Valentine’s Day 2012 in Dublin was actually pretty awesome, mostly because Melissa Etheridge was here and singing and here, in Dublin. Did I mention Melissa Etheridge was in Dublin? Have I ever dreamed of spending Valentine’s Day fewer than 20 feet from Melissa Etheridge? You bet! And she didn’t disappoint. While she seemed hesitant at [...]

Related posts:

1. Álainn or Appallin’: Melissa Etheridge
2. My Valentine’s Date: Melissa Etheridge
3. GAZE 2011: Dublin International LGBT Film Festival

Young artist Xnthony, whose work has been the subject of some debate in the comments here before, is another of this year’s “aspiring queen cailíns” at the final Alternative Miss Ireland.

You may remember her from Fix My Dick, which featured on the blog before. And if you want to see more of Christeene, you’re in luck because there are five other installments in Christeene’s video collection Celebrity Gets Fucked.

(thanks Alex)

Amir Khan looking absolutely dreamy and swoonsome at the Burberry show at London Fashion Week. He is so beautiful I actually ache slightly looking at him.
Thankfully he loves me very much.

Bookmakers Paddy Powers face an investigation from the UK’S Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after receiving 360 complaints about the company’s controversial ‘Ladies Day’ ad.

Fintan Walsh writes about the impact the Alternative Miss Ireland has had on contemporary Irish theatre in Irish theatre Magazine.
While the tone of the evening is typically ribald, the AMI has always been in tune which current social and political issues. Implicitly, the event mocks idealised notions of gender and sexuality which are deeply inscribed in Irish culture, particularly rigid constructions of women and morality, and iconic place-holders of virtue such as Cathleen Ní Houlih…

What in the seven circles of hell were Paddy Power thinking when they threw this transphobic bile together? Now on Ladies’ Day at Cheltenham, you can play a game called “stallions or mares” in which you have to pick out the trans woman.

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1. Trans Day of Remembrance
2. Poland elects first trans MP
3. Survey: Trans* people and online support

Loving Sinead’s new track and the video is simple but beautiful too. The nuttiness can sometimes overshadow her, but she really is a special talent. And tht voice! When you hear her live it’s spine tingling.

Posting is going to be lighter than usual over the next few days because Mommy is very busy with a number of things on. But I won’t abandon you completely. 
Anyway, in the meantime, enjoy Arthur doing what he does best – looking intently at me and touching his hair.

They really left nothing out! It’s in a club in Brasilia, Brazil’s modernist capital city built smack bang in the centre of the country, and usually overshadowed by Rio and Sau Paulo.

The Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI) has responded to an offensive new ad campaign by Paddy Power, which calls on visitors to Ladies Day at the Cheltenham festival to “spot the Stallions from the Mares”.

Folks, its a blustery grey day here in Dublin and its Monday. Let’s try and get the day off to a good start with a lovely lady? Up until Coyote Ugly, a truly awful movie, I mean awful, I hadn’t heard of Bridget Moynahan. Boy was I missing out?

No related posts.

In recent times we have seen several top professional sports people fined, suspended and even having their contracts terminated for homophobic comments made via Twitter. It’s about time the sports world stood up and did something to show how wrong slurs of this nature are.

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1. Gay cyclist warns gay athletes not to come out
2. Anton Hysen Comes Out
3. Why do gay footballers prefer to remain in Narnia?

I’m actually slightly hesitant to even draw attention to this because no doubt that’s exactly what they want. It seems impossible that they didn’t know exactly how offensive it is and went ahead anyway hoping for a bit of controversy.
In this TV ad for Paddy Power and Ladies Day at Cheltenham they ask you to try and guess which are the “transgendered” ladies in the Ladies Day crowd from the “real women”  -to “spot the stallions from the mares”. The voicover guy then labels the trans women…

(thanks Corky)

