February 2011 Archives

Did you know that the IRS recently issued a ruling that significantly changes the way California registered domestic partners and same-sex married persons fill out their federal tax forms? 

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center holds a discussion and Q&A session 7:30-9 tonight regarding the new federal regulations that directly affect how registered domestic partners and same-sex married couples should file their 2010 tax returns.

The forum takes place at the center, The Village at Ed Gould Plaza (Renberg Theatre), 1125 N. McCadden Place, Hollywood.

 

Estate attorney Wendy E. Hartmann and certified public accountant David A. Paddock explain the new IRS rules that require each taxpayer in a registered domestic partnership or same-sex marriage to report one-half of the couple's combined income. 

They'll also explain how couples can amend their tax returns for 2007, 2008 and 2009 to reflect the new requirements. For some couples, amending the returns could result in tax savings and refunds.

For more information, contact Nellie Sims at the center,  323-993-7691 or e-mail nsims@lagaycenter.org. 

WEST HOLLYWOOD - After 19 years of throwing his annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party, John knew what laid ahead for the evening.

"After the first half hour, the show plummets to the depths of the earth," John said to reporters outside the Pacific Design Center, where the party was held, according to TV Guide via omg! "Then it gets interesting again towards the end. In the middle of the broadcast, people get up and socialize." 

John also told reporters he and husband David Furnish have not decided  baby Zachary's godmother, though published reports say they have selected Lady Gaga.

"We haven't actually decided who's going to be godmother or godfather yet," John said, according to TV Guide.

PARIS -  Fashion designer John Galliano faced his accusers at a local Paris police station Monday, a couple who claim he made anti-Semitic slurs -- illegal in France -- after a video emerged of the famed creator praising Adolf Hitler, according to the Associated Press.

The hearing was closed to the public, but a police officer who had knowledge of it said of Galliano: "He denied all the accusations against him." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation.

Also testifying were Galliano's chauffeur and an employee of The Perle, the trendy cafe in Paris where the insults were allegedly made, the official said, but both reported they did not hear any anti-Semitic or racist remarks there, according to AP.

Christian Dior has suspended Galliano, its creative director, pending an investigation, citing its "zero-tolerance" policy on anti-Semitism. The fashion house is scheduled to present its fall-winter 2011-2012 ready-to-wear show on Friday as part of Paris fashion week.

The Paris prosecutor's office was expected to decide, possibly on Tuesday, what follow-up there may be, according to AP.

Here's the video for the new LGBT anthem, Lady Gaga's "Born This Way."

Do you like it?

Andrew Sullivan, the gay conservative blogger and author, is leaving The Atlantic and bringing his wildly popular blog The Daily Dish to Tina Brown's Newsweek/Daily Beast love child, NewsBeast, according to Fishbowl LA.

Sullivan broke the news late Sunday night.

The Long Beach Community Business Network, also known as the Long Beach Gay Chamber of Commerce, holds its next lunch mixer 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Paradise Piano Bar and Restaurant.

Boyfriends Aaron Ball and Randall Christensen dressed in tuxedos and walked the red carpet Sunday for the Oscars.

They didn't attend the 83rd Annual Academy Awards. Instead they were ticket holders at the Art Theatre's second annual Oscar Party on Fourth Street.

The venerable movie theater hosted the screening party as a fundraiser for its neighbor, The Center Long Beach, which provides services to support, inform and connect the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.

"Anytime you can wear a tuxedo is fun," said Ball, 41.

Added Christensen, 52: "It's more fun and glamorous to watch the Oscars here instead of being at home."

Ball and Christensen were among more than 100 guests who paid $15 to $20 to watch the pre-Oscar show and the ceremony live on the silver screen.

Admission included hors d'oeuvres served at the snack bar, and wines that won medals in last year's Long Beach Grand Cru competition.

The celeb-filled theater event 24 Hour Hollywood Rush grossed more than $85,000 with proceeds supporting The Baby Dragon Fund, which fuels addiction recovery, youth and mental health services at the LA Gay & Lesbian Center.

The event took Feb. 20 at the Ebell Theatre.

The work for the theater extravaganza started the evening before the show. A group of writers had 12 hours to compose six 10-minute plays. At 8 a.m., the scripts were handed off to an assembly of directors and actors who rehearsed the material into the afternoon. After a technical rehearsal, the show started - only 24 hours after the process began.

Writers, actors, directors who participated in 24 Hour Hollywood Rush included Jamie-Lynn Sigler ("The Sopranos," "Entourage"), Matthew Weiner ("Mad Men"), Josh Radnor ("How I Met Your Mother"), Yeardley Smith ("The Simpsons"), Dan Harris ("Superman Returns"), Melanie Lynskey ("Two and a Half Men"), Peter Paige ("Queer as Folk"), Jodie Sweetin ("Full House"), Brit Morgan ("True Blood"), Matthew Lillard ("Scream") and Sharon Lawrence ("NYPD Blue").

The Fund was established in memory of Hunter Allen, whose nickname was "Baby Dragon." He committed suicide while struggling with a crystal meth addiction.

President Obama's choice of former Los Angeles resident Jeremy Bernard as the new White House social secretary Friday made history in two ways: Bernard (left) is the first male and the first openly gay person to take over the event-planning role, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Gay rights advocates hailed the appointment, which came in the same week the Obama administration decided it would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal law defines marriage as between a man and woman.

"Jeremy shares our vision for the White House as the people's house, one that celebrates our history and culture in dynamic and inclusive ways," Obama said in a press release.

Initially, Bernard worked in Los Angeles as a businessman, community activist and Obama campaign fundraiser. The LA Weekly published an extensive piece in 2008 on Bernard's involvement with then presidential candidate Obama's campaign.

While in Los Angeles, Bernard was an advocate on gay and lesbian issues. He served on advisory committees for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's office, the Los Angeles Police Department and the mayor's office, as well as working on behalf of A.N.G.L.E (Access Now for Gay and Lesbian Equality) and the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, according to the Times.

(Photo: Jeremy Bernard (left) with his former partner Rufus Gifford in this 2009 portrait. Bernard is the first man and openly gay person to be named White House social secretary. Associated Press)

Bayard Rustin, a leader of the civil rights movement, mentor to Martin Luther King Jr. and chief organizer of the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, struggled much of his life against racism and homophobia.

Openly gay, he remained in the background for the sake of the movement, only to be sacrificed by its leaders as a political liability. Nevertheless, Rustin made crucial contributions to the civil rights movement and emerged as a gay rights activist.

