A 2/3 majority would be needed in both the House and Senate to override Dubya’s possible veto of the Hate Crimes Act, which the bill’s backers do not think they can achieve. Although his senior advisors are recommending a veto, historically, the Decider has been very hesitant to use his veto privilege, so we might still have a chance. In …

Here is the result of the just completed House vote on the Hate Crimes Act, HR 1592: Democratic: Yes: 212 No: 14 Republican: Yes: 25 No: 166 Total: Yes: 237 No: 180 To applause and a few cheers, from the podium, Barney Frank exhulted, “The bill is passed!” Human Rights Campaign head Joe Solmonese: “This is a historic day that …

From the It Can’t Get Weirder department comes news that former NJ gov Jim McGreevey now wants to become an Episcopal priest. McGreevey, raised Catholic, has been accepted into the faith at Manhattan’s St. Bartholemew’s, where he is in the “discernment” phase, which usually preceeds entering a seminary. Considering the gov’s turnpike rest stop history, he certainly has experience working …

Blogs are buzzing this morning after a gay couple in the Fort Lauderdale airport heard the following intercom announcement at the baggage carousel: “‘A man who lies with another man as he would a woman is subject to death.” The announcement, which came at 12:45am, was repeated several minutes later. I wrote to a friend who runs one of the …

Wednesday, 7pm, the S trainPreppie Girl 1: So my parents are making me spend the summer with my grandparents in Switzerland. Preppie Girl 2: Oh, I didn’t know your family was from Germany. Preppie Girl 1: They’re not. Switzerland is like, in France..

Rosie O’Donnell has been named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. I’d been more impressed if the list didn’t include such opinion makers and shakers as Kate Blanchett and Justin Timberlake. But still, we have an out, angry, politically active gay person on the list and that makes me happy.

Shelter Kitty has turned into a competely wacky, manic, galloping, nuzzling, purr monster. Which suits me perfectly. Her socialization took about 48 hours and now she can’t bear to be more than 10 feet away from me, which isn’t that hard in a studio apartment. Her hobbies are chirping, laying in her windowsill sun bed, stalking the pigeons outside my …

I have lost one of my “top eight” MySpace friends, for the moment. Barack Obama’s campaign has wrestled control of the MySpace page being operated by one of his supporters after they decided that with more than four times more “friends” than the other candidates, it would be best if the page were run by his actual campaign staff. A …

The complaint box is open..

Today is the last day to call your representative and urge their support of the LGBT-inclusive hate crimes act. Late last night, the measure passed out of the House Judiciary Committee and now goes to a vote before the full House chamber tomorrow. As I mentioned yesterday, right-wingnuts are deluging Congress with calls and backers of the bill are becoming …

Passing a downtown dollar store last night, I noticed that among the safety pins, nightlights, and egg timers, you can also get a 12-pack of face masks. I’ve often wondered if the reason that I haven’t had any post-9/11 respiratory issues is that I happened to find a face mask lying on the ground and kept it on for the …

NYC’s gay rugby team, the Gotham Knights, will be staging their bachelor auction tonight at Splash Bar. The event benefits the Children’s Hope Foundation, which helps children, teens, and families affected by HIV/AIDS. The team’s site says “Steak your claim on real-life rugger”. Did they mean to say “steak”? Embiggen for the beefiness.

The Oracle of Randomocity chose our 138th commenter, Micheal, of Buffalo, New York, as the winner of yesterday’s Swag Tuesday. Micheal, whose blog is Beefy Cat Angus, says, “Wow! Thanks for this great gift. As a frequenter of Joe.My.God, I’m always excited to see what great stories you decide to share with your readers. I will take a page from …

The government is working on closing the “visa loophole” that allows British citizens to enter the U.S. without a visa, citing terrorism concerns over Britain’s vast Pakistani population, which currently numbers about 800,000. Options on the table include requiring all Brits to apply for a visa or singling out only Brits of Pakistani origin. Naturally, the British government is balking …

Mayor Jason West lost his reelection bid in New Paltz, New York yesterday. You may remember West from 2004, when he followed the lead of SF Mayor Gavin Newsom and presided over the weddings of 24 gay couples in his tiny village on the Hudson, ramping up debate on gay marriage in the New York area. West was charged with …

My buddy Dr. Jeff snapped this photo of American Museum Of Natural History, a neo-Gothic Upper West Side landmark that was built between 1874-77. It’s my favorite museum in NYC, as I enjoy science and nature a bit more than soup cans and sarcophagi. The museum faces Central Park from 81st Steet, almost directly across the park from the Met. …

“I have always regarded my sexuality as a personal matter, to be kept private. It is a matter of deep disappointment that a newspaper group has now decided that allegations about my personal life should be made public.” – British Petroleum Chairman John Browne, who resigned today after a British judge lifted the injunction stopping the press from publishing details …

Supermarket tabloid Globe laid this big fat lie on dumbass shoppers this week. Of course, there is absolutely no evidence that the Virginia Tech shooter was gay. While I’m certain that nobody here buys or believes anything that rags like Globe say, remember that these tabs are consumed by the millions every week. As occasional JMG commenter Steph Mineart puts …

Today is the anniverary of one of the stupidest and most contrived political stunts in American history and the Democratic candidates are not missing the opportunity to comment on it. Barack Obama: “Four years after President Bush landed on an aircraft carrier and declared ‘Mission Accomplished,’ we are still in a war where more than one hundred American service members …

My vote for this year’s summer song goes to Welsh scruffy cutie Rod Thomas, for his breezy, perfect, Your Love Is A Tease. I can’t stop playing it! (via – Troubled Diva.)