What, you thought we'd be on the cover? "A recently released guidebook for new [Canadian] immigrants, Discover Canada, is a mixed bag of trivia and ideology. The handbook has an explicit section on gender equality, where it condemns the "barbaric cultural practices" of spousal abuse, honour killings and female genital mutilation. There is a section on diversity that gives a shout out to atheism but leaves out gays or lesbians. Queer people are relegated to a sidebar next to a photo of Mark Tewksbury, in the section devoted to sports, arts and culture." Which, to be fair, is the gay section.

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Is this what you call "educating voters" on Maine's Question 1? Led by Bishop Richard Malone, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland "played a big part" in the information campaign, reports a Catholic website. Just how big a part? Well let's look at exactly just where all those "education" dollars came from. And went.

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ON OUR GAYDAR — News, notes, clicks, and quips from around the web.

• In case you're an Anglican who's tired of all those gay and lady priests, Pope Benedict would love to welcome you into his flock. Well, the atheists want you too.

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The National Equality March's organizers aren't too thrilled about the planned Obama-HRC protest organized by the Gay Liberation Network and Queer Liberaction. But because Cleve Jones, Dan Choi, Kip Williams, Nicole-Murray Ramirez, Robin McGehee, and Tanner Efinger do not decide how all of D.C. will be run, they've got little say in the matter.

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Meet our new best friend Herman Thomas. He's the former Alabama judge about to face charges that he traded opportunities to paddle and have sex with male inmates in exchange for more lenient sentence. Oh, this is good.

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We've got 10 days to go before the National Equality March, where buses and planes and trains full of gays and our allies will descend upon Washington D.C. to demand our rights. The fight is not new: We've been angling for full equality and protection under the law for decades now. But next weekend, those efforts will join hands as thousands of us march in front of the (probably vacant) White House and come to this stark realization: Here we are, in 2009, with the most gay-friendly president yet, with more public supporters in the Senate and House than ever before, and yet we still are viewed by the federal government as second class. This is our unacceptable reality.

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Surely the New York University community was saddened this week to learn Dr. Li-ann Thio, of the National University of Singapore, was canceling her plans to teach there this fall. Or not: She was a giant bigot.

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We're about 99.99999999877 percent certain life is pretty miserable for many of Iraq's openly gay and transgender folks. If actually being murdered and tortured weren't bad enough, living in fear that you'll be among those rounded up (sometimes by state police), slayed, and left "wearing diapers and women’s lingerie" must be pretty daunting to just getting through the day. But wait, what's this? News that being gay in Iraq is FANTASTIC?

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It's known as "The Most Homophobic Place on Earth" and on Wednesday, gay rights activists are going to the birthplace of the modern gay movement to help kick-off a boycott of Jamaica over its flagrant and institutionalized human rights violations and bigotry. They're going to, quite literally, dump the hate down the sewer.

The owners of the Stonewall Inn will dump their supplies of Red Stripe Beer and Myer's Rum down the drain, following a similar rum dump in San Francisco earlier this month. The organizers of the boycott are calling on gays and lesbians, as well as allies, to stop buying Jamaican products and to vacation in other spots until the Jamaican government changes its policies.

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We like to think of Queerty as one big dysfunctional family, and we're looking to add a new member to our brood. With nepotism and insider-dealings passe in our scary, newly impoverished world, we decided that instead of choosing a music reviewer, we'd let you, the readers, decide. So when you ask yourselves, "Who put this guy in charge?" the answer will be, "You did."

After culling through almost 200 applications, we narrowed down your would-be musical tastemakers to 10 lucky finalists. To be honest, we're glad you're the ones deciding—this is one talented group. This week, we're rolling them out for you – along with a sample review of one of their favorite albums – the top five will go on to the final round. Vote for your favorites Idol-style (that means as often as you like) at the bottom of this post, until, like a gay, musical version of Highlander, only one remains.

Let's meet the contestants.

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We here at Queerty are big fans of the United States, the nation that bore us, Celebrity Jeopardy, the hamburger and that whole representative democracy thing. It's a nation rich in natural resources, can-do attitude and homosexuals, and each week, we're visiting a new state to find out just what makes it so uniquely fabulous.

