Does Rosie Improve 'The View'?

(Link) Survey says "Yes!" With all the brouhaha from her remarks on Donald Trump and Danny "the Drunk" DeVito, Rosie O'Donnell has given the show a much-needed edge that Barbara Walters may not have expected.

Penelope Cruz Keeps the Fire Burning

(Link) Under the warm glow of the rumor that she and Salma Hayek have a thing going. And who are we to discourage a concept like that? Or the hot cowgrrl look?

New Hampshire May Be Okay With Civil Unions

(Link) More signs of enlightenment are sweeping the East Coast of the US, with New Hampshire rejecting an outright ban on same-sex marrige. A recent poll shows they're not for the M-word, but might approve civil unions.

Gay Nativity Scene Sparks Outrage in Italy

(Link) You think nativity scenes cause a stir in the US? How about some gay protest involvement in one -- ala strategically-placed Barbies near the cradle? 'Tis the season for irreverence!

New Jersey Gets Civil Unions

(Link) They may not have the title "marriage", but as of today, same-sex couples in New Jersey have all the same rights. At least as many as a civil union will allow.

Girlfriend Gets Beatdown by Police Officer Lover

(Link) Woman on woman violence is always horribly sad, and it's especially moreso when the perpetrator is a cop -- and her buddies on the force want to cover it up.

President Bush "Happy" for Mary Cheney

(Link) His vice president's gay daughter is unmarried and pregnant, and President George "Stay the Course" Bush says he's happy for her. Guess it's different when it's "family", eh George? Or else it's just that new femme-d up look she's got going on now.

Twin Teachers Nabbed in Sex Arrest

(Link) It's bad enough when a high school teacher is caught fiddling with the teenagers. How about it it's twin teachers? Yes, this article from the Smoking Gun does feature mug shots of both perps -- and yes, they're wearing matching prison togs.

Paglia: Madonna Gave Britney the Kiss of Death

(Link) Fiesty feminist Camille Paglia gives us her two cents worth on what really happened with that lurid Madonna-Britney liplock on national television. Nobody gets away unscathed. Bravo!

Lesbian Tory Rejects Favoritism Charge

(Link) It's all about the sour grapes as a pol who was passed over claims Margot James got special treatment because she's a lesbian. And a millionaire. And works in a candidate's office. And because he's a white male. Pass me a tissue? I'm all verklempt!

Irish Couple Loses Marriage Case

(Link) Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan were legally wed in Canada, but a judge in Ireland failed to uphold their rights as a married couple in Ireland. New, more favorable laws are in the works, though.

Student Sues Over School Outing

(Link) More specifically, the high school principal outed a gal who wasn't ready to come out yet. Now, she's suing the school district for more than a million bucks.

A Tale of Two Mommies...And Their Daughter

(Link) WhenJanet Jenkins and Lisa Miller dissolved their civil union in Vermont, their 2-year-old daughter became the focus of a bitter custody battle when Miller took her to Virginia -- where same-sex relationships and gay adoption is illegal. In this article, Jenkins tells her side of the story.

Britney's Cooch-Flash Sparks Lesbian Rumor

(Link) The hawt new celebutante trend is to "accidentally" flash your bare business to a photographer, and we've seen much more than we care to see of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Now they're trying to squelch rumors they've been engaging in carnal canoodling with each other.

Clear Channel Now Targeting LGBT Audience

(Link) While their on-air blowhards bombast away with statements damming us, the execs at the evil media empire are viewing our wallets with greed. They're starting an on-demand channel just for the LGBT crowd, and yes, it features lots of queeristic celebrity gossip.

Christina Aguilera Buys Lesbian Artwork

(Link)

The skank ("No, I'm not!") songbird just dropped close to $30K US for this artwork. And a saucy pic it is -- of a Queen who didn't believe women could be gay and passed a lot of anti-gay laws to prove it. Oh, that silly Queen.

New Jersey Might Be Okay With Civil Unions

(Link) Among other things, a recent poll of New Jersey-ites finds they're not down with the M-word, but don't want to bother with an amendment that prevents same-sex couples from wedding.

Marriage Survives Vote-Down Attempt in Canada

(Link) A bid to bring up a vote on the ruling that made same-sex marriages legal in Canada has been blown out -- by the Conservative Party. Yes, "Conservative" means something very different in the Great White North.

