Via Politico: Rep. Barney Frank will soon introduce legislation to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana, the Massachusetts Democrat said during an appearance on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.” Frank offered no details on his legislation, and it’s not at all clear that he could ever get it to the House floor for a vote. A Frank aide was unaware …

(Via – Andrew Sullivan)

“I was always scared that my mom and dad would find out and wouldn’t like me, and my brothers wouldn’t like me. I was petrified, because I didn’t want anyone to find out. And I would try to be the toughest person around. That way, no one would suspect, no one would ever say it, no one would think it.” …

“Sally Kern’s comments hit me like a punch to the gut. I was enormously saddened that someone—anyone, really, but especially an elected official—could say such mean things about other human beings. We have so much to deal with already—the incessant dreary news about war, about the economy, about shocking crimes. I’m amazed that someone like Sally Kern found the time …

Sen. Larry Craig is retiring. For real real. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), encumbered by a scandal since last summer, did not file for reelection by his state’s deadline Friday, keeping a promise he made and officially marking the end of his congressional career. Craig’s political future has been in doubt since his arrest and guilty plea on disorderly conduct charges filed …

Last night Dr. Jeff and I attended the B-52s release party for Funplex at Socialista and chatted a bit with Jake Shears, Fred Schneider, and Baby Daddy. Years ago I remember talking about electro with Baby Daddy at the Eagle and he said something like, “Oh, I’m in a band. It’s called Scissor Sisters.” And I just nodded and said, …

The death toll for American soldiers in Iraq has reached 4000. The overall U.S. death toll in Iraq rose to 4,000 after four soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in Baghdad, a grim milestone that is likely to fuel calls for the withdrawal of American forces as the war enters its sixth year. The American deaths occurred Sunday, the …

Built in 1886, last week Webster Hall was granted landmark status by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. The East Village nightclub and concert venue is owned by Unity Gallega, a cultural group for immigrants from the Galacia region of Spain. Unity Gallega objected to the landmark designation, worried that it will damage the resale price of the building. They plan …

Beloved South Florida gay bar owner and AIDS activist Michael Brown, 50, was found murdered in his West Palm Beach home on Friday. Brown’s presumed killer, Brant Hines, 27, stayed in Brown’s home for two days after the murder before hanging himself on a bedroom door. Brown and Hines had had a turbulent off and on relationship for several years. …

Today was National Pillow Fight Day and at Union Square I got a little too close to the action. By the way, this video is not speeded up. I was just ducking pillows, hence the jerky camera action.

I can say without exaggeration that this is 100 million times worse than Hitler.

Cute, very cute.

My obsession with statistics goes into overdrive in the face of the magic of Google Analytics, which reveals some interesting tidbits about JMG readers. For folks dropping by in the last 30 days, by far the largest chunk of you are in NYC, about 11%, twice as many as #2, San Francisco. The top twenty: 1. NYC2. San Francisco3. Washington …

According to New York Post critic Michael Riedel, Sean Hayes isn’t butch enough to play the lead in a proposed revival of Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s Promises, Promises. Riedel: “That casting’s a little odd. Hayes doesn’t seem quite virile enough to play a role originated by Jerry Orbach, one of Broadway’s greatest leading men.” – A limited-engagement revival of …

Westboro Baptist Church celebrates Good Friday:(Via – Good As You)

Every year I remind myself to take Good Friday off. And every year I forget. This year Good Friday also coincides with Purim, so ain’t nobody here but us chickens. Bah.

Citing the Defense Of Marriage Act, the State Department has refused to issue a passport to a Massachusetts AIDS counselor under his new married hyphenated name. As an AIDS counselor, Jason Hair-Wynn wants to bring his expertise to Africa, a continent that has been ravaged by the disease. But when the Attleboro resident recently applied for a new passport so …

I’ve been checking out Hulu, the new joint venture from NBC and Fox. Hulu features free streaming of TV shows and movies, but you have to watch an ad a few times during the course of the presentation. AfterElton complains that there isn’t much content of gay interest, but I’ve watched a couple of black-and-white episodes of Bewitched. That’s pretty …

On the eve of his book tour, notorious author Sebastian Horsley (Dandy In The Underworld) has been denied admission to the U.S. Sebastian Horsley, a British author who has written an eyebrow-raising memoir detailing a life of rampant drug use and voluminous encounters with prostitutes, was turned back at Newark Liberty International Airport on Tuesday as he tried to enter …

From the NY Times: “I believe he is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America’s moral leadership in the world,” Mr. Richardson said in the statement, provided by the Obama campaign early Friday morning. “As a presidential candidate, I know full well Senator Obama’s unique moral ability to inspire the American people to …