Lane Hudson and Matt Foreman know a little something something about the gay rights movement. As the outgoing leader of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Foreman has helped spearhead a number of movements in Washington, New York and throughout the rest of the United States. The activist tells us he caught the activist bug after witnessing the atrocities of West Virginia's coal mining industry and only later got involved in the nascent gay rights movement. Foreman later got caught up in the more progressive, grass roots-oriented gay rights movement. Hudson, meanwhile, has been involved in activism since his wee years, when political active family members informed his social consciousness. The former Human Rights Campaign staffer gained notoriety after exposing Mark Foley's inappropriate exchanges with congressional pages. He lost his job for his involvement in that scandal and now works as an independent gay rights activists and contributes to Huffington Post. Just in case you didn't know…

The editorial union of these men counts as the first in a sporadic series called "Homo Encounters," during which our editor moderates a conversation between two notable homos from various fields. Today's one super Tuesday, so we thought Hudson and Foreman could offer some interesting thoughts on where the gay movement remains today - and where it's meant to go tomorrow. We don't want to give too much away, but be prepared for the pros and cons of incrementalism, how the Democrats can shape up (or ship out), why the federal level ain't the shit and which political enemies should be our mentors - after the jump, naturally.

CONTINUED »

North Carolinian Jim Neal headed north to New York last night for a DL21C-sponsored event. The openly gay Senatorial candidate greeted well wishers and do-gooders at a lovely little joint called Retreat, which we enjoyed for all the hard wood.

We snapped some shots of the happenings. Neal's speech covered much of what he told us in part one and part two of our exclusive interview. Our editor did raised two questions, one privately and one publicly. The first question: "What do you think about John Edwards dropping out of the race?" Neal said he was sorry to see Edwards go, particularly because the former Senator used his platform to highlight the ravages of poverty. Belonsky said that was true, but added that perhaps the White House wouldn't be the most effective place for him. Edwards should, instead, start a non-profit a la Bill Clinton and/or Al Gore.

The next question, which came after Neal's speech, concerned the candidate's ideas on American inclusion. Neal told the audience that "American democracy doesn't belong to the politicians, but to the people". All of these people live in America, said Neal, and should thus have an equal say in policy matters - or at least be brought to the table.

Belonsky asked Neal how he would approach extremist, fundamentalist groups such as the KKK and the Westboro Baptist Church. Neal replied that such "fringe" groups are motivated by emotion-based logic, rather than reason and, thus, aren't prepared to fight fair. He also said that the secular and spiritual must remain distinct, but later referred to "the man upstairs," a monotheistic god. It's queer, isn't it, that so many politicians insist on dividing religion and the state - which is right, rather than Right - yet favor the Western concept of the G-man. Just a thought.

Anyway, click the thumbnails for the action. We've included cute little captions. Well, we think they're cute.

Senatorial candidate and Queerty feature subject Jim Neal flew into New York to get down with the big apple's big homosexuals. Head on over to Retreat (37 W. 17th St.) around 6pm and schmooze with Neal, his pals, us and other queer folk.

New York City Comptroller William Thompson Jr joined the Gay Center and the NYC pension fund in calling for corporate America to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Said Thompson: "We must work together to make sure that corporate America embraces acceptance and affords all employees the same protections…"

Gay New Yorker's once spent their nights cock grabbing, bitch slapping and binge drinking. Now they talk about Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. God this town is boring!

Rupert Murdoch's New York Post can't quit it's homophobic ways. The daily featured a story yesterday entitled, "Evil