Here is a copy of a 2003 article I wrote on Rustin. It was tied to the 40th anniversary of the March on Washington.

Dave Karger, a senior writer with Entertainment Weekly, has been named replacement for the late Army Archerd as the official red carpet greeter and interviewer for the Academy Awards, according to The Wrap.

Karger, who is gay, according to The Advocate, is considered one of the most reliable Oscar pundits in the industry and will interview nominees and presenters as they arrive Sunday night before they enter the Kodak Theatre.

Arrivals begin at 4 p.m. and the ceremony starts at 5:30 p.m. on ABC.

Rewards are being offered in the case of a cat found burned and tortured last weekend, according to the Press-Telegram's Tracy Manzer.

Community activist Justin Rudd, the founder of the non-profit Community Action Team which has established various animal and people oriented programs from Rosie's Dog Beach to the annual Turkey Trot run, offered $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for burning the little black and white cat found on a sidewalk last Sunday.

Friends of the Long Beach Animals, a nonprofit group that dedicates staff and funding to the Companion Animal Village in East Long Beach, have also offered a $1,000 reward, said Lisa Massacani, a Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman.

Police began investigating the matter after two women found the badly burned but still breathing cat in the 1100 block of Daisy Avenue shortly after 11 a.m.

Moby, Shepard Fairey, Crystal Method, Jason Bentley, DJ Dan and will be DJing Wednesday in Hollywood at Avalon for Dance For Equality, a fundraiser to overturn Prop. 8.

The benefit is organized by Courage Campaign, which works for full equality in California and across the United States. Every dollar donated to Dance for Equality will be used to in group's campaign to over Prop. 8, according to a press release.

"I am so proud to stand with the Courage Campaign and the millions of families and individuals across this country who wage a daily struggle for equality," Moby says in the statement.

Tickets are $25 in advance or $35 at the door.

Lisa Edelstein ("House"), Heather Graham, director-writer Paul Haggis and AIDS Quilt creator Cleve Jones are hosts for the event. 

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Christian Dior suspended its star fashion designer John Galliano on Friday pending an inquiry into accusations he hurled racist remarks Thursday at a couple in a Paris bar, according to a Reuters article via omg!.

Towelroad, however, has a story with eyewitness accounts regarding the incident with the openly gay designer which seem less dramatic than press reports.

Galliano's lawyer Stephane Zerbib said two complaints had been filed with police against his client for making racist or anti-Semitic comments - a crime in France - but he said Galliano "firmly and formally" denied doing so, according to the Reuters article.

"Pending the results of the inquiry, Christian Dior has suspended John Galliano from his responsibilities," the fashion house, part of billionaire Bernard Arnault's LVMH luxury empire, said in a statement.

Galliano was taken to a police station for a sobriety test, which confirmed he had been drinking, but was released without being charged and police escorted him home, according to Reuters.

The Electric Daisy Carnival will not be returning to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this summer, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Tim Gunn will cohost "Oscar's Red Carpet Live" arrivals show Sunday for the 83rd Academy Awards.

Gunn, who will interview celebrities and comment on red carpet fashions, cohosted the arrivals show two years ago.

The evening's other cohosts are Krista Smith, West Coast editor with Vanity Fair; Robin Roberts and Maria Menounos.

The arrivals begin at 4 p.m. and the ceremony starts at 5:30 p.m. on ABC.

The Art Theatre of Long Beach and LGB2Network host an Oscar screening party Sunday, which also is a fundraiser for The Center Long Beach.

Viewing beings at 4:30 p.m., and guests are encouraged to "dress to impress" and walk the temporary red carpet in front of the theater.

Tickets, $15 in advance and $20 at the door, include two drinks, snacks and raffle prizes.

Tickets are available at The Center, the Art Theatre or LGB2Network.

WASHINGTON - In a major policy reversal and a victory for gay rights, the Obama administration said today it will no longer defend the constitutionality of a federal anti-gay marriage law, according to the Associated Press.

The law is the Defense of Marriage Act, which was passed in 1996 under President Bill Clinton.

Attorney General Eric Holder said President Barack Obama has concluded that the administration cannot defend the federal law that defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. He noted that the congressional debate during passage of the Defense of Marriage Act "contains numerous expressions reflecting moral disapproval of gays and lesbians and their intimate and family relationships -- precisely the kind of stereotype-based thinking and animus the (Constitution's)Equal Protection Clause is designed to guard against."

Previous to today's announcement, The Justice Department had defended the act in court.

Fourth-Place Medal, the Y! sports blog, highlights five interesting tidbits from a New York Times profile on Olympic medalist Greg Louganis.

One of the tidbits, Louganis - who has been public out since 1995 - accepted a job as a juniors coach with SoCal divers four months ago only after being assured that he could implement his "building blocks mentality," which keeps a focus on mechanics. It's the first coaching he's done since 1976, when he helped out his high school team after returning from the Montreal Games.

For anyone who's a little wet behind the ears, Louganis won four Olympic golds and five world championships during his illustrious diving career. During the 1988 Olympic springboard competition he hit his head on the board and suffered a concussion but still returned to win gold, capping one of the most memorable comebacks in the history of the Games. In 1995, Louganis said he was HIV positive.

(Photo: Associated Press)

TAMPA, Fla. - Buju Banton, the anti-gay Jamaican reggae singer, was convicted Tuesday of conspiring to set up a cocaine deal in 2009, a verdict that elicited anguish and disbelief among supporters in a crowded courtroom and from other artists in his native Jamaica, according to the Associated Press.

The 37-year-old, whose real name is Mark Myrie, was found guilty of three of four charges, and his attorney said he's facing at least 15 years in prison.

Banton's lyrics have repeatedly been the focus of gay activists, with the reggae singer calling for violence against gays in multiple songs. His concert appearance have been boycotted by gay activists and frequently canceled by club owners as a result.

Banton was found guilty of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and using a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. He was acquitted of attempted possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.

No date has been set for his sentencing, according to AP.

(Photo: Buju Banton arrives at the 2006 BMI Urban Music Awards at Roseland Ballroom in New York City on Aug. 30, 2006. William D. Bird/Getty Images)

In honor of Black History Month, here is an article chronicling Audre Lorde, a pioneer and leader in the LGBT movement for equality.

This is an archived article, which was originally published six years ago in the Press-Telegram.


Audre Lorde refused to sit at the back of the civil rights bus.

