Anti-gay Minnesota GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, the man at the center of the Target controversy and boycott, is trailing Democrat Mark Dayton by five to ten points in most polls. The two are tied in a poll conducted by Minnesota Public Radio.

IHOP is suing the International House Of Prayer, the virulently anti-gay group affiliated with whackadoodle preacher Lou Engle, for stealing their famous acronym. The Kansas City, Missouri-based church group “selected and adopted the International House of Prayer name, knowing it would be abbreviated IHOP. IHOP-KC intended to misappropriate the fame and notoriety of the household name IHOP to help promote …

Australia’s advertising regulation agency has banned the below ad advocating for the legalization of assisted suicide or “voluntary euthanasia.” (Tipped by JMG reader Lynda)

Earlier this week FL Gov. Charlie Crist announced that he was considered dropping the state’s appeal of a ruling allowing a Miami Beach gay couple to adopt. But dropping the appeal could mean the court never rules on the law’s constitutionality, leaving the issue in limbo. “We’d still be left with the statute” that bans gay adoptions, said Miami Beach …

Astro Boy. Time Tunnel. Dark Shadows. Tell us about your favorite TV shows when you were a kid.

Another day, another meaningless list to chew on. Men’s Health has ranked 100 U.S. cities for a list called “Hotbeds Of Sex.” Cities were ranked based on “condom sales, birthrates, sex toy sales and rates of sexually transmitted diseases.” Here’s the top ten. 1. Austin, TX2. Dallas, TX3. Columbus, OH4. Durham, NC5. Denver, CO6. Indianapolis, IN7. Arlington, TX8. Oklahoma City, …

Can this season’s political ads GET any uglier?

Two years ago Fox News asked teabagger Christine O’Donnell who she’d most like to see the GOP face in the 2008 election. “Barack Obama because he is so liberal, he is anti-American. He did not vote for English as the official language!”

Watch as repairmen climb to the top of a 1768-foot broadcast tower to make a repair. Or don’t watch, if like me your balls ache merely from the sight of someone on a precarious high place. This is why I don’t go to Cirque Du Soleil. (Via Anthony Slecht at Slog)

Rex Wockner tips us to this clip in which two girls who don’t even know the names of their Senators obey Lady Gaga’s edict that they call Congress to demand the repeal of DADT. Stick around while they visit the boys next door to get them onboard. These kids are alright. UPDATE: The power continues. Sen. Michael Bennet responds by …

Sarah Palin is SO not happy with Karl Rove for his declaration that her protege Christine O’Donnell is unelectable.

The man who ripped out pages of the Koran and burned them during the 9/11 protest at Ground Zero has been fired by his employer, NJ Transit. The incident was posted on YouTube and aired on television around the world. NJ Transit said that Derek Fenton’s “public actions” violated its code of ethics and that he “violated his trust as …

Saying he is “appalled” at the revelation, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has ordered his state’s Homeland Security agency to stop spying on LGBT groups and other activism movements. Information about an anti-BP candlelight vigil, a gay and lesbian festival and other peaceful gatherings became the subject of anti-terrorism bulletins being distributed by Pennsylvania’s homeland security office, an apologetic Gov. Ed …

More than 70 gay activists were arrested in Kathmandu as they rallied for government IDs for transgender citizens. It’s an unexpected development for Nepal, which has been expanding LGBT rights, encouraging gay tourism, and recently saw its first large-scale gay pride celebration. Nepali men and women who identify as transgender are seeking citizenship certificates with their gender marked as “third …

(Tipped by JMG reader Andy)

Today NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg will announce a complete ban on smoking in city parks and on city beaches. After months of considering the issue, Mayor Bloomberg will today announce that the city will institute a smoking ban in parks and on beaches, sources said. The new ban requires City Council approval, which seems assured since the mayor will be …

Orlando police are investigating the assault and beating of a man who was attacked by a gang of nine teenagers after they demanded to know if he is gay. A brutal beating involving nine teenagers on Monday will be considered a hate crime, authorities with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said. A-20-year-old man told deputies he was walking in the …