The entrant queen-cailíns in the final Alternative Miss Ireland have big plans and some of those plans cost. And I don’t mean in just sweat and dignity. I’m talking cold hard cash.
So one of this year’s queens, Miss Lunasaigh (who comes from the same ‘stable’ as Miss Opus Gei who was a sensation two years ago) is holding a pub quiz in 4 Dame Lane next Wednesday. And the quiz questions have been set, and will be asked via video, by David Norris, Jean Byrne, myself, and others. Should be …

First, it was the Evergreen State, and then the Garden State. Marriage equality stateside marches onward from the west coast to the east, and apparently via the scenic route. Throughout this week, both houses of the New Jersey Legislature voted in favour of the ‘Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption Act’, a measure which will legalise marriage for same-sex couples if the Governor now signs it. Unfortunately, he has promised to veto it

Related posts:

1. Marriage equality comes to Washington state
2. Move over, Meg Ryan. Seattle has a new love story
3. Irish support same-sex marriage

This is a cute diversion for a few minutes. Click the image and then start playing around at the link. It’s fun, and if you keep playing for a few minutes you’ll realise it’s even more clever than you first thought.

Pantibar is in need of some reupholstering. Them gays really do wear ‘n’ tear.

This week the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival kicks off and what a line up of films they’re bringing us this year. JDIFF will be showing an array of great films and sprinkled among them are films that cater not only for the bi, lesbian and trans* community here in Ireland but for women in general.

Related posts:

1. Review: Albert Nobbs
2. Albert Nobbs Given Fall Release Date
3. OutLook: LGBT films at the Cork Film Festival

“If this made you smile, please share it”.
And I can’t lie – it did make me smile. So I’m sharing it. Meet Melbourne’s Spandy Andy.

Milano Pizza in Temple Bar seems to be going for the gay crusing market.

We do love our monthly trips to Bitches Be Crazy. For reasons which are.. best described by the name of the club.. And now, with thanks to those lovely Bitches, we have two free passes to give away to one lucky winner! For free! Gratis! Sweet F.A.! Nada! Read on for details

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1. Bitches Be Crazy? Witches Be Crazy
2. It’s 2012: Bitches be back
3. One big room, full of bad bitches

It seems like every day there’s a new business opening on Capel St. 
Shauna’s pet shop opened recently just a few doors from Pantibar, same side, toward the river. Shauna is an energetic young woman setting up in business for the first time, though she already knows the pet shop business well having worked previously in the memorably named Whackers Pet Shop on Parnell St. Having a pet shop practically next door is great for us in Pantibar – between myself and managers Shane and Harry we h…

(thanks Corky)

That ain’t gay marriage. THIS is a gay marriage!

(thanks Ange)

A French MP who denied that France deported gays during WWII, along with making a series of homophobic remarks, has been expelled from President Sarkozy’s UMP party.

Hell hath no fury like a manager scorned.

Billy Sammeth was the personal manager of both Joan Rivers and Cher (among others) before he was fired by both women. Cher fired him in 1999 just before she walked out to sing The Star Spangled Banner at the Superbowl, and Joan fired him in 2009 during the filming of the dicumentary Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work. In fact he sued Joan for defamation claiming that in the documentary she made it look as if he were on drugs.
In fact Sammeth sued both wom…

… for Make & Do Do and explore the erotic possibilities of plasticine. Or just make a blobby snake. Whichever.
10pm, no cover charge.

Vickey Curtis and Una Mullally host an evening of spoken word performance in Outhouse next Thursday, 23rd February at 8pm. All are welcome! This is an open invitation to anyone who does it, listens to it or just has a general interest in it.

Related posts:

1. Bitches be hazy…
2. Dublin Pride 2011 Events Listings
3. Need space? Outhouse venue is OPEN!

Related posts:Poll: Thar be dragons! GAZE 2011: Dublin International LGBT Film Festival

Related posts:

1. Poll: Thar be dragons!
2. GAZE 2011: Dublin International LGBT Film Festival

Icon is a word that is overused at times, but it fits Melissa Etheridge like a glove. Grammy winner, Oscar winner, mother, survivor, out and proud.