Colorado
Home of Haggard

While Colorado Springs' New Life Church remains embroiled in sex abuse scandals and cover-ups, The Centennial State is the frontier of the new liberal West, having switched from red to blue in the 2008 election. It's the home of gay philanthropist Tim Gill, whose foundation has poured $110 million into targeted gay causes and races over the past decade, and Denver, which draws over 200,000 people each year for it's annual Pride Parade. Denver mayor (and one of our favorite politicians) John Hickenlooper makes it a point to attend Pride annually. New blue state, here we come.

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If you name your son Adolf Hitler, you should probably expect unwanted attention. Namely, from the Division of Youth and Family Services.

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In his first interview on the sex scandal that pushed him out of Congress, Mark Foley isn't afraid to show his emotional side. Asked what he thinks about "The Curse of the Mark Foley Seat", which is what people now call Florida's 16th after his successor, a Democrat, was caught up in a sex scandal of his own:

"It's not what I had hoped would be my lasting legacy," he said, pausing to brush away tears."

America, you've made Mark Foley cry. Foley points out that he never did anything illegal (which is true) and feels that he's been unfairly maligned as a pedophile.

"There was never anywhere in those conversations where someone said, 'Stop,' or 'I'm not enjoying this,' or 'This is inappropriate' … but again, I'm the adult here, I'm the congressman," Foley said. "The fact is I allowed it to happen. That's where my responsibility lies."

Foley had built a national reputation as an advocate for tougher penalties against child sexual predators. As co-chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, he helped craft a law to protect children on the Internet.

Still, he said, there was no hypocrisy.

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It's been more than two years since Mark Foley garnered notoriety for sending salacious emails to congressional pages.

The Floridian Congressman has since resigned, come out and been cleared of any illegal wrong-doing, which means it's a perfect time for right-leaning journalist James Kirchick to come out and blast the left for addressing Foley's misdeeds in the first place.

Though he describes Foley's online activities as "reprehensible," Kirchick wags a righteous finger at "democratic operatives" and other liberal activists who, he says, simply used Foley as a political pawn.

The Congressman didn't deserve such malicious attention – rather, he needs our sympathy and understanding. Or something.

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The television show Gossip Girl is not all teenage sex in limousines, classy drinking at posh hotel bars, fashion internships with elite designers, and xoxo-ing.

Behind the scenes, a complex machine is at work, where diva personalities are "managed," drug abuse is "handled," and eating disorders are ignored. (No quotation marks on that one.)

And while the tense relationship between Leighton Meester (Blair) and Blake Lively (Serena) is played out in the press like their fictional frenemy relationship on the show's Gossip Girl blog, almost entirely ignored is the backstage backstabbing going on among the guys.

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After reading about Massing's lawsuit, be sure to go here and vote how you would rule in the case.

Model Ben Massing sent us a note this week insisting he's not a homophobe, charges he incurred after suing gay magazine Genre for running sexually suggestive pictures of him without his permission. Wrote Massing via an attorney:

Numerous media outlets focused on the fact that the images appear in a publication geared toward the gay community. Based upon these reports, some have mischaracterized me as homophobic, which could not be further from the truth.

We were beginning to feel a bit bad about this Massing business, but then we obtained a copy of his lawsuit against Genre and photographer Rick Day and it's one of the most blatantly homophobic documents we've read in a long, long time.

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News that John McCain's Senate Chief of Staff Mark Buse likes men shot around the blogosphere earlier this week, garnering groans about how McCain is a hypocrite for pushing against gay rights while so close to an actual gay person.

Log Cabin Republicans Communications director Scott Tucker disagrees.

Tucker says the story's architects – Michelangelo Signorile and Michael Rogers – were simply conducting a political stunt. What's more, their revelations only speak to McCain's gentle character:

This political stunt by Mike Rogers just proves what Log Cabin has been saying for years. John McCain is an inclusive Republican who hires the best people, regardless of sexual orientation.
…
C]an we please stop childishly lobbing the "homophobic" insult at Republicans who don't agree with us on every issue? Rogers and his crowd keep saying McCain is "homophobic" or "anti-gay." Words mean things. Calling John McCain homophobic doesn't make it so. The truth is, Sen. John McCain is anything but homophobic. This is a man who has a record of hiring gay staff members-as evidenced by this recent "bombshell.

Well, if we can't call McCain "homophobic," perhaps "shamefully calculating" works?