Twenty years after Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech and the civil rights march on Washington, D.C., a 20th anniversary gathering was planned for the same site.

But in scheduling the day's speakers, event organizers and participants were adamant in refusing to allow anyone from the National Coalition for Black Lesbians and Gays to the podium. The National Organization for Women even threatened to boycott the ceremony.

Eventually, King's wife, Coretta Scott King, stepped in and told the group to let Lorde, a member of the coalition and a renowned poet and feminist, speak.

In her three-minute speech, Lorde challenged the audience to broaden its thoughts on social justice and be inclusive to everyone.

"Audre said, 'There's a war on classism, homophobia, ageism, racism, sexism. We need everyone to fight this war. You're not going to include us? Are we not black enough?'," says Jennifer Abod, a Long Beach-based filmmaker, whose film "The Edge of Each Other's Battles: The Vision of Audre Lorde" will be screened at Equal Writes bookstore in downtown Long Beach on Feb 18. A discussion will follow.

Lorde's appearance at the rally was a watershed moment.

"It was a very important speech," says Angela Bowen, an assistant professor of women's studies and English at Cal State Long Beach. "She spoke to so, so very many people who within their own communities would never have heard anybody gay speaking."

Lorde acted as a bridge between the civil rights movement and the lesbian and gay liberation movement.

"This was consistent with the way she was an ideological link between the civil rights, lesbian and gay liberation movements and the feminist movement," says Alexis De Veaux, author of "Warrior Poet," a biography of Lorde. "It was a huge movement in social justice causes. It has been unmatched since then."

Wonder Woman's Paradise Island might be considered a lesbian Shangri-La - A land of women where no men were allowed.

That homoeroticism was found in the pages of early Wonder Woman comic books, dating to the character's 1941 debut, thanks to her creator, feminist psychologist William Moulton Marston.

Gay.com takes a look at the character's early appearances in the new article "Wonder Woman's Dirty Laundry: A Look at Early Sexuality in Comics." From her lasso (a symbol for Marston's belief in feminine persuasive powers) to images of her spanking bound women (and being bound and spanked by men), the articles dives into the early days of Wonder Woman and digs up some gay-specific facts.

(Photo: Gay.com)

When Lady Gaga announced she would be releasing an exclusive edition of the upcoming "Born This Way" CD at Target, some of her little monsters got angry.

Target came under fire by LGBT activists last year for donating corporate funds to support MN Forward, a political action committee that supported anti-gay candidate Tom Emmer in his failed 2010 run for governor of Minnesota.

In an exclusive interview with Billboard magazine, Gaga says she wasn't comfortable with the Target partnership the idea was mentioned, and she met with "the entire executive staff" at the company. As a result, Gaga's deal with Target requires the chain of stores to start working with LGBT charity groups and make amends for past mistakes.

"That discussion was one of the most intense conversations I've ever had in a business meeting," Gaga says. "Part of my deal with Target is that they have to start affiliating themselves with LGBT charity groups and begin to reform and make amends for the mistakes they've made in the past ... our relationship is hinged upon their reform in the company to support the gay community and to redeem the mistakes they've made supporting those [antigay] groups."

Singer Rufus Wainwright is a father. His daughter, Viva Katherine Wainwright, was born Feb. 2 in Los Angeles, according to his Website.

Leonard Cohen's daughter, Lorca Cohen, is the mother. Wainwright's partner, Jorn Weisbrodt, is called "Deputy Dad."

The 39-year-old executive producer of the "Chronicles of Narnia" trilogy was found dead by his partner Thursday, and drugs are suspected as the cause of death, according to The Advocate.com.

Perry Moore was discovered unconscious by partner Hunter Hill in the bathroom of their New York City condominium. Moore was pronounced dead shortly after emergency personnel arrived at the SoHo residence, according to The Advocate.

The Hollywood Reporter says the New York Daily News and New York Post cite sources who say Moore suffered an apparent overdose of OxyContin. The New York Police Department would not confirm that to the Hollywood Reporter saying, "The medical examiner will determine the cause of death."

An Office of the Chief Medical Examiner spokesperson told THR that the autopsy came back inconclusive, and more tests would be needed.

Moore's "Narnia" movies have grossed over $1.5 billion. Moore was also the author of "Hero," the Lambda Award-winning novel about a gay adolescent superhero. 

Three comics who happen to be lesbians take the stage for tonight's "Curiously Strong Comedy" at the Center Theatre at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center.

Edith Marquez performs Sunday at Circus Disco for Club Papi's 11th anniversary party.

A 23-year-old Rancho Palos Verdes man has been charged in the hate-crime vandalism of two well-known Long Beach gay establishments and one Redondo Beach gay bar, authorities said.

Olivier Saintvictor was charged with two counts of felony vandalism and a hate crime allegation. He was arrested Tuesday and released on $145,000 bail, said Detective Jackie Bezart of the Long Beach Police Department.

The vandalism incidents occurred Dec. 17.

The first one happened around 6 p.m. at the Dolphin Bar in Redondo Beach. A man matching Saintvictor's appearance, a 6-foot black man weighing 200 pounds with shoulder-length dreadlocks, threw a rock at an SUV Escalade parked near the bar and then threw another rock into the bar's entry way, damaging a neon sign.

The man returned to a white Toyota Prius and drove away, said bar owner Jim LeBoeuf.

Around 8:30 p.m., a plate glass window next to the front door of The Center Long Beach on Fourth Street was shattered. Nobody was injured and nobody inside the Center saw anything, but some of them heard the noise, said Ron Sylvester, Center board chair.

It appeared a potted plant was thrown at the window.

Less than 30 minutes later, someone tossed a rock through a window facing Ocean Boulevard at Club Ripples. The bar was open at the time, but nobody was injured, said manager Ken Davis.

Witnesses at both locations said they saw a white Prius and a man matching Saintvictor's description leaving the scenes, Bezart said.

If anyone has information about similar incidents of vandalism, contact violent crimes detectives, 562-570-7250.

The trial of a 16-year-old Brandon McInerney (left) charged with fatally shooting gay classmate Lawrence King (right) has been postponed again, this time until May, in an attempt to find more information, including the victim's juvenile records, according to the Ventura County Star via The Advocate.com.

McInerney's trial was set to begin March 15, after several delays, but Ventura County superior court judge Charles Campbell announced this week the date would be pushed to May 2, according to the Ventura County Star.