Kindergarten Assault Case Spurs Lawsuits

(Link) If you were chasing the other girlies around the playground during kindergarten, the proud tradition continues. Except today, we add lawyers and police charges.

Vacation: Where the Grrls Are (Safe)

(Link) A recent poll of travel industry officials shows that the majority of us prefer to vacation in known gay-friendly areas. So if you're skipping the hell of family togetherness over the holidays, where to vacation? Article includes the list of the cities voted most gay-friendly for travellers.

Mary Cheney is Preggers

(Link) We're not sure if David Crosby has a hand in it, but we do know the conservaties are railing about all the sinfulness. And now that Mary is with child, will her Vice Presidential dad change his mind about same-sex marriage so the kid will be born "legit"?

California Revisits Same-Sex Marriage Bill

(Link) Now that some time has passed since the Governator voted it down in 2000, support is growing in California to equalize marriage rights. Since that time, Schwartzenegger has given the okay to seven LGBT rights bills, including one he vetoed in 2005...

Interview: Indie Filmer Lesli Klainberg

(Link) Lesli's documentary, "Fabulous: The Story of Queer Cinema" traces the roots of LGBT films. As you can expect, she's got lots to say about the state of queer cinema, past and present. And she's rather cute!

Massachusetts Marriage Going to High Court

(Link) Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has decided to push the marriage issue into that state's supreme court. He's hoping to force a decision on whether to amend the state constition to ban same-sex marriage.

Wal-Mart Becoming Gay-Friendly?

(Link) Apparently they are, according to Fortune magazine. And that's got Fundy-mentalist types in a tizzy of righteous indignation.

Lesbian Firechief Steps Down Amid Charges

Link After a 2-tenure as Minneapolis first openly gay firechief, Bonnie Bleskachek is calling it quits after facing discrimination charges in court. Yep, she knows when she's licked. And yep, that was a bad joke.

Ooh, You Knew Jodie Was Taken!

Link All these years our gaydar has tinkled merrily over Jodie, who's been trying to deflect it all this time. She must be mellowing out these days because photos of Jodie Foster and her longtime girlfriend are starting to hit the press.

UN Urged to Decriminalize Homosexuality

Link You may have it easy in your neighborhood, but others aren't so lucky. Not by a long shot. In more than 70 countries, homosexuality is a crime by law, and punishable by death in 12 of them.

Danish Divorce Rate Low For Same-Sex Couples

Link Gay marriage has been legal in Denmark since 1989, and the stats look good. The same-sex divorce rate is less than half that for hetero Danes splitting up.

Dem Leader Calls for More LGBT Leaders

Link Howard Dean, former US Presidential contender turned chairman of the Democratic Party, says we need to do more than just get a seat at the table. We need to get some LGBT people on the ballot.

Governor Wants to Force Vote on Gay Marriage

Link The governor of the only US state in which same-sex marriage is legal now wants to force an anti-gay marriage amendment vote in an attempt to kill off the issue.

"Tipping the Remake" With Beyonce and Eva Longoria

Link Proving that Hollywood can't leave well enough alone, Beyonce and Eva Longoria have been tapped to star in a US remake of "Tipping the Velvet". Sofia Coppola's set to direct, but we can't imagine it'll top the most-excellent BBC production of Sarah Waters' excellent novel.

Lesbian Punker Tops Cool Musicians List

Link The UK music magazine NME has named Beth Ditto of Gossip as its coolest musician in this year's poll. Said the judges, she's "living proof that you can still rock a crowd when you’re wearing stilettos.”

Israel Recognizes Same-Sex Marriage

Link Although actually getting married in Israel isn't legal yet, same-sex couples who marry legally in other locals now get legal recognition and all the same rights as married hetero couples.

Lesbian Holds Sit-In At Army Recruiter

Link When the Indiana National Guard turned her down, Julie Benson and her girlfriend decided to stand up -- er, sit down -- and be counted among all the other LGBTers denied service. The Army, however, says her weight was the deciding factor.

Softball Coach Caught Chasing Grrlies

Link Sometimes that "hot phys-ed teacher" thing is supposed to remain in the realm of fantasy. This is one of those times.

"Abominable" Meeting of Lesbians Held in Ghana

Link If you can read between the slanted lines of this article, you'll notice that some real ground is being broken for human rights when a group of 80 lesbians gather in one of the world's least-gay-friendly locales.

