» Matey!

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]

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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, unless an employee chooses to talk about their sexual interests or activities while working, the issue of sexual orientation is, essentially, moot.

Whereas, the Armed Forces of the United States is one of the largest and most diverse organizations in the world. They protect the security of us all while adhering to a "don't ask, don't tell policy" regarding sexual interests.

You can be sure, of course, that the shareholders' resolution brings up a bit of Biblical reference, saying that all three major religions "condemn" gay ways.

This isn't the first time Well Fargo has felt the anti-gay backlash. Focus On The Family ended their business relations in 2005 after the bank contributed dough to GLAAD, which the Christian right basically regards as a Satanic covenant.

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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 make over $102 million annually from same-sex unions.

Let that be a lesson to all those politicians and conservatives who wag a finger at gay nuptials.

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There are new details on Regent Releasing'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 to its revenue for each of the last three years. In 2005 it accounted for 87 percent, in 2006 54 percent, and in 2007 51 percent. Magazine publishing's portion of total revenue rose in each of those years, from 13 percent in 2005 to 46 percent in 2006 and 49 percent in 2007.

No wonder rival Window Media wanted the titles so badly. We don't know what went wrong, but we know the company - publishers of Genre - made and lost its own bid for the gay glossies.

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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.

On her MySpace page, Dupré, who has a taste for Aretha Franklin and Frank Sinatra, as well as hip hop, describes her life.

"I am all about my music, and my music is all about me," Dupré writes.

We're assuming it's not all about her, unless her tracks discuss the woes of the working girl.

» Roll Over.

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]

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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?!

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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.

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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."

"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 »

» Queer Cabs Emerge

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]

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» Losing It

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]

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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, doesn't that "after" ass look a little cartoonish?

» Goldman 'Sacks'

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]

  2 Responses
» Research Predicts Dry Winds, Dyke Nights

Community Marketing just sent out a very sapphic press release: "Community Marketing researchers are often asked, "What’s new in lesbian and gay market trends?" This year, the most important insights come from new, statistically significant research findings into lesbian consumers. Based on this new wealth of research and analysis, we are calling 2008 "The Year of the Lesbian…" With the help of CM's new findings, marketers can mine useful information about lesbianic buying habits. For example, did you know that the top three lesbian magazines are People, AARP, and O Magazine. Queen lesbian and failed magazine publisher Rosie O'Donnell had no comment.

  3 Responses

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Media mogul Barry Diller and wifey Diane von Furstenberg made an appearance at Madonna's celeb-filled fuck fest last night. While we're sure the glamorous couple had some chuckles, made some memories and may have possibly helped Malawian children (or Kabbalah?), none of those niceties concern us - or Nick Denton.

CONTINUED »



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