed that Shelley was indeed spayed …

Noted atheist and author Christopher Hitchens eviscerated Jerry Falwell’s legacy on CNN last night, calling Falwell an “ugly little charlatan” and a “little toad.” It’s a great clip and Hitchens totally nails my own opinions, but I’m disappointed with Anderson Cooper’s rather dismissive comment at the end of the interview.

Today is the International Day Against Homophobia. In observance of the occasion, the Human Rights Watch has listed five world leaders to its Hall Of Shame because of their anti-gay actions in the last year: 1. Pope Benedict XVI: for undermining families. The leader of the Holy See has gone well beyond expressing the Church’s theological views on homosexuality. 2. …

Maybe you’re just like my motherShe never sat outside– Prince, When Doves Cry, according to my friend Ken’s mother. They’re called mondegreens, those hilariously misheard song lyrics. My own mother thought that Ohio Player’s Rollercoaster was called Join The Coast Guard. (Sing it out loud, it kind of works.) My ex used to sing a line from Bowie’s Rebel, Rebel …

Embiggen for maximum gayocity.

Amazon announced today that they will launch all DRM-free music download site later this year, citing an agreement with EMI Group, who decided last month that all their music will now be unencumbered by digital rights management copy protection. Warner and Sony are also testing some DRM-free downloads. Tracks without DRM can be copied unlimited times and moved to any …

The Goddess of Randomocity got dizzy will all those clamoring for yesterday’s Swag Tuesday Elvis Costello booty, but she spun her wheel and landed on #115, Stephanie of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Stephanie says, “Holy Crap! I’d send you a picture of me looking stunned, but I don’t have access to any at the moment. THANK YOU! And thanks to the gods …

Previewing the June release of his book, I Had To Say Something: The Art Of Ted Haggard’s Fall (co-authored by Sam Gallegos), there is a great story about Mike Jones in the current issue of the Advocate. On May 24th, Jones will be the honoree of San Francisco’s Harvey Milk Club, where he will receive the Harry Britt Achievement Award. …

Media Request: FOX radio and KVI’s The Commentators, with John Carlson and Ken Schram, would like to speak with you about Jerry Falwell. Perhaps its too early but this is going to be the defining moments, the early days after his death when people start determining his impact on America for better or worst. We would like to talk with …

“The death of a family member or friend is always a sad occasion and we express our condolences to all those who were close to the Rev. Jerry Falwell. Unfortunately, we will always remember him as a founder and leader of America’s anti-gay industry, someone who exacerbated the nation’s appalling response to the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic, someone who …

A Boston court ruled last week that gay New Yorkers married in Massachusetts can be considered legally married there, but more interestingly, they apparently can be considered legally married in New York too, but only if they were married between May 17th 2004 and July 6th, 2006. It wasn’t until July 6th, 2006 that New York state ruled that gay …

Thanks to the folks at Ninth Circle Technologies for grabbing this Hell-cam shot as Jerry Falwell rocketed down the Styx Superslide to his eternal reward. Satan was waiting at the bottom for his old friend.

I took this shot of the Queensboro Bridge from the Roosevelt Island tram last night. Riding on the tram was an extremely excited woman who kept exclaiming about the view and nudging the commuters. She was wearing a baseball uniform. At the end of the ride, she invited us all for drinks. We declined. The bridge is under rehab right …