Related posts:

1. My Valentine’s Date: Melissa Etheridge
2. Álainn or Appallin’: Mná na hÉireann in uniform
3. Alainn or Appalling: Beyonce

(thanks Mikey)

Something happened at McKinley High last night. Something wonderful. If you don’t care about spoilers, read on!

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1. A Glee-ful Valentine’s Day for Brittana… finally?
2. Mamma!
3. Slayed by a canon

When Chris Brown took to the stage at the Grammys earlier in the week quite a few eyebrows were raised. Should the organisers have invited a performer who, three years ago, but his then girlfriend in the hospital on the way to the same event? The sad part however, are the Tweets that followed from people who’s opinion on the matter is more than a little disturbing

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2. Janis Ian: Definitely no ‘Mean Girl’

Party Ard Fheis/Conference season will soon be upon us.  Motions are being submitted and will soon be amended, composited and ruled out of order before reaching the final agenda. And some are arriving into the hen house.  (All chicken feed is greatfully received to tips(@)mamanpoulet.com). First up is the Labour Party preliminary agenda.  Here you [...]

As they approach their first year in Government the Labour Party have held carefully choreographed meetings of party members before their equally carefully choreographed conference in Galway next month. Last night about 200 members met in Stillorgan to question Eamon Gilmore on the party’s actions in government on subjects including the Vatican Embassy, tax breaks for [...]

For day that is in it (Bah Humbug) GLEN have released some statistics on Civil Partnership in Ireland. The figures, provided by the General Registrars Office show that: · 536 couples entered civil partnership in Ireland in the nine months from April 5th 2011, when civil partnership first became available · the 1072 people entering [...]

There is a lot of love this Valentine’s Day in Washington State. Yesterday afternoon, the state’s Governor, Chris Gregoire, made good on her promise to introduce marriage equality when she signed Senate Bill 6239, a measure that legalises same-sex marriage in the Evergreen State

Related posts:

1. Marriage equality comes to Washington state
2. Just Love? Marriage Equality’s funding crisis
3. Four years of fighting for love and equality

Today – Valentine’s Day – Marriage Equality celebrates its fourth birthday. The aim of Marriage Equality’s work is to draw attention to the ongoing inequalities and legal difficulties faced by same-sex couples and their families despite the progress made with the civil partnership scheme.

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1. Just Love? Marriage Equality’s funding crisis
2. Missing Pieces: Parent & child, other issues
3. Civil Partnership: “An abdication of legislative responsibility”

Save the date! This year the annual LGBT Noise March for Marriage will take place on Sunday, 12th August.

Related posts:

1. LGBT Noise – March for Marriage 2011
2. LGBT Noise March for Marriage held in Dublin
3. Making some NOISE

Best. Lesbian. Valentine’s. Day. Ever.

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1. Albert Nobbs Given Fall Release Date

(thanks Vero)

You know Azis of course. Bulgaria’s gay bear drag Gypsy dance-music diva. Yeah that one. 

In what was Ireland’s first full game of the Six Nations tournament this year, the team faced heartbreak losing to France by just one point. But then, after 27 hours of travelling in planes, trains and automobiles before arriving at your destination at 3am on match day, perhaps that’s not so bad a scoreline.

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1. Six Nations: No change for Ireland’s starting XV against France
2. Six Nations: Ireland v Wales (abandoned)
3. Six Nations: Team Ireland (part 2)

Adele’s big interview with Anderson Cooper in which she talks at length about her songs, her success, and her sudden fame. 

And for even more Adele, go HERE and watch the clip “Funniest moments with Adele” in which she wanders around a gigantic empty mansion, bakes cup-cakes, names her wigs, buys Anderson some CD’s, and then watch the clip called “Adele talks about body image and weight” in which she declares that she “ain’t lookin’ like no slapper!”
(thanks Tim)

Having looked the A Listers we now turn our attention to the ladies who’s names begin with B. Let’s start with some much loved TV characters

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1. Bom Chicka
2. They kiss girls, don’t they?
3. Alainn or Appalling: Santana Lopez

Two bills calling for the legislation of gay marriage have been introduced to the Australian parliament today.