A Personal View of Same-Sex Marriage

Link Alicia Heath-Toby and Saundra Toby-Heath are more than just a couple of plaintiffs in the recent New Jersey lawsuit over marriage. They've been a devoted couple for more than 18 years, embodying the spirit of marriage, even if they're not allowed to have it just yet.

Same-Sex Marriage Legalized for South Africa

Link "We sought to distinguish ourselves from an unjust painful past by declaring that never again shall it be that any South African will be discriminated against on the basis of color, creed, culture and sex."

Catholic Church Says "Okay, But Stay Single"

Link In an effort to be more "welcoming", the Catholic church now allows LGBT parishioners to exist. As long as they're celibate. And it's okay if they come out of the closet, as long as they don't leave the house.

Female Firechief Hit With Fourth Lawsuit

Link A fourth Minneapolis firefighter is claiming discrimination over low ratings he received from his lesbian boss and her partner, the fire department captain. Something tells us there's more to this story that we're not privy to...yet.

Israeli PM's Daughter Slams Homophobic Dad

Link Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's daughter is publicly condemning her father over his lack of support for Jerusalem's now-cancelled Pride parade. Makes you wonder: would Barb and Jenna speak out against their dad's follies in Iraq? Or would it take too long for them to sober up first?

Inside a Lesbian Witch Hunt

Link No, this isn't a belated Halloween story. It's an inside look at the military's method of detecting and discharging women who didn't ask or tell, but got named as lesbians anyway.

Wal-Mart to Throw Gay Rights Fundraiser

Link At least that's how the American Family Association sees it. They're trying to recruit 1,000,000 people to NOT enjoy a post-Thanksgiving Wal-Mart shopping spree because 5% of that company's online sales will benefit homosexuals in Washington, DC! Oh, the horror...of thinking it might be a good idea to shop Wal-Mart online for the cause....

Michigan City Finally Approves Gay Rights

Link The third time was the charm for residents of Ferndale, MI (population 22,105). The suburb of Detroit has finally convinced its citizens that it's time to ban discrimination against LGBT folk. Go, Michiganders! Go forth and be freely gay!

Mexico City Legalizes Civil Unions

Link Sure, it's not totally marriage, but there is a plan now: Step 1) Become a resident, Step 2) Get CU'd, Step 3) Enjoy honeymoon in Acapulco, baby!

Talk Show Host Fired for On-Air Lesbian Slur

Link Just because she's a curvy, hetero-challenged female doesn't mean it's okay to call her a "fat lesbian" and tell her to shut up.

Israel Refuses to Ban Pride Parade

Link Ultra-orthodox Jews have been in a tizzy over the upcoming Gay Pride Parade to be held in Israel. Despite their protests, Israel's attorney general refuses to shut down the festivities.

Can Evangelicals and Gays Find Common Ground?

Link The VP for Governmental Affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals thinks so. In fact, he thinks the Ted Haggard scandal might help by convincing closeted Evangelicals to come out. Our question: And then what? Let the stoning begin?

Did a Threesome Make her a Lesbian?

Link Hubby's 60th birthday surprise introduces the missus to the joys of womanflesh, and now she wants more. Does that mean she's gay? The Hartford Courant's "Dear Amy" ponders the issue.

Martina Slams Anti-Gay Sheep Experiment

Link Tennis goddess Martina Navratilova is raising a racket over a study by two Oregon universities. The experiments involve hormone-fiddling in an attempt to create a totally heterosexual sheep.

Support for Marriage Drops After NJ Ruling

Link Days after New Jersey's Supreme Court ruled that LGBT couples should have the same rights as straight couples, new polls are showing support for same-sex marriage is suddenly waning. Back in June, the same poll showed more than half were okay with it.

GOP Fires Up Homophobia as Election Nears

Link With Iraq shrieking toward hell in a flaming handbasket, Republicans are searching for something -- anything! -- to pull in those conservative voters. "Let's do that scary 'gays are destroying the sanctity of marriage!' thing!" "Brilliant, Mr Rove!"

Matthew Shepard's Mom Urging Youth to Vote

Link It's votin' time, grrls. If the right to be yourself is important, be sure to vote in the upcoming election for the LGBT-friendly candidate(s) of your choice. (Belated Tom Foley joke: "How do you separate the men from the boys?" "With a mid-term election!")

LGBT Traders Making Gains on Wall Street

Link Financial firms are among those companies with more inclusive policies, but acceptance within those companies hasn't always been the norm. Some say it's still an uphill struggle.

