“A shareholder proposal to amend Verizon Communications Inc.’s written equal employment policy to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity was voted down May 1, but backers of the plan say they were encouraged by the amount of support it got, and the group that proposed the resolution will bring it back next year.” [Pam’s House Blend]

Is there no end to Project Runway designer Christian Siriano’s far-reaching celebrity? The fashionable homo has signed on to design prom dresses for a “virtual community.” [Gaia]

If gay men are butt pirates, what are lesbians? We don’t know. But we do know that The L-Word’s Leisha Hailey and her band, Uh Huh Her will be sailing the high seas with lady-loving cruise line Olivia. Yes, just loads of lesbians, expansive oceans and loads of fish. In the water… [Olivia]

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell gets fresh life today. And it’s not a military matter.

A number of shareholders will tomorrow ask the board of Well Fargo to remove sexual orientation from their anti-discrimination policy. Rather than railing entirely against “gay sins,” as Ken Hutcherson did against Microsoft, these clever little homophobes insist that “gay” can’t be seen, like race, and therefore fagalas should just keep a lid on it:

Whereas, it is similarly inappropriate and legally problematic for employees to discuss personal sexual matters while on the job.

Whereas, unlike the issues of race, age, gender and certain physical disabilities, it would be impossible to discern a person’s sexual orientation from their appearance.

Whereas, … Continued…

As gay marriage, civil unions and domestic partnership laws expand, so do inclusive businesses: Throughout the Northeast, competition has spiked among wedding sites, hotels, resorts and inns as the travel industry has realized that same-sex ceremonies can draw scores of guests, who turn these destinations weddings into weekend stays.
…
Same-sex couples may be an even more attractive market than their straight counterparts. The Travel Industry Association found that gay men tend to spend more on travel than heterosexuals do, and most unions in the Northeast involve out-of-state couples — in Vermont, over 80 percent. And a study by the School of Law of the University of California, Los Angeles, found New Jersey alone will … Continued…

There are new details on Regent Entertainment’s bid to buy The Advocate and Out.

San Francisco Business Times informs us that Regent, which owns gay network here!, gave PlanetOut an initial $500,000 to seal the deal, but the final sale will total $6 million in cash - far cheaper than we anticipated.

The deal now gives PlanetOut more time to focus on its websites, which have been underachieving over the past few years: PlanetOut publishes magazines like Out and Advocate, but wants to return its focus to its web sites gay.com and planetout.com, which have been contributing a smaller percentage of its revenue recently.

The company’s online segment has been contributing less … Continued…

Ashley Alexandra Dupre ain’t just Eliot Spitzer’s fateful call girl. Oh, no, this chick’s got bigger dreams than draining the former Governor. The NJ-born beauty wants to be a pop star. And the scandal may have given her the boost she needs: On Amiestreet.com, “What We Want” is available for 98 cents, the website’s maximum price per song. Yesterday morning the song was offered for free. By 8 p.m. last night the song cost 30 cents. By 10 p.m., 76 cents. By 11 p.m., the maximum rate of 98 cents, according to Silicon Alley Insider.

At this rate, Dupré could be a millionaire in a week’s time.
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On her MySpace page, Dupré, who … Continued…

The AFA’s overinflated ego takes another hit this morning. The right wing group took credit for Ford’s scaled back gay ad scheme. Ford spokesman Jim Cain further distances his company from the group, saying, “I can tell you there was not a negotiated settlement to [the AFA’s] boycott.” [Mixed Media]

Immigration opponents may want to start patrolling the fragrance section, because Cuban actor William Levy will launch a new cologne this year.

Don’t call him greedy, though, because the actor’s not just in it for the dough. He says the “fresh, not too elegant, not too serious” scent’s sales will help AIDS-infected ladies with babies. He also says something about ABC’s Brothers & Sisters, which we found queer.

The above video’s in Spanish, so may be a bit difficult for some of you. But, then again, who’s listening?!

United Parcel Service united with the gays today. Well, gay business owners, at least.

The international courier signed on as a partner with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, thus giving it access to millions of bent businesses. UPS diversity director Lisa Johnson lauded the move as both economically and socially progressive: Partnering with the NGLCC not only helps LGBT businesses grow by conducting business with UPS, but we also gain access to excellent suppliers. Expanding our process to include LGBT-owned businesses reinforces our commitment to supplier diversity. UPS previously made homo headlines when they challenged New Jersey’s illiberal civil unions.

It’s a big day in America today! If you close your eyes and take a big whiff, you can smell the distinct scent of democratic action. It’s sweet, yes, but with a bit of…taint.

A new study from the Williams Institute in Arizona concludes that queer couples make less than their straight counterparts, especially when there are children involved. “Gay men earn less than straight men,” said Adam Romero, a public-policy fellow who co-authored the study. “Even when you hold constant occupation, race, geography, they earn less and that’s something economists would call discrimination.”
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“When you only look for households where children are present, same-sex couples do much, much worse,” he said.

Same-sex parents in Arizona have lower median household incomes, $39,000 a year compared with $54,000 for married couples. Those numbers are pretty distressing, especially considering that all of the presidential candidates tout our nation’s commitment to equality.
Continued…

A gay taxi cab company may be ready to roll in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The private fleet will reportedly cost about 50-100 rubles more than straight cabs. Why? Because they’re divas. Not the articles use of “non-traditional sexual orientation,” just like Herbie. [Russia-IC]

Things continue to look grim for the gay media masters over at PlanetOut: “Gay and lesbian focused web media company PlanetOut Inc. reported a loss of $51.2 million for 2007.” [SF Business Times]

Underwear designer Andrew Christian. has the perfect solution for all the flat bottom boys: “flashback technology,” which works tirelessly to give your backseat a boost: This underwear is essential gear for every guy. It features an invisible lifting support built into the seams of the underwear. The construction of the underwear automatically lifts the buttocks making it look firm and round without the need for any embarrassing padding, uncomfortable cups or straps hidden inside. Most people can add up to 1/2 to 1 inches onto their current buttocks measurements helping them achieve a rounder fuller look with this amazing new feature. Question: do these futuristic undies and similar slights count as false advertising?

Also, … Continued…

Good news for trans men and women working at Goldman Sachs: “Fortune.com reported Friday that Goldman added coverage of sex-reassignment surgery to its medical plan last year. The article was part of a sidebar on “unusual perks”… Goldman employees can undergo the procedure, which normally costs anywhere from $5,000 to $150,000, and have it paid for entirely by their medical insurance.” [NY Times]