As well as collecting all six of the awards she was nominated for, Adele performed Rolling In The Deep.
You can detect a slight nervousness in the lower register, but that’s to be expected. Not only is it her first live performance since her surgery and the whole world is waiting to hear how she sounds but she is the only other Grammy story apart from Whitney so the pressure must be intense. And it’s so easy to forget that she’s only twenty three years old. When I was twenty three the most i…

Morning Gaelickers! Hope you are all refreshed after a weekend of rest and relaxation. I am having tech rage with my lovely alarm clock. The stoopid thing decided to reset itself this morning, how does a clock do that? Its a fairly fancy one with an ipod docking station and all that jazz.

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1. A Suppa Earl Gae
2. A Suppa Earl Gae
3. A Suppa Earl Gae

International human rights organisation the Centre for Economic and Social Rights yesterday published a report reviewing the impact of recession on human rights in Ireland. Mauled by the Celtic Tiger: Human Rights in Ireland’s Economic Meltdown reviews Ireland’s commitments to international human rights instruments, research and statistics available on the impact of austerity on Human, [...]

 
I Wanna Dance With Somebody stripped of everything except Whitney’s vocal.

Whitney Houston has died. She was 48 years of age.

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1. GLAAD Media Award Nominations 2012
2. Marriage equality comes to Washington state
3. Ireland’s rugby squad for 2012 named

Give it a few weeks but soon enough you’ll be hearing from US based Irish anti environmentalist film makers Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney on a radio/TV programme near you. They are raising money to make a documentary titled Frack Off which purports to challenge Gasland, the documentary about the damage caused by fracking made [...]

 
If you’d like to see me locked on a regular basis, you can knick this AMI XVIII iPhone home screen wallpaper below. Or download it from Facebook.

… I’m going to work my ass off.
Ha! No I’m not! I’ve built a career on this huge ass. Not much of a career admittedly, but it’s paid the bills.
Every Saturday at 10pm, free entry.

If I didn’t know better I’d wonder if maybe he was actually Sasha Baron-Cohen in make-up.

And then the little fecker gets it right!
(via wow)

Elton John and David Furnish have spoken of fears their son will suffer stigma for having famous gay parents.

Watch Madonna’s Supoer Bowl show stage being put together in less than five minutes. 
And for everyone who was sure she was past it, she’s broken a few records this week. Her Super Bowl show was the most watched ever, pre-oreders for the album have smashed iTunes previous one day record. The single is now number 1 in over 50 countries, and the video has already been viewed over 11 million times and counting. For an old lady she still knows how to werq it.

The owners of a guesthouse in Cornwall were today found guilty of discriminating against a gay couple.

Zut alors! It’s all about France v Ireland this weekend in the women’s and men’s rugby. So, in the spirit of helpfulness and usefulness – and in case you missed our updates on Facebook and Twitter – here’s all you will need to know if you’re taking the horse to France for the rugby.

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1. Six Nations: No change for Ireland’s starting XV against France
2. Six Nations may pave Ireland’s way to World Cup 2014
3. Six Nations: Ireland v Wales (abandoned)

A street preacher in Somerset has been cleared over charges he verbally abused a gay couple in a town centre.

Three Muslim men from Derby have been jailed for distributing leaflets intended to stir up hatred against gays.

The 2012 London mayoral hopeful had almost been clear of controversy for the week when he suggested gay bankers would be mutilated in the emirate of Dubai.

Fear not, LGBT tourists to England and Wales! For today, you may tread safely. The Court of Appeal in London today upheld a landmark court ruling in favour of a gay couple refused a room by the religious owners of a Cornwall hotel.

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1. Chilean lesbian appeals custody lose
2. Setback in fight for marriage equality in Ireland
3. New Anti-Marriage Equality Argument in Canadian Court

A street preacher has appeared in court in Somerset on charges of verbally abusing a gay couple. Michael Overd, 47, from Creech St Michael in Somerset, allegedly told Craig Manning and Craig Nichol that they were “evil” and would “burn in hell”.