McInerney is charged with killing Lawrence King, 15, who died after being shot in a classroom February 12, 2008, at E.O. Green Junior High School. He is also being charged with a hate crime because he is allegedly a follower of white supremacist beliefs. 

Famed gay photographer David LaChapelle is suing pop star Rihanna, saying she copied his images for her new "S&M" music video.

The pop singer's lurid and brightly colored music video was "directly derived" from pictures taken by the prominent fashion photographer, he said in a lawsuit made public this week, according to Reuters.

LaChapelle, who has shot celebrities for magazines such as Rolling Stone, GQ and Vanity Fair, said "the music video is directly derived from and substantially similar to the LaChapelle works."

In court documents filed in Manhattan Federal Court and obtained by RadarOnline.com, LaChapelle cites the similarities between his copyrighted work and the costumes and poses used in Rihanna's video alleging they were "willful, wanton and deliberate" acts of copyright infringement.

The lawsuit goes into detail using the LaChapelle's copyrighted image "Latex" as an example  - noting a portion of the Rihanna video shows the left side of the singer's face "against a blue background, wearing false eyelashes and close-fitting, shiny, pink latex hood, with her mouth open and placing a small candy on her tongue" - a striking similarity to his work.

Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" enters the Hot 100 at #1. It's the 1,000th #1 single since Billboard introduced the Hot 100 in August 1958, according to Chart Watch.

"Born This Way" sold 448,000 copies, which breaks Britney Spears' record, set just last month, for the biggest first-week digital sales tally for a hit by a female solo artist. Spears set the record when "Hold It Against Me" started with sales of 411,000.

Gaga's tally is the third fattest first-week total in digital history. The only songs that have sold more copies in their first weeks are Flo Rida's "Right Round," which moved 636, 000 in its first week in February 2009, and the Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow," which sold 465,000 in its first week in April 2009.

William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" gets a modern treatment in "Private Romeo," the story of star-crossed male lovers who are soldiers in training at a military academy.

The film is searching for a distributor.

Filmed last summer in the New York area, director Alan Brown's (who shares screenwriting credit with Mr. Shakespeare) version of the classic is cast with some of the most promising new faces on the Broadway scene, according to published reports.

His two leads, Seth Numrich and Matt Doyle, will both star in the eagerly anticipated NY production of "War Horse," which opens on Broadway this spring. "Private Romeo" co-stars Hale Appleman ("Teeth") and is produced by Agathe David-Weill ("Kettle of Fish").

Kelly Rowland performs at The Factory in West Hollywood Friday night. Doors open at 9 p.m.

Free admission with email sign up before 6 p.m. Friday, otherwise $10 cover.

Rowland will be singing her hits "When Love Takes Over" and "Commander," among others, live - according to promo flyers.

Popstarz and Tigerheat have joined forces to bring Rowland to WeHo.

A Cal State Long Beach professor has received an award for his community service work in HIV and AIDS prevention.

Thomas Washington, an associate professor of social work and research fellow, received the Gerald Ludd Award for "his outstanding community service, dedication and contributions to remove HIV/AIDS and other health disparities from the African American MSM community."

The term MSM, "men who have sex with men," is used by health officials instead of the word gay because some of these men identify as gay and some do not.

Washington was presented the award at the 2011 National African American MSM Leadership Conference on HIV/AIDS and Other Health Disparities, which was held in Brooklyn, N.Y. in January.

"The impact HIV-AIDS has had on the black and Latino sexual-minority male communities has been devastating," said Thomas, a Long Beach resident who has been on the CSULB faculty since 2008. "It will take every village, health care professional, community, church, politician, scientist and household getting involved to make a difference in improving the situation."

To be eligible for the Ludd Award, a nominee must have seven years of work or volunteer contributions in HIV and AIDS prevention or other health disparities, targeting the African American MSM community.

Candidates also must have shown significant efforts in HIV prevention or other health disparities or exceptional leadership.

The Center Long Beach is offering self-defense classes every Thursday night. The 60-minute classes start at 7 p.m., and everyone is welcome, including beginners.

"This is a great chance for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community to have a comfortable place to learn self-defense," says class instructor Sensei Mac.

Classes cover all skill levels and ages, are $10 each and take place at The Center.

For questions about The Center, call 562-434-4455. For questions about classes or to register, call Sensei Mac, 562-688-9994.

Former "Will & Grace" star Debra Messing is finalizing a deal to return to NBC as the female lead of another series set in New York where the male lead is a gay man, according to Deadline via The Advocate.com.

The NBC hour-long pilot is called "Smash," a drama about the mounting of a Broadway musical, which was based on an idea by Steven Spielberg. The show follows a cross section of characters who come together to put on a Marilyn Monroe musical on Broadway. At the heart of the show are the musical's composer Tom, who is gay, and the lyricist Julia (Messing), who is somewhat against the idea of a Marilyn Monroe-themed musical, according to Deadline.

Radio host and comedian Stephanie Miller has been named the grand marshall for this year's Long Beach Pride Parade, which will take place 10 a.m. May 22.

The Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Festival will be held May 21 and May 22 along Shoreline Drive.

Pride also will honor The Trevor Project with the Morris Kight Political Grand Marshal Award. Community grand marshalls will be Tonya Martin and Cory Allen, while Lysa Gamboa-Levy will be recognized as the Whitey Littlefield Community Bridge Builder.

Out at the Movies kicks off its second season with a screening of "Surgikill" 9 p.m. Thursday at the Art Theatre of Long Beach.

"Surgikill" is a campy filck about a masked murderer killing doctors, nurses and patients at a poorly run Los Angeles hospital that is scheduled for closure.

The film was directed by exploitation movie maker Andy Milligan, who churned out 29 movies from 1965 to 1988. "Surgikill" was Milligan's last film. Some of his other films include, "The Orgy at Lil's Place," "The Naked Witch," "Fleshpot on 42nd Street" and "Monstrosity." Milligan died in 1991 from complications caused by AIDS. He was 62.

Jimmy McDonough's 2001 book, "The Ghastly One: The Sex-Gore Netherworld of Filmmaker Andy Milligan," traces Milligan's exploits and movie attempts.

Following the screening of "Surgikill" is a Q&A with Bouvier ("Dr. Grace Goode"), Doug Eames ("Dr. Albert Schweitzer") and "Surgikill" writer Sherman Hirsh.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $11 at the door. Complimentary food and drink will be served.

Women on Wednesdays is a new Long Beach-based social group for lesbians, trans women, bi-sexual women of all ages. The group "encourages companionship, relationships, opportunities, laughter, recreation, news, networking and socializing," according to its Website.