McCain's a man who apparently has no personal problem with gay people, but continues to use his power and influence to block gay rights. Either he's simply putting on a political show or simply doesn't view his pal Buse as an equal American. Or maybe both. Regardless, this entire scenario stinks.

[Via Pam's House Blend]

John McCain and his campaign are about to be getting all sorts of gay press.

Blogger Mike Rogers appeared on Michelangelo Signorile's radio show today to reveal that Mark Buse, Senator McCain's chief-of-staff, goes for the guys.

Why is this a big deal? Well, first and foremost, McCain's running with ardently anti-gay Sarah Palin, a woman who scares us more than killer drag queens from outer space.

Also, there's McCain kissing social conservative butt in exchange for electoral love.

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Gay rabble-rouser Peter Tatchell's calling for Iris Robinson's head.

Robinson, a politician from Northern Ireland, gained international notoriety this month when she suggested gay people can be "cured," called us sinners and then later compared sodomy and child abuse, a charge she denied.

Speaking last night at an Amnesty International event, Tatchell insisted that Robinson must resign – he also pointed out that had she targeted another group, she would be out already:

Tatchell said she would have been forced from office if she made similar comments about other minorities.

"People would have said that such comments are totally unacceptable," he said. "The fact that many are making excuses for people, saying that her conscience or religion gives her an excuse for making these remarks, I find unconscionable."

Of course, not everyone's making excuses for Robinson. Some of her colleagues, in fact, are wondering if she's gone mental.

Northern Ireland's Iris Robinson's repeated anti-gay outbursts have her political colleagues wondering about her mental health:

Robinson's outbursts against homosexuals are developing into "an unhealthy obsession" for which she should seek psychiatric help, it has been claimed.
Sinn Fein's Martina Anderson said she was convinced the DUP MP was stressed and this was manifesting itself in a series of public remarks targeting homosexuality.
…
Ms Anderson said: "Iris seems to be constantly obsessed with the gay and lesbian community."

"I think she (Mrs Robinson] should seek a quiet moment to sit down and talk to somebody herself."

The Sinn Fein woman continued by suggesting the DUP MP "takes time out".

Robinson's remarks have included comparing sodomy to child abuse, calling gays sinners and recommending reparative therapy to "treat" the gay folk. Yep, she sounds certifiable to us!

Iris Robinson's at it again!

The Northern Ireland politician caused a scandal earlier this year after suggesting gay people would benefit from ex-gay "reparative therapy." She later "clarified" that remark by saying gay people are not ill. We're just sinners.

Not big on learning from mistakes, Robinson used a Parliamentary discussion last month to equate child abuse with sodomy, of which she strongly disapproves.

When confronted with her comments, however, the lawmaker insisted she's being misrepresented:

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Pope Benedict XVI told reporters that he will work for "healing and reconciliation with the victims" of sexual abuse during his trip to Australia this week. While many victims appreciate his conciliatory remarks, they're still clamoring for more. Said one activist, "He made some general remarks about regret to reporters and that's not good enough. We want action, not words." The Pope previously addressed the abuse during his trip to the States, but stopped short of an official apology. [POQ]

For the first time in quite a while, we're thinking about GLAAD. Or, rather, GLAAD has us thinking, which is even more rare.

The gay media watchdogs released an angry statement yesterday condemning cable network FX for not including a disclaimer with anti-gay activist Peter Sprigg's outlandish comments about the "homosexual lifestyle." The comments come on tonight's episode of 30 Days, which is basically a longer version of Wife Swap, on which a woman against gay parenting goes to live with – you guessed it – a gay dad. Shenanigans and bigotry ensue. And that makes GLAAD sad:(

FX has since released their own statement insisting they've done no wrong:

"The comments made by Peter Sprigg… show that not only do same-sex parents like Dennis and Tom face bigotry and ignorance from individuals like Kati, but that they also face discrimination and marginalization from organizations like the FRC," the statement reads.

“Much of the series’ strength is the willingness to let people of divergent views speak for themselves… and a willingness to trust that the audience will figure out for themselves where the truth lies.”

Even one of the episode's gays didn't mind FX's inclusion of the Sprigg remark.