A support group for the families of gay and trans people in Turkey is appealing for funds to finish a documentary on the experiences of parents.

The first in a two-part report of the 2012 Schools OUT conference, Educating OUT Prejudice through the LGBT Lens.

The columnist behind a piece on ‘gay cure’ in a regional Jewish newspaper has said the widespread anger at her column shows the gay community is denying her the right to free speech.

We hearted I ♥ Alice ♥ I very much indeed, so how lovely it was to quiz writer and director Amy Conroy about her award-winning play, her impressive multitasking and lesbian visibility in Irish theatre, for starters!

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1. Review: I ♥ Alice ♥ I
2. Win Tickets! – Language UnBecoming A Lady
3. Grey’s Anatomy SPOLIER

The Friends of Clapham Common have apologised for saying the gay Olympics events at Pride House would draw “undesirable elements” of the community.

A man has been jailed after he climbed up a drainpipe and into a gay man’s bathroom to attack him.

… it’s a veritable smorgasbord of entertainment both high and (mostly) low brow. Bunny and her 22″ waist are joing by comedian Dill, nouveaux trannies about town Alanna Mystique, Sky Summers and Elizabeth Hardon, burlesque beauty Sado Saphic, and the gender-fuckery of Mr Slick’O. 

You may have heard about the furore surrounding JC Penney’s appointment of Ellen DeGeneres as their spokesperson, which seems to have angered right-wing conservative groups in America. The most vocal of these opposition groups has been OneMillionMoms, a branch of the American Family Association. They seem to genuinely believe that having an out gay spokesperson for the store is going to tear the moral fibre of the America apart.

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1. Álainn or Appallin’: Ellen Page
2. Corrie getting gayer

I’m in the Irish Times’ entertainment magazine The Ticket today with my Valentine’s Day cupcakes. Though I must have been very drunk because I don’t even remember making them. Though I do remember realising when the photographer arrived that I didn’t have my nails on and feeling very naked, and trying not to show my fingers too much and then today it was the very first thing my gay Ian remarked on when he saw the magazine. Bloody gays!

No doubt you’ve seen the above ad popping up on YouTube or elsewhere, and no doubt you already knew it was bullshit, but all the same, it’s fun to see it exposed. The video below shows you how the guy made this transformation – or appeared to – in less than five hours.

The Wicker Man is one of my favourite movies. (The original with Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland I mean of course, and not the travesty of a remake starring Nicholas Cage) And who doesn’t love The Muppets so A Muppet Wicker Man sounds like a genius idea. It’s a comic, described as “bad puns, paganism and the smell of burning felt…” which you can read online HERE. And to whet your appetite there’s a great trailer:

(via DM)

Next Tuesday those of you who are single and feel like murdering every smug couple gazing into each others ugly faces in candle-lit restaurants across the city can channel that energy in to something more productive by coming along to the pub quiz in Pantibar in aid of the Dublin International Gay Theatre Fextival.
I’ll be on hand as quiz mistress.

British Olympic diving hero Tom Daley is all grown up now (I checked. It’s perfectly legal to perv on him now… just. He’s 17. Phew! Though just because it’s legal doesn’t make it appropriate apparently so everyone over 20 move on to the next post. Yes, I know it’s unfair when these sexy kids keep putting their sexy videos on the internet, but I never said life was fair) and he and his “Team GB” diving team mates are sexy and they know it. Little rascals.

(thanks Ian. I’ve cal…

The Court of Appeal has today upheld a landmark court ruling in favour of a gay couple refused a room by the religious owners of Cornwall hotel.

Well, reader, if you are anything like this author then the increasing proximity to Valentine’s Day is probably inciting an incendiary cynicism within you. It’s a burning, bilious rage. But even the hardest of hearts will fail to resist the warmth and intimacy of I ♥ Alice ♥ I, a piece of documentary theatre that is deeply personal, funny and refreshing.