Lesbian Accusation Hits Hillary Clinton. Again.

Link Hillary Clinton's opponent for the US Senate gig has already insulted her looks and now he's questioning which way she swings. Hope he didn't get his idea from a little teasing in the Lnews: Humor section…

UK Couple Spends Thousands, Keeps Fighting

Link Celia Kitzinger and Sue Wilkinson were legally married in Canada, but are still fighting to have their marriage recognized in York. The campaign's already cost them close to $50K, but they're not backing down - regardless of cost.

New Jersey Opens the Door for Marriage

Link New Jersey's high court ruled today that the state must offer same-sex couples something legally akin to marriage -- whether it's called "marriage" or "civil union." Something about an "unequal dispensation of rights and benefits" seems to have been a major factor. Glad somebody noticed!

It's Twins for Melissa and Tammy!

Link Melissa Etheridge and Tammy Lynn Michaels are now the proud parents of twins -a boy and a girl. According to the couple's press release, "The joy will help carry us through our upcoming sleepless nights."

Will Going Blue Be Good for Gays?

Link Polls too numerous to mention show voters are leaning toward going Democratic in the next election, which could mean that party taking control of Congress. Will the change in party really bring good things for the LGBT contingent?

Safety Officer Fired After Biography Reveals Secret

Link Charlene Genther's biography, "Badge 3483: A True Story," chronicles her years as one of the first female Detroit cops. It also mentions that she's a lesbian, so that was enough for one Catholic school to fire her -- despite a stellar record, popular support and her attendance at her daughter's PTA meetings.

New Jersey May be Next for Same-Sex Marriage

Link Mark your calendar for next Thursday, Jersey grrls. It might be the date you can get officially hitched to the love of your life!

Republican + Gay = Oxymoron?

Link You know how pitiful those poor Log Cabin Republicans always seem? Well, having found out there are no prizes for endurance in the face of discrimination, more and more gay Republicans are finally giving up on the GOP.

Best Evar "Try Before You Buy" Deal on Books

Link October is LGBT History (and Herstory) Month and it's almost half over. So brush up on your lesbian reading by reviewing some of the best lesbian novels around. Just get yourself a free Google account (via email or your personalized Google home page) and you can read entire novels for free -- before you decide if you want to buy them or not.

Gay Mardi Gras City's LGBT Zone Vanishing

Link Sydney, Australia is home of the Gay Mardi Gras -- and Oxford street is the main drag (pardon the pun) of the city's LGBT community. But with diversity on the rise and homophobia on the decline, the community's moving away. Does acceptance and prosperity mean the disappearance of the "gay community"?

Alamo City is Queer Family-Friendly

Link Doing the same-sex parenting thing and looking for peers? Head for the Hill Country! According to the Associated Press, you'll find plenty of them in San Antonio, Texas

Let Me Tell Ya 'Bout the Birds and the Bees

Link A new exhibit by the Oslo Natural History Museum throws a new argument at those who claim homosexuality is "un-natural" -- with loads of evidence that it is, in fact, very natural after all. Meanwhile, millions of parents have to revamp that "birds and the bees" talk with their kids...

Kiera and Lindsay Sittin' in a Tree...

Link Okay, well they're not hooking up IRL, but they will be playing two women "who are sexually attracted to each other" in an upcoming film about poet Dylan Thomas. And OMG, Kiera's mom wrote the screenplay!

Survey: 7 of 10 Americans Know Someone Gay

Link And the other three? They're just fooling themselves.

October 11th: National Coming Out Day

Link Sure, it was just Wednesday to most folks, but have you ever participated by actually coming out on October 11th? What was your experience in leaping from the closet like?

Study: Same-Sex Marriage Good for Economy

Link A new study from Los Angeles breaks down the barriers with a simple statement about money. There's cash to be made by allowing same-gender couples to make vows. Just ask the wedding industry!

Seattle: The World's Most Lesbian-Friendly City

Link It's true. You can't walk from one Starbucks to the next without your gaydar pinging like mad in Seattle. And if you prefer tattooed, pierced artsy chicks, Seattle also hundreds of to choose from in that genre, too!

Scotswomen Campaign for Better Health Care

Link Queer Womens Action in Scotland is seeking testimonials from lesbians who've dealt with that country's health care system. Main issue: "We're tired of going to see a GP for a routine appointment and having to explain to the doctor that 'yes I'm sexually active' doesn't necessarily mean 'having sex with men'.