From yesterday’s HRC’s Backstory: This afternoon, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), one of the lead sponsors of the Senate hate crimes bill, took to the Senate floor to urge the Senate to pass the hate crimes bill (S. 1105) and for President Bush to sign the legislation into law. Earlier today, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) filed a cloture motion on the …

At last night’s Elton John AIDS Foundation fundraiser at the Waldorf-Astoria, Elton announced a $300,000 gift to NYC schools. The money is directed to buy computers to help teach HIV/AIDS awareness to low-income middle school students, part of a $3.1M grant to the National Urban Technology Center. The gift to NYC will allow the agency to double its service from …

Ugh. This morning I got a notice that my 30 year high school reunion is “officially” going to happen in November. I haven’t gone to any previous reunions, in fact, I’m not sure that there have even been any. I haven’t seen, much less thought about, any of my classmates from Colonial High in at least 25 years, so I …

The Roosevelt Island Tram casts a shadow on First Avenue.

Last month I mentioned Folsom Street Fair’s fabulous “Last Supper” poster for this year’s event. Now Matt Barber, alpha male for the mousy Xtian hausfraus advocacy group, the Concerned Women For America (CWA), is up in arms, petitioning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-SF), California Senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein, and Gov. Schwarzengger to “publicly condemn this unprovoked attack against …

A new monthly gay dating event called “HIV-, UB2” launches in December. In response to the recent upward trend of new HIV infections in our city, the time has come to support HIV- people who wish to meet other HIV- people. To offer support, empowerment, awareness and understanding so HIV- people can create the same support network that HIV+ people …

Photo via Free Republic’s “Homsexual Agenda” file, where the “No homos in Iran” quote is getting lively reaction. A sampling: “Knowing how Iran treats the homos, why don’t we send Barney Frank over?” “Sounds like a good destination for a “Rosie Cruise”!” “Sounds like a vacation hotspot… Love it! Just what I’m looking for.” “Besides, in the Arab world, men …

John Edwards has unveiled a far-reaching $50B HIV plan that would dismantle many of the Bush administration initiatives. Edwards’ plan would end the disastrous abstinence-only programs and would provide for age-appropriate sex education in public schools. The plan would also make HIV-positive people eligible for Medicaid before they reached the late states of the disease and would encourage needle-exchange programs …

Ann Coulter wishes she had an Islamic death sentence. Speaking to British Esquire, Coulter said, “I want a fatwa. I used to see Salman Rushdie in the Sky Bar in L.A. He wasn’t in hiding; he became world-renowned for his fatwa. So why can’t I get a fatwa? Don’t they read my stuff?” While I am loathe to agree with …

“It gave me the confidence to join the game. But I wasn’t the kind of person who would do one or two lines. I did a gram and then called out for more.” – Elton John, talking about his cocaine addiction in an ITV special broadcast in Britain on Saturday. Elton said as his addiction grew, his insane demands grew …

Gay rights groups were quick to condemn Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s claim that there are no homosexuals in Iran. HRC’s Joe Solmonese: “Today’s assertions by President Ahmadinejad that there are no homosexuals in Iran would be simply absurd were it not for the fact that international human rights watchers have long documented some of the most horrific acts of persecution …

A massive rolling art project called Garden In Transit features hand-painted adhesive flowers affixed to the roofs, hoods and trunks of NYC’s cabs. Ninety percent of the work was done by local schoolchildren, with the rest done by kids from around the country. The project started last week and runs through December. The artwork removes without damaging the vehicle and …

Once again, Universal Music Enterprises gallops into Swag Tuesday with four double-disc CD collections from their ever-growing Universal Gold series. This week’s haul: Supremes Gold, Connie Francis Gold, ’60s Gold, and Moody Blues Gold – comprising over 160 tracks in all. These four releases all are available now, with more collections added to the series all the time. To win …

With all the world leaders in town for the U.N. General Assembly, security is naturally very tight. Yesterday, Farmboy C and I were walking along the East River where we watched this twin machine-gunned Coast Guard boat ward pleasure cruisers away from the U.N. side of the river. When they went by at high speed, the kid at the machine …

Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University today at their World Leaders Forum as hundreds of vocal protesters marched outside the venue in a media firestorm. Last week, Ahmandinejad spurred outrage when he requested permission to lay a wreath at Ground Zero. His request was denied. The Iranian dictator’s invitation to speak at Columbia launched a nationwide controversy on …

The 30th anniversary of San Francisco’s seminal gay nightclub, the Trocadero Transfer, will be celebrated at the original location (now the Glas Kat) on October 7th in a night called Remember The Party. Under the expert tutelage of my favorite DJ in the world, Jerry Bonham, revisit the heady days of “The Troc” in a nine hour marathon of disco …

Fort Lauderdale’s Naugle debacle is causing a rift among local black activists, with the NAACP coming down on the side of gay activists. On the other side, some black ministers are decrying the NAACP’s involvement, with one saying, ”The NAACP is getting away from their mission . . . the organization never got involved with sex sins. Homosexuals have masterfully …

Disappointing news. Merck has stopped its promising HIV vaccine trial, after more subjects who received the vaccine contracted the virus that those who got the dummy shots. Merck’s vaccine trial was the farthest along and most closely watched. The National Institute of Health, who partly funded the research, said that not only did the vaccine not prevent infection, it did …

Eagle roof deck, Sunday, 9pm Two guys are ogling the shirtless humpy new bartender…… Guy 1: I like his perfect chest hair distribution.Guy 2: That’s funny.Guy 1: What’s funny about chest hair?Guy 2: Wait, I thought you said you’d like to put him in a chair and abuse him?Guy 1: Chest hair distribution.Guy 2: Oh. Right.Guy 1: But your plan …

On Hudson Street in the West Village, the White Horse Tavern was the major hang-out for “bohemian” artists of the ’50s & 60’s. Famous regulars included Bob Dylan, Jack Kerouac, Norman Mailer, James Baldwin, Hunter S. Thompson and Dylan Thomas – who famously drank himself to death at the White Horse. The White Horse opened as a bar for longshoremen …