Related posts:

1. I ♥ Alice ♥ I: Q&A with Amy Conroy
2. A woman scorned
3. Win Tickets! – Language UnBecoming A Lady

Three men found guilty of stirring up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation are expected to be sentenced today in Derby.

The homophobic Westboro Baptist Church has said it will picket the funeral of two young boys who were killed by their father at the weekend after the Washington state legislature voted in favour of gay marriage.

After a stuttering start to this year’s Six Nations tournament, Ireland head coach, Philip Doyle, has named an unchanged team to face France away from home tomorrow night. Unfortunately the game won’t be broadcast on television or streamed online – but you can catch it on radio!

Related posts:

1. Six Nations: Ireland v Wales (abandoned)
2. Six Nations: Team Ireland (part 2)
3. Six Nations: Team Ireland (part 1)

And if you need persuading, look at what really hapens when you don’t exercise. These scans are cross sections of the legs (quadriceps) of a 40 year old athlete, a 74 year old athlete, and a 74 year old who takes no exercise. As you can see, there is very little difference in muscle tissue and fat between the two athletes, while the muscle tissue of the sedentary 74 yr old has wasted dramatically. Scary.
If you’re of a medical bent you can read the full study HERE.
I’m off to the gym!

(via…

Internet memes are so hard to predict. What is it about Rihanna’s We Found Love video that inspires people to make their own versions? First there was the Bangkok ladyboys’ version, and now there’s the gay boy version too. Though obviously the ladyboy version is more fun for all sorts of reasons.

Well, reader, if you are anything like this author then the increasing proximity to Valentine’s Day is probably inciting an incendiary cynicism within you. It’s a burning, bilious rage. But even the hardest of hearts will fail to resist the warmth and intimacy of I ♥ Alice ♥ I, a piece of documentary theatre that is deeply personal, funny and refreshing.

Related posts:

1. A woman scorned
2. Review: Circumstance
3. Dublin Gay Theatre Festival (2-15 May)

Even before we opened Pantibar, Capel St was always one of my favourite parts of Dublin. I love the streets livliness and it’s great mix. The old traditional Capel St enterprises – the hardware stores, the furniture and upholstry shops, the workwear and uniform shops, the antique and second hand shops, the camping shops and Army & Navy stores, the rubber stamp shop, the model making shop, the tailors, Romano’s the great family Italian restaurant, Fuscardi’s the chipper… – cheek by jowl …

Yesterday, former mayor of London Ken Livingstone was criticised for telling a journalist that the Conservative party was “riddled” with gays. Today, he told LBC radio the comment was, in a way, complimentary. Now, Labour leader of Lambeth Council Steve Reed explains why he is backing Mr Livingstone.

A controversial New York rabbi has reacted to an article by someone who attempted reparative therapy by arguing that homosexuality could be tackled with chemical castration. The rabbi claimed Jewish LGBT groups are a ‘fifth column’ within the Jewish community.

As Zenne Dancer tells the story of a Kurdish ‘honour’ killing, we speak to Hebûn, the LGBT group in Diyarbakir.

Nadya Ginsberg doing her hilarious Madge impression again. They don’t allow embedding but click the pic and watch it at the link.

Peter Tatchell says Ken Livingstone’s comments this week that the Tory party was “riddled” with homosexuality have to be taken in context and with regard to his record on equal rights for gays.

Tom Cruise’s adopted son Connor was forced to apologise to his PR representative after using the word ‘gay’ pejoratively in a tweet directed at him.

A national ‘ex-gay’ support organisation which distributes flyers to students in the US state of Maryland has called today for an official to be disciplined after he described the publications as “reprehensible”.

While men’s football went into convulsions yesterday over Fabio Capello’s shock resignation as England manager, this writer learned about the naming of the Irish squad for this year’s Algarve Cup. Taking place at the end of the month and into March, The Algarve Cup will provide an ideal opportunity to field the national side and integrate the team’s new players ahead of the remaining Euro 2013 qualifiers later this year.