We're inclined to agree with FX's argument, but we can also see some Americans interpreting Sprigg's statement as fact. Here it is again: "Homosexuality is associated with higher rates of sexual promiscuity, sexually transmitted diseases, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, and child sexual abuse, and those are all reasons for us to be concerned about placing children into that kind of setting." If it's on TV, it must be true!

So, should FX have noted that Sprigg is, well, a raving lunatic, or is GLAAD simply making a stink? And, if they are just making a stink, could it be because their Media Awards are airing on Bravo this Friday? Will this scandal give 30 Days a ratings boost? Finally, is God a publicist?

Here's the video of the controversial clip. Thanks Joe.My.God!

Hillary Clinton continues to court the gay vote in Pennsylvania.

As the race tightens, the Senator sat down with Philadelphia Gay News, whose Mark Segal and Sarah Blazucki tag teamed the shit out of the Senator. Yes, they addresses civil unions and the military, but they also delved into typically unchartered territory, such as immigration reform for same-sex couples and altering America's foreign policy with homophobic nations like Iran. Said Clinton:

I would be very strongly outspoken about this and it would be part of American foreign policy. There are a number of gross human-rights abuses that countries engage in with whom we have relations and we have to be really vigilant and outspoken in our total repudiation of those kinds of actions and do everything we can, including using our leverage on matters such as aid, to change the behavior so we can try to prevent such atrocities from happening.

Those are commendable comments, but the Democrats best remember that our own State Department still treats gays differently, which will need to be remedied if our government's going to effectively counter anti-queer countries.

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, what does that make plagiarism? We don't know, but Michael Lucas probably does, because his Barack Obama bashing column has more than a few similarities with Ann Coulter's "Throw Grandma Under A Bus," which she published on March 19, two days before Lucas' piece.

It's really quite queer.

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Hillary Clinton's campaign may come to an end this week. And, on the eve of a decisive primary, we can't help but wonder if she made a fatal mistake: downplaying her femininity.

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"Metrosexual" daddy Mark Simpson may not be the most muscular man around, but he's got some strong words on rampant steroid use:

According to a series of recent reports, steroids, or ‘juice’ or ‘gear’ to the initiated, once an exotic drug of cheating athletes and freaky bodybuilders have entered the mainstream and have become just another lifestyle product for young men (some boys as young as 12 are reportedly taking the drug).
…
In other words, young men are taking steroids the way that many gay party boys have taken them for years: to look good on the beach or dance floor or webcam. ‘Muscle Marys’ (as they’re called by envious, less-muscular gays), are apparently no longer a strictly gay phenomenon. Muscle Marys are where masculinity is at, Mary.

We sure hope this trend fades like Hypercolors, because we all know what steroids do to penises. One word: shrinkage.

Jamie Drewry won't be seeing the light of day anytime soon.

The 29-year old Briton has been sentenced to life in prison for stabbing his lover to death. Drewry had been out late last February. Upon his return home, Drewry apparently got into a fight with his lover, Simon Edwards, a testicular cancer survivor and nurse-to-be. While we don't know what exactly transpired durign their argument, Drewry became enraged and stabbed Edwards in the chest. Edwards stumbled out his front door and died in a neighbor's arms.

Speaking after the reading of the guilty verdict, Edwards' brother Mark remarked: "We hope that his killer serves the full whack of his life sentence. It is what he deserves for taking Simon away from us all too soon in his life."

Detective Stuart Morrison used the Edwards murder to ruminate on a larger and just as gruesome topic: "This case is tremendously tragic and shows what happens in a worst case scenario as a result of domestic abuse." Drewry won't be eligible for parole until 2020, by which point we hope he's learned at least part of his lesson: killing ain't kool.

Looking for a positively frightful Halloween costume? Perhaps Part Two of The 20 Most Frightful Anti-Gay Activists can be of assistance…

Be warned, however, these folks aren't for the faint of heart…

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No doubt Jim Naugle's left an indelible – and detestable – mark on Fort Lauderdale and the surrouding communities.

The anti-homo mayor made headlines when he first asked the city to pay for robo-toilets, a $250,000 investment he hoped would curb queer public sex.

The measure didn't go through, but it's raised sociosexual tensions to a boiling point.

Since then, we've already seen Naugle booted from the tourism board and censured by his peers, but the mayor's still sitting pretty and with loads of allies. While a number of black pastors lend Naugle their support, another group of black people are gearing up for a war of Biblical proportions.

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