Public opposition to the renaming of landmarks and streets for dead famous people became rather strong after the controversial renaming of the Queensborough Bridge for late NYC Mayor Ed Koch. So it will be interesting to see how the City Council handles this one, especially since two of the Beastie Boys are living. This Tuesday evening, a community board in …

Witnesses say the movie had not yet started.

“I have a wrist watch that cost $1 million. I wear expensive wrist watches, shoes and chains, all made of diamond. First and foremost, I am very creative and secondly, I emulate the style of our forefathers, wearing royal beads as an old style. You know these days, if you want to become a popular and flamboyant king, you have …

Via the Salt Lake Tribune: A new poll for The Salt Lake Tribune shows that Utahns’ views on same-sex couples’ relationships have dramatically shifted in the decade since voters amended the state’s constitution to prohibit them from receiving any legal recognition. Residents are now evenly split on whether same-sex couples in Utah should be allowed to get state-issued marriage licences …

Yesterday Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill that super-criminalized homosexuality. And the arrests have already begun. Via the Associated Press: Human rights activists reported that dozens of gay men were being arrested in northern Nigeria in an apparent response to the law. The United States, Britain and Canada condemned the law, with Secretary of State John Kerry saying Monday …

On his nationally syndicated radio show, yesterday KKK-affiliated hate group leader Tony Perkins announced that gay rights will inevitably bring about the extinction of humanity.

(Via Towleroad)

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are performing with Bruno Mars during the Super Bowl halftime show. Their bassist Flea caused a Twitter storm yesterday with the above tweet, which he has since deleted.

The Chicago Cubs have unveiled the team’s first mascot. Clark, a young bear wearing a Cubs jersey and backward blue baseball cap, was accompanied Monday at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center by a dozen team prospects. The mascot is named after the North Side Chicago street on which Wrigley Field is located. Team officials say they held focus groups before …

In early November, the Liberty Counsel lost its court battle to overturn New Jersey’s ban on the “ex-gay” torture of LGBT youth. Yesterday they filed an appeal with the Third Circuit Court. “A3371 is far more scandalous than the George Washington Bridge lane closure,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “Gov. Christie signed a bill that blocks …

Yesterday the Indiana House Judiciary Committee held its hearing on the proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. At one point the committee chair had to admonish the gallery for laughing at the claims of an anti-gay nutjob. Jim Bopp, an anti-LGBT attorney who was forced out as Indiana’s representative to the Republican National Committee in 2012, told the committee that …

Out Magazine has published its annual 100 Most Eligible Bachelors list and while bear icon/PA state Rep. Brian Sims is on the list…so is Ken Mehlman.  Also featured: Jason Collins, Mo Rocca, Nate Silver, and Ricky Martin. UPDATE: Out is asking readers to vote on their favorites. Sims is currently in second place behind Adam Lambert.

“Today, I joined the ranks of unaffiliated voters. I am every bit as conservative as I’ve always been, but I just can’t bring myself to carry the Republican label any longer. You see, I just don’t agree with the big-government ‘conservatives’ who run the party now. The other reason I am leaving is the tolerance of bigotry in the GOP. …

A spokesman for Seattle’s Neighbours nightclub says that the police are looking into a “suspicious person” recorded by surveillance cameras shortly before the New Year’s Eve arson attempt. Via television station KING 5: According to Shaun Knittel of Social Outreach Seattle, police are looking closely at surveillance video the club handed over after someone doused the stairs with gasoline and …

Fox has refused to comment.

So says a radio host for the American Family Association.

Visit Philly has launched a new print and television campaign that reaches out to LGBT tourists. From the clip: “We love neighborhoods and gayborhoods.”

“I’ve said this several times in Texas before and I’ve said it to Mr. Cruz as a representative of the Texas government, I’ve said it to Gov. (Rick) Perry directly, and now I’m going to say it to you as individual Texas citizens. You will see a lot of cars coming west heading east on Interstate 10, and they’re going …

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie today vetoed a bill that would have granted transgender citizens the right to change their names on their birth certificates. The bill was approved by the state Assembly in June by a vote of 43-27 and by the state Senate in December by a vote of 21-11. Christie’s veto is “absolute” – which means that …

The Family Research Council just retweeted the above denouncement of media bias when it comes to language on social issues. “Pro-family,” anyone?