Related posts:

1. Ireland’s rugby squad for 2012 named
2. Guinean sisters dropped from World Cup squad
3. Six Nations may pave Ireland’s way to World Cup 2014

The Ugandan government has distanced itself from the infamous bill which was reintroduced this week saying: “The facilitation of this debate should not be confused for the government’s support for this bill.”

Using French words in an ad when you don’t speak French is not a good idea.

(via the Alliance Française Dublin Facebook page)

CNN has suspended Roland Martin for his Super-Bowl tweets about smacking a man who enjoyed David Beckham’s racy H&M underwear ad.

As Brian said when he sent this to me, it’s very pretty.

A political analyst for US news network CNN has been suspended for “offensive” homophobic tweets made about David Beckham during the Super Bowl.

The European Court of Human Rights has upheld the conviction of four Swedish men who handed out leaflets to children which said being gay was “morally destructive” and that the “homosexual lobby” was trying to suppress paedophilia.

… is probably evidence of my age. I’m a woman of my 80′s teenage years.

(via Towleroad)

Diego Miguel is another of the currently huge Brazilian male models. He’s not one of my three babies, but he certainly has one of the most striking faces around. But I may have to let him become one of my babies after he went all moodily gay for this music video for Take Me by Back Room Students, an electronic music project by New Yorker Thomas Hurley. Don’t know much about him – though surely he’s from an Irish family with a name like that – but some more info on his Vimeo page. (It’s all very…

A man will appear in at a court next week charged with a burn attack at a gay pub in Leicester last year.

Yesterday the government introduced the Finance Bill 2012. The proposed legislation will be discussed today in the Dáil. “So far, so boring,” I hear you say. Well, yes. But, in amongst the latest raft of measures implementing economic shock doctrine in Ireland, there are provisions which affect civil partners.

Related posts:

1. Missing Pieces: The Family Home & Finance
2. Missing Pieces: Parent & child, other issues
3. Civil Partnership: “An abdication of legislative responsibility”

Ken Livingstone stood by his remark about the Conservative party being ‘riddled’ with gays this morning saying it was, in a way, complimentary to the Tories.

The top four Scottish employers in Stonewall’s rankings this year are banks. Barclays took first place, followed by Lloyds Banking Group, Royal Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank.

Gaining marriage equality rights in one state may be considered fortunate. Gaining marriage equality in two states may be regarded as real progress. California’s Proposition 8 ruling is, like, so two days ago. Now it’s all about the passing of a marriage equality Bill by the Washington legislature. (Do keep up.) West coast, y’all!

Related posts:

1. 14 year old girl asks Maryland to vote “No” on marriage equality for her birthday
2. Australian marriage equality ad is internet hit
3. Help Marriage Equality share Rory’s story

Washington state’s House of Representatives has passed a bill to introduce gay marriage by 55 votes to 43. The state’s senate has already approved the measure which is also supported by the state governor.

The openly bisexual deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, Simon Hughes has settled his phone-hacking damages claims against News of the World publisher News Group Newspapers. Mr Hughes joined former footballer Paul Gascoigne, comedian Steve Coogan and football agent Sky Andrew in agreeing a settlement.

… that it is time for Valleyan-teen’s Dey.

(thanks Emerson)

In an interview with the New Statesman, Ken Livingstone has said the Conservative party was “riddled” with homosexuality.

Merge is a 2004 performed installation by artist Bohyun Yoon. It contains some nudity so may be NSFW if you work somewhere boring – like a Catholic primary school. Or the Taoiseach’s office. 
A reflection of a half body merges with another reflected half body and completes one body. As the models begin to walk back and forth, a mixture of sex and scale creates man-woman, woman- woman, and an unbalanced image of the body.

(thanks Leah)

On Friday afternoon, I posted a video to YouTube. It was a historic moment for me because I haven’t actually posted very much on there before but also it was because for the first time officially, I shared my coming out story with the Channel 4 News audience and the wider world. The video I posted was to form part of the…

Ellen DeGeneres has responded to the anti-gay group One Million Moms’ recent demands to have her fired as spokesperson for JC Penney.