The group meets every Wednesday. It's the brainchild of E. Lea Totton and Pat Lamis. Lamis also started the Womynz Brunch Bunch.

Colleague Robert Meeks has the "X-Men: First Class" trailer on his Modern Mythology site. The film opens June 3 and rewinds more than five decades to focus on the relationship between Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr, played by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen in the first three films.

In case you missed it, "Nip/Tuck: The Complete Series" and all its cosmetically enhanced glory, whose six seasons featured several LGBT characters, is available in a glorious DVD boxset.

It features all 100 episodes on 35 discs, plus 11 featurettes, unaired scenes and gag reels. It sells for $198.98.

Dylan Walsh stars as Sean McNamara and Julian McMahon stars as Christian Troy, partners who own the Miami (and later in the series, Hollywood) plastic surgery firm of McNamara/Troy. The two are old friends, but couldn't be more different. McNamara is a committed family man with a wife, Julia (Joely Richardson), and two kids. Troy, on the other hand, is an unrepentant lothario, bedding scores of women - often patients - on a regular basis.

Their initial query of patients, "Tell me what you don't like about yourself," sets the stage for a series filled with secrets and deception. Although the doctors clients aspire to cover up their pain, the surgeons are the ones who truly wear the masks of anguish, unhappiness and disillusionment.

"Nip/Tuck" has showcased several LGBT characters over the years and they're all here on the box set, including :

The deliciously attractive Famke Jansen, who played Julia's MTF life coach.

Roma Maffia plays Liz Winters, a lesbian with a sense of humor. She's an anesthesiologist working under Christian and Sean. Liz is very secure in her sexual orientation and dates Alanis Morissette with a dramatic flair for several episodes.

Bruno Campos portrays Quentin Costa, a reoccurring bisexual character, who appears in seasons two and three. Costa is revealed to be not only Christian's rapist, but also The Carver, a serial killer in an incestuous relationship with his sister.

Portia de Rossi played a manipulative lesbian mom whose teen daughter wanted to go under the knife.

The list goes on and on. Click here for a comprehensive run down on the show's LGBT characters.

"Nip/Tuck" was created by Ryan Murphy, who created the uber-successful, Emmy Award winning "Glee."

The "True Blood" comic book series is sinking its teeth into another chapter of vampire drama and mayhem in a new six-issue story arc debuting Feb. 23. It will be co-authored by actor Michael McMillian, who plays Fellowship of the Sun leader Rev. Steve Newlin, and fan-favorite writer Marc Andreyko.

"Words can't express how excited I am to be writing this with Michael," Andreyko said in a statement. "We're doing our damndest to spin a tale that fans of the show, and comics readers, will drink up like blood."

Added McMillian: "Marc and I are working hard to make sure the series feels like an extension of the show. 'True Blood' fans should expect lots of action, gore, sex, humor and of course, awesome cliffhangers."

In the new storyline Jessica is exposed to contaminated bottles of Tru Blood, causing the lovely vampire to go berserk. Sookie, Bill and the others must figure out who - or what - is behind the bad Blood. In addition to Jessica, several other Bon Temp residents are making their comic book debut in the new series including Hoyt, Terry, Arlene and Newlin.

On Tuesday, a hardcover collection of the first six issues, "All Together Now," will be released. The compilation also contains original sketches and a cover gallery.

Does Equality California treat some LGBT Californians as less equal?

While a search is underway to replace Geoff Kors (right), the controversial outgoing executive director of Equality California, the LA Weekly has an in-depth article and Kors and the group, which is dubbed "Gay Inc."

Kors played a key - and widely criticized - role in the failed campaign to stop Proposition 8. Kors strongly influenced TV ads and field operations as polls showed the measure to block gay marriage was foundering. After voters turned tables and approved the gay marriage ban, the group's campaign decisions were roundly attacked for being created in isolation by Kors and other gay rights insiders, according to the article.

They failed to detect or address strong anti-gay marriage sentiment among Latino and black voters in big, Southern California cities like Los Angeles, and in working-class inland counties such as San Bernardino and Riverside.

Critics charge that Kors, intent on building an empire, makes a critical error by snubbing the smaller, grassroots gay rights organizations that bring new blood, ideas and contact with ordinary people. For critics, Equality California, instead of helping to create a stronger gay rights movement, is a key part of what some derisively call "Gay Inc." -- a handful of gay rights groups that operate as self-focused money machines.

"They become very high-profile and they get a lot of access," says Ivy Bottini, a longtime gay rights activist. "They fall in love with power, and that's the kiss of death for an aggressive gay rights movement."

Kors shakes off his critics, telling LA Weekly, "Different people have different agendas that aren't just about advancing equality. And I don't think you can be effective if you're not going to rankle some people along the way."

The fight scenes were spectacular - two divas dueling. The only problem - The sequences weren't in the movie.

Sparks flew on the set of "Burlesque" but not between the two stars, Cher and Christina Aguilera; they were between the two dramatic men running the movie: Clint Culpepper, the high-voltage president of Sony Pictures' Screen Gems unit, and Steven Antin, a rookie feature director who got his first big gig on one of the most expensive films in Screen Gems history, according to an article by Kim Masters in The Hollywood Reporter.

Adding a romantic twist to the Hollywood drama - Antin is Culpepper's longtime boyfriend.

In "Burlesque," which arrives on DVD March 1, a small-town girl (Aguilera) ventures to Los Angeles and finds her place in a neo-burlesque club run by a former dancer (Cher), blah, blah, blah.

The cast and crew wanted to make a film that would be "sexy fun," instead, Culpepper and Antin  engaged in high-decibel fights "over every single thing: script pages, the way something was being shot, whether we needed extra shots," one crew member says. Antin sometimes would storm out, and Culpepper would just keep going, according to the article.

Despite rumors the fighting on one occasion devolved into shoving, a source close to Culpepper says that's untrue. In the midst of one fight, the person says, Culpepper poured an iced tea over Antin's head, and he recoiled backward and fell into a rack of clothes.

An insider says the drama between the two men was so intense at times that some crew members started keeping notes. A producer with ties to Sony marvels that no cell-phone-recorded footage has made its way onto the Internet, according to the article.

As for the film's DVD release, bonus features on the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack include commentary with writer-director Antin, an alternate opening and a blooper reel. Additional bonus features include the behind-the-scenes featurettes "Burlesque is Back," "The Performers: The Cast of Burlesque," "Setting the Stage: Production Design & Photography," "Inside the Dressing Room: Creating the Burlesque Look" and "The Set List: The Music & Choreography of Burlesque."

"Burlesque" will be priced at $34.95 (BD/DVD) and $28.95 SRP (DVD).

A Spanish-language radio drama aims to break the silence surrounding homosexuality and its acceptance in California's rural communities, where thousands of agricultural workers toil in fields while listening to the radio, according to the Associated Press.

The radionovela, "Bienvenidos a Casa," or "Welcome Home," which was scheduled to premiere today across the Central Valley, tells the story of Carlos, a Latino teen who is rejected by his friends and family for being gay then finds acceptance with his mother and neighbors.

The show will air through March on Radio Bilingue, a national Spanish-language radio network headquartered in Fresno. A gay-rights group is working to air the series nationally, according to the article.

Activists say it's the first time information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues reaches rural Latino farmworker communities in an accessible language and format.

The three-episode radionovela, developed in collaboration with San Francisco State University and California Rural Legal Assistance, was based on input from community focus groups and performed by community volunteers, according to the article.

Ricky Martin's new CD, "Musica+Alma+Sexo," is the highest chart debut for a principally Spanish album since Selena's "Dreaming of You" in July 1995. Martin's release landed at #1 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart and #3 on the Billboard Top 200.

Martin will be a presenter Sunday at the Grammy Awards. Martin also will be featured on two hour-long broadcasts: "Studio Tr3s: Ricky Martin" 11 a.m. Saturday on MTV TR3S and "Private Sessions With Lynn Hoffman" 6 a.m. Sunday on A&E.

Tickets also are on sale for Martin's upcoming tour, which has two Los Angeles dates - May 6 and 7 at the Nokia Theatre.

The Crystal Method are doing an intimate DJ set tonight at Los Angeles' new downtown hot spot, The Exchange.

The free RSVP guest list is closed, but this link gives other options for discounted guest list.

"Glee Live! In Concert!," starring the television show's cast, will return to North American concert stages this spring, including to Los Angeles area concerts.

The tour hits Anaheim's Honda Center May 27 and the Staples Center May 28.

Select tickets will be available to American Express cardholders in an exclusive pre-sale Friday. Tickets go on sale to the general public 10 a.m. Feb. 19.

Tickets will be available via www.ticketmaster.com, 800-745-3000 or any Ticketmaster Outlet.  Tickets also will be available at the arena box offices.

For more information, www.gleetour.com.

The TV cast performance live verisions of some of the show's most memorable musical numbers, including "Empire State of Mind," "Toxic, " "My Life Would Suck Without You," "It's My Life," and of course, the show's anthem,  "Don't Stop Believin'." 

"Born This Way," the first single from Lady Gaga's upcoming CD will be released worldwide to radio at 3 a.m. PST Friday. Three hours later, it will go on sale digitally.

Here are the credits and lyrics, courtesy of Lady Gaga's Twitter page:

"BORN THIS WAY"
WRITTEN BY: LADY GAGA
PRODUCED BY: LADY GAGA, FERNANDO GARIBAY, DJ WHITE SHADOW
MIXED AND ENGINEERED BY: DAVID RUSSEL



INTRO:
It doesn't matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M
Just put your paws up
'cause you were Born This Way, Baby

VERSE:
MY MAMA TOLD ME WHEN I WAS YOUNG
WE ARE ALL BORN SUPERSTARS

SHE ROLLED MY HAIR AND PUT MY LIPSTICK ON
IN THE GLASS OF HER BOUDOIR

"THERE'S NOTHIN WRONG WITH LOVIN WHO YOU ARE"
SHE SAID, "'CAUSE HE MADE YOU PERFECT, BABE"

"SO HOLD YOUR HEAD UP GIRL AND YOU'LL GO FAR,
LISTEN TO ME WHEN I SAY"


CHORUS:
I'M BEAUTIFUL IN MY WAY
'CAUSE GOD MAKES NO MISTAKES
I'M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN THIS WAY

DON'T HIDE YOURSELF IN REGRET
JUST LOVE YOURSELF AND YOU'RE SET
I'M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN THIS WAY

POST-CHORUS:
OOO THERE AIN'T NO OTHER WAY
BABY I WAS BORN THIS WAY
BABY I WAS BORN THIS WAY
OOO THERE AIN'T NO OTHER WAY
BABY I WAS BORN-
I'M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN THIS WAY

DON'T BE A DRAG -JUST BE A QUEEN
DON'T BE A DRAG -JUST BE A QUEEN
DON'T BE A DRAG -JUST BE A QUEEN
DON'T BE!

VERSE:
GIVE YOURSELF PRUDENCE
AND LOVE YOUR FRIENDS
SUBWAY KID, REJOICE YOUR TRUTH

IN THE RELIGION OF THE INSECURE
I MUST BE MYSELF, RESPECT MY YOUTH

A DIFFERENT LOVER IS NOT A SIN
BELIEVE CAPITAL H-I-M (HEY HEY HEY)
I LOVE MY LIFE I LOVE THIS RECORD AND
MI AMORE VOLE FE YAH (LOVE NEEDS FAITH)

REPEAT CHORUS + POST-CHORUS

BRIDGE:

DON'T BE A DRAG, JUST BE A QUEEN
WHETHER YOU'RE BROKE OR EVERGREEN
YOU'RE BLACK, WHITE, BEIGE, CHOLA DESCENT
YOU'RE LEBANESE, YOU'RE ORIENT
WHETHER LIFE'S DISABILITIES
LEFT YOU OUTCAST, BULLIED, OR TEASED
REJOICE AND LOVE YOURSELF TODAY
'CAUSE BABY YOU WERE BORN THIS WAY

NO MATTER GAY, STRAIGHT, OR BI,
LESBIAN, TRANSGENDERED LIFE
I'M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN TO SURVIVE
NO MATTER BLACK, WHITE OR BEIGE
CHOLA OR ORIENT MADE
I'M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN TO BE BRAVE

REPEAT CHORUS


OUTRO/REFRAIN:

I WAS BORN THIS WAY HEY!
I WAS BORN THIS WAY HEY!
I'M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN THIS WAY HEY!

I WAS BORN THIS WAY HEY!
I WAS BORN THIS WAY HEY!
I'M ON THE RIGHT TRACK BABY
I WAS BORN THIS WAY HEY!

A free pre-Valentine's Day party for LGBTQ youth and their allies will be held 6-9 p.m. Saturday in West Hollywood.

The LGB2Network presents a Valentine mix and match gay-lesbian speed dating event 7 tonight at Ambrosia Café, 1923 E. Broadway.

 

Participants are grouped according to age preferences and spend two minutes each with up to 25 potential mates.  Following the speed dates, participants are invited to mix and mingle with other guests and spend more time with daters who peaked their interests. 

 

At the conclusion of the event, participants turn in a list of their favorite dates and LGB2Network  connects those couples who match.  One lucky matching couple receives a special prize package, including a Valentine's dinner for two at Ambrosia Café.

 

The cost  is $15 per person and includes one complimentary drink.

The event benefits The Center Long Beach.

Cynthia Nixon's fiancee, Christine Marinoni gave birth to the couple's first child together Monday, Nixon's rep confirms to UsMagazine.com, via omg!

The little guy - named Max Ellington Nixon-Marinoni - joins Nixon's daughter Samantha, 14, and son Charles, 8, from her previous relationship to photographer Danny Mozes.

The Sex and the City actress (left), 44, and Marinoni (right), 43, started dating in 2004 and announced their engagement in 2009.

They haven't tied the knot yet, but Nixon has said they already feel like a family.

(Photo: Actress Cynthia Nixon and activist Christine Marinoni attend the N's 'Miracle's Boys' premiere party at Cain on Feb.10, 2005 in New York City. Photo by Andrew Kent/Getty Images for Nickelodeon)

The South Bay Center's women's group sponsors a dining out gathering 7 tonight.

It takes place at Islands in the Rolling Hills Plaza, 2647 Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance.

Please RSVP for reservations, womensgroup@southbaycenter.org, or 310-738-2213.

Please bring cash to make paying easier.
 

A joint acquisition by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Trust establishes Los Angeles as the center for studying artist Robert Mapplethorpe, according to the museums.

The acquisition includes more than 2,000 works by the artist, "including a print of virtually every photograph he editioned in silver gelatin," the process he used to create his famous black and white photographs, according to a joint press release from the museums.

The acquisition also includes the Mapplethorpe archive, featuring one-of-a-kind silver gelatin prints, thousands of Polaroid studies for his work, personal correspondence to intimates such as Patti Smith, and documentation of the 1990 obscenity trial in Cincinnati that made Mapplethorpe a central figure in that decade's culture wars.

LACMA and the Getty are planning a collaborative series of monographic exhibitions, and additional plans are being developed to show and publish the work in the future, according to the joint statement.
 
Mapplethorpe's elegant prints, which included portraits, nudes, flowers, and erotic and sadomasochistic subjects, dominated photography in the late 20th century.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Mapplethorpe's work emerged at the center of an American culture war over the use of public money to support art that some deemed obscene or blasphemous. When some of Mapplethorpe's more controversial works were exhibited at The Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, director Dennis Barrie was arrested and charged with pandering (he was acquitted of the charge after a landmark public trial).

Mapplethorpe died in 1989 at age 42 from complications of AIDS.

For the acquisition, the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation gave most of the material as a gift; the remainder comes from funds provided by the David Geffen Foundation and the J. Paul Getty Trust.

It's been almost a year since Ricky Martin announced to the world he was gay, but among many gay Latinos, a community that has lived in obscurity for fear of harassment or rejection, his message is still making a positive impact, according to LGBT advocates in an Associated Press report.

Pedro Julio Serrano, communications manager of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, says that "when Ricky made the announcement the tectonic plates moved, it was almost like an earthquake."

"It was one of the most important news in the fight for equality that the Latino LGBT community leads. It touches the hearts and opens the minds of many people," said Serrano, who became a friend of the artist after his announcement.

What is being billed as the largest gay cruise ever - 5,400 people - set sail Sunday, and Atlantis Events announced it will repeat the voyage in 2012.

Royal Caribbean's two-month old Allure of the Seas will depart from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with stops in Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. This trip is the first time the ship has been chartered to an outside company, according to Atlantis Events.

Demand for the cruise was so high, Atlantis has already booked it for January, 2012. Tickets for that cruise will go on sale at the end of the February.

"Modern Family" won best comedy series writing for television tonight at the 2011 Writes Guild Awards.

The awards recognized outstanding writing for film, television, radio news, promotional, videogame and new media writing. Dual ceremonies were held in Hollywood and New York City.

"Modern Family" co-stars Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Eric Stonestreet hosted the West Coast show.  Ferguson and Stonestreet kicked off the show with a musical number, "Write It Gay. The concept and lyrics were written by Guy Nicolucci with additional lyrics by Spencer Green and Gary Stockdale. It was  choreographed by Lee Martino.

For a complete list of winners, check out the Writers Guild of America.

A new episode of "Modern Family" will air 9 p.m. Wednesday on ABC.

Tony Moran goes behind the decks at Reflex tonight, well, technically it's Sunday morning since it starts at 2:30 a.m.

New York Rangers forward and former Los Angeles Kings player Sean Avery has a message for gay hockey players who are scared to come out - Pick up the phone and call him, according to the Toronto Sun.

Avery, known as one of the sporting world's more liberal athletes, lived in West Hollywood when he played for the Kings and lives in Chelsea. Avery says he'd be more than happy to serve as a support system for a gay player.

"If there's a kid in Canada or wherever, who is playing and really loves the game and wants to keep playing but he's worried about coming out, I'd tell him to pick up the phone and call [NHLPA executive director] Donald Fehr and tell him to book me a [plane] ticket," Avery tells the Toronto Sun. "I'll stand beside him in the dressing room while he tells his teammates he is gay. Maybe if Sean Avery is there, they would have less of a problem with it."

(Photo: New York Rangers' Sean Avery skates against the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum on Dec. 2, 2010 in Uniondale, N.Y. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The White House announced Friday the appointment of Nancy Wilson, the head of the Metropolitan Community Church, the nation's largest denomination serving LGBT churches, to the President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, according to CNN's Belief Blog.

A leading LGBT pastor, Wilson (right) serves as moderator for the Univerisity Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, where she is one of few women to lead an international Christian denomination. She previously served as senior pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of Los Angeles, the founding MCC church.

Wilson is one of 12 appointees to the Council, which, according to a news release, "brings together religious and secular leaders as well as scholars and experts in fields related to the work of faith-based and neighborhood organizations in order to make recommendations to the government on how to improve partnerships," Belief Blog reported.

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Former member of the L.A. punk band the Mumps, Kristian Hoffman debuts his new CD, "FOP," tonight at the Steve Allen Theater.

The openly gay musician describes the 17-song collection as "orchestrated baroque glam psych," which sounds right up the eclectic musician's alley. 

The evening will open with select performers adding their unique sound to songs from Hoffman's more than 30-year back catalog.

Hoffman then will perform his critically acclaimed "FOP," accompanied by his full band with the added accompaniment of a string quartet conducted by Jeff Bruner.

Hoffman is  one of L.A.'s great musical raconteurs, according to the Los Angeles Times, and has had his hands in an eclectic grab bag of projects since the 1970s.

Hoffman is a much-in-demand bandleader and collaborator who has worked with the likes of Rufus Wainwright, Ann Magnuson, Lydia Lunch, Klaus Nomi and Dave Davies.

California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye said Wednesday the court may decide "as soon as next week" whether to weigh in on the federal Proposition 8 appeal, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has asked the California high court to determine whether state law gives sponsors of initiatives the authority to defend them legally when state officials refuse to do so.

Maria Schneider, the actor who helped introduce explicit sex to mainstream cinema, has died following a long illness. The 58-year-old (left) is best known for her performance in Bernardo Bertolucci's 1972 drama "Last Tango in Paris" - a role that came to define and destroy her acting career, according to The Guardian.

The actress was 19 when cast opposite the 48-year-old Brando (right) in the film, which originally received an X rating. The drama created a media frenzy for its sexual content and was either censored or banned in many countries.

The performance made Schneider a star, but she later disavowed the film, saying she'd been exploited by Bertolucci and Brando.

Schneider came out as bisexual in 1974 and the following year starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Michelangelo Antonioni's highly regarded existential drama "The Passenger."

Her post-Tango career was hindered by drug addiction and mental illness. After walking off the set of the 1979 film "Caligula," she reportedly checked herself into an asylum.

Her last notable performances was the 1996 film adaptation of "Jane Eyre" as the insane first wife of Rochester, played by William Hurt.

The Center Long Beach has started a social and support group for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

"Sign On" is open to anyone 18 years old and older who is deaf, hard of hearing or knows how to sign, not just the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, says Daryl Arthur, one of the group's three facilitators.

The group has three goals, provide a safe environment for an informal discussion on topics pertinent to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community; explore personal experiences that will enlighten and empower members of this diverse community and provide an opportunity to meet others people who are seeking social support and possibly starting new friendships, Arthur says.

The meetings, which are conducted in American Sign Language, are from 7-8:30 Friday at The Center, 2017 E. Fourth St.

For questions about The Center, 562-434-4455. For questions about "Sign On," contact Daryl Arthur, 323-825-8423.

Are you a closet poet or prose writer? Do you have a magic trick up your sleeve? Want to dust off a musical instrument?

Friday, from 7 to 10 p.m., is open mike and coffee house night at the South Bay Center (16610 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance) complete with stage, sound system and hosts.

For performance information or questions, leave a message, 310-328-6550, or send an email, openmic@southbaycenter.org.

Local blogger-journalist Julio Salgado has posted a story about "Papers: Stories of the Undocumented Youth" and an interview with Jorge Gutiérrez, a gay undocumented youth profiled in the film.

The documentary, which is available on DVD, humanizes the daily struggles of many immigrants, and director Anne Galisky captures a movement in the making while following the lives of five ethnically diverse youth, including Gutiérrez, Salgado writes.

Gutiérrez stands out in the documentary as he confesses what it's like to grow up as both queer and undocumented, two communities constantly attacked by the conservative right.

Outsports' Jim Buzinski has posted his annual Super Bowl for the Clueless.

It's his look at the big game between the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers from all angles: The gay angle, the hair, the TV, the hotties, the quarterbacks, the Steelers polka, the entertainment, the commercials and who will win the game and why.

Whether or not you're a fan of the game or not, Buzinski's report is an informative, great read.

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network has taken second place in the Pepsi Refresh contest, winning $250,000 to help fund the group's Safe Space campaign and fight antigay bullying in schools across the nation, according to the group's blog.

The funding will help GLSEN distribute its Safe Space Kits and promote adult support for LGBT students in 10,000 schools across the country, GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard says on the blog.

The Safe Space Kits will include a 42-page "Guide to Being an Ally to LGBT Students," which lists specific strategies for supporting LGBT students, including how to educate about anti-LGBT bias and teaching respect for all people.

The kit also shows people how to assess a school's climate, policies and practices and outlines ways to advocate for change inside the school. 

"Glee" star Jane Lynch will write her memoir and explain how getting sober and embracing her sexuality helped her find both professional and personal joy. "Happy Accidents" will be published in September.

Professionally speaking, the 50-year-old, award-winning actress garnered the Golden Globe and Emmy for playing McKinley High Cheerios coach Sue Sylvester. On the personal side, Lynch married Dr. Laura Embry in Massachusetts in June.  

"Happy Accidents" will look back on the actress' career, including her time at Chicago's famed The Second City and her multiple roles in Christopher Guest movies like "Best In Show" and Judd Apatow projects like "The 40 Year Old Virgin."

"Happy Accidents" also will focus on how "embracing her sexuality" helped Lynch "find both professional and personal joy," the publisher says in a press release.

"If I could go back in time and have a conversation with my 18-year-old self, the first thing I'd say is, 'Lose the perm.' Second, I would say, 'Relax. Really - just relax. Don't sweat it,'" Lynch says in the press release. "For a long time, I was anxious and fearful that the parade would pass me by, and that someone or something outside myself had all the answers. Having finally reached a happy place - a happy accidents place - I want to share my story with others, to let them know things aren't as bad as they fear."

"Glee" returns with a new episode on FOX after the Super Bowl.

Lawyers for the parents of a Mitrice Ricardson, who was found dead in Malibu Canyon after being released by sheriff's deputies, are entitled to video showing Richardson's behavior inside and outside the jail and station house, a judge ruled Tuesday, according to Wave Newspapers.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William F. Fahey ordered lawyers for the county to make the video of Richardson available Wednesday afternoon.

Richardson was a former dancer at Club Ripples.

The judge also ruled the plaintiffs are entitled to Los Anglees police records generated between September 2009, when the Cal State Fullerton graduate went missing, through Dec. 10, 2009.

Richardson's body was found Aug. 12 in Malibu Canyon by deputies and park rangers who were looking for illegal pot farms.