From the New York Times: Bonnie Brown was fresh from a nasty divorce in 1999, living with her sister and uncertain of her future. On a lark, she answered an ad for an in-house masseuse at Google, then a Silicon Valley start-up with 40 employees. She was offered the part-time job, which started out at $450 a week but included …

Shelley is giving a grumpy glare because I wanted to sit in her chair. The nerve of me. She’ll stay on the back of the chair when I sit down, but occasionally bites my ear just so I don’t forget my place. To answer some emails: she never had her re-spaying last week because she went out of heat the …

The Dugout, Sunday, 7pmBear 1: Actually, I think it’s about over. I mean, I love him. But I don’t love love him. Bear 2: So you gonna cut him loose? Or just turn him into a friend-with-benefits? Bear 1: Oh, definitely friend-with-benefits. Cuz when he fucks me, he fuck fucks me.

“Mark Twain wrote in one of his journals that, ‘In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.’ Gays and lesbians who serve under the Ban are those patriots. The personal cost can be …

“Over the last several weeks, the question of GLBT equality was placed on center stage by the appearance of Donnie McClurkin at one of my campaign events. McClurkin is a talented performer and a beloved figure among many African Americans and Christians around the country. At the same time, he espouses beliefs about homosexuality that I completely reject. The events …

SAGE (Service and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force have received a $500,00 grant from the Arcus Gay & Lesbian Fund to support advocacy for LGBT seniors. “As the one organization that focuses on the full gamut of LGBT aging issues both locally and nationally, SAGE is thrilled to partner with the Task Force …

Both the New York Times and the Washington Post have published editorials in support of Barney Frank’s ENDA tactics. A couple of excerpts: WaPo: Many gay rights activists opposed the bill because the final version didn’t include protection for transgender people, including those who have changed their sex, who are living their lives as the other sex or who do …

Florida Republican legislator Bob Allen was convicted Friday of solicitation of an undercover officer. He faces 60 days in jail, a $500 fine, and will likely be immediately removed from the legislature. In July, Allen was arrested in a public park near Titusville, Florida after offering to pay an undercover cop $20 if Allen could blow him. After his arrest, …

– Real estate bust? What bust? A few blocks from me, a billionaire just paid $150 million for a condo, nearly double what has ever been paid for a Manhattan residence. He gets 30,000 square feet at about $5000/sq. ft. But hey, it comes with maid service. – Also now available on the Upper East Side, the world’s most expensive …

I’m long overdue for an Instant Disco History post, so here’s an all-video entry featuring three hit songs about that painful ’70s dance craze, the bump. The 1977 Munich Machine album to the left doesn’t contain any songs about the bump, which probably caused more bruised hips than New York City’s old rusty subway turn-styles, but I’ve always loved those …

The long-feared strike by Broadway’s stagehands union began today, darkening 26 theatres on the Great White Way. The first show to be affected was the 11am matinee of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! – The Musical, with local news carrying footage of hundreds of disappointed children. Broadway shows that will be dark until further notice: August: Osage County …

Thanks to your kind support, this here website thingy won the 2007 Best LGBT Weblog Award yesterday. Squeee! As I could not be in Las Vegas to attend the awards ceremony at BlogWorldExpo, the lovely and talented Pam Spaulding graciously agreed to go up to the podium on my behalf. Pam kindly sent along the above photo last night, what …

Last week I told you about Massachusetts teen Claudia Contrada, who bravely came out despite her mother’s anti-gay activism with the loathsome MassResistance. Claudia’s story caused a flurry of interest from local gay rights organizations. She was invited to appear at a Massachusetts Youth Pride event and publications such as Bay Windows and the Boston Globe requested interviews. Claudia even …

“As you know, the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the GLB-only version of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act — the one that doesn’t include transgender people (the ‘T’ in GLBT). It was a major, historic moment in the U.S. fight for gay equality. But you’d never know it from the flurry of press releases that hit my inbox. The …

Organizers of the 19th annual Real Bad party, which took place after the conclusion of this year’s Folsom Street Fair, had their check presentation ceremony last night, awarding $150,000 to two worthy Bay Area institutions. San Francisco, CA – (November 8, 2007) – Grassroots Gay Rights West (GRGR/West) announces the donation of record proceeds from REAL BAD XIX. Ticket sales …

And you thought getting Pat Robertson’s endorsement was bad? Rudy Giuliani’s onetime protege and business partner, former NYC police chief Bernard Kerik, was indicted yesterday on 14 federal counts including conspiracy, wire fraud, false statement on a loan application, tax evasion, obstructing an FBI investigation and lying to the federal government. The charges have been long coming, but New York …

I really debated directing you folks to this hilarious, digusting, and TOTALLY NSFW post, as it has been heavily covered on DC blogs and broadcast media for the last ten days. But since it will surely go into gay blogging history, I would be a bad, bad homoblogger if I didn’t mention it here. I particularly encourage you to embiggen …

Glasgow, Scotland was chosen as host city for the 2014 Commonwealth Games after Changing Nigeria, a group of Nigerian LGBT activists, presented organizers with an 11-page report detailing abuses of gay citizens. Abuju, Nigeria had been a leading candidate, but lost the vote 47-24 at a meeting held in Sri Lanka. Founded as the British Empire Games in 1930, the …

– Let’s start off-off-off Broadway with some news from my pals Steve Schalchlin and Jim Brochu: Theater legend, Zero Mostel, comes back to roaring life in “Zero Hour,” a new play written and performed by Jim Brochu of “The Big Voice: God or Merman?” at San Francisco’s New Conservatory Theatre Center. In the play, which won Best Play at the …