A coalition supporting the gay and transgender members of the Anglican church is pressing for it to recognise the contribution made by those clergy without whom, it says, some parishes “would face utter collapse”.

A third reading would mean St Petersburg would join other Russian regions including Ryazan and Arkhangelsk in forbidding the promotion of homosexuality in public.

Regulars at the shows in Pantibar will know Liam The Puppet Guy as, well, the puppet guy. But Liam also hosts a radio show on Dublin City FM every Wednesday from 2-3pm called The Musical Hour which is all about, yes, you guessed it, musicals!
On Wednesday Feb 15th he’s combining his two passions and doing a Muppet special, featuring songs from The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, the Muppet Movies and more in a celebration of Jim Henson’s creations. And Pantibar’s very own Bunny will also feature o…

Listen. That sound you don’t hear: the silence. That is the UK’s trans community waiting with bated breath. Because today, by a strange co-incidence of events, really does feel to many like the day that things change.

Last February Lucinda Creighton caused uproar when she tweeted her thoughts on marriage equality. So when the LGBT Society at Sligo IT heard about her trip to the college on Monday, they got their thinking caps on and immediately decided that they were going to make their presence felt and show her that they were there, they mattered, and the fight for their right to marry was still going as strong as ever.

Related posts:

1. Just Love? Marriage Equality’s funding crisis
2. Ministry of Protest
3. LGBT Noise March for Marriage held in Dublin

A writing competition based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma which banned gay romance stories for reportedly being “just too much” has been cancelled.

Depending on how much gay time you spend on the gay internet, you may already know that Ellen Degeneres was chosen as a spokesperson for large US retail chain JC Penny, and an anti-gay Christian group called One Million Moms has vocally opposed Ellen and called for a boycott of the stores. The story has got quite a bit of coverage in the US.
Anyway, Ellen decided to deal with it directly on her show.

An advisor to the leader in Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus has said today that no charges have yet been brought against two men arrested for committing gay acts.

In the first part of this interview, Khaleed, a 31 year old Libyan LGBT activist, discusses his life as a gay man under Gaddafi’s regime.

Rock Hudson was the first public “face” of AIDS. Diagnosed in 1984, he disclosed his diagnosis in 1985 and made the general public reconsider the notions they had about who could get AIDS. A new play by Aidan Harney, Hollywood Valhalla, explores the time between Hudson’s diagnosis and his disclosure: how the first public figure with AIDS decided to tell the world.

Related posts:

1. World AIDS Day 2011: Open Heart House events
2. Spreadin’ the news
3. World AIDS Day 2011

Following a groundswell of support for her appointment as the face of JC Penney in the face of homophobic opposition, Ellen DeGeneres has spoken out to thank the public.

Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which was first introduced to parliament in October 2009, is to be debated by the country’s new government.

A federal appeals court has overturned California’s ban on same-sex marriages – known as Proposition 8 – upholding an earlier ruling that stated the ban was “unconstitutional”.

Footballer Ravel Morrison has been criticised after a violently-worded message appeared on his Twitter page with a gay slur this week.

The Leveson Inquiry will hear today from Trans Media Watch, a charity which supports accurate and respectful reporting on trans and intersex people in the media.

Ushered onto the global stage by the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, Salt Lake City might still be best known as the base of the Latter-day Saints Church. But JD van Zyl found underneath its perfectly pristine Mormon veneer hides a surprisingly rewarding and gay-friendly destination.

It’s LGBT History Month in the UK, but it was across the Atlantic that history was being made yesterday. A court in the United States ruled yesterday on the validity of California’s Proposition 8, the referendum proposal which introduced a ban on marriage equality in the state.

Related posts:

1. Setback in fight for marriage equality in Ireland
2. Civil Partnership: “An abdication of legislative responsibility”
3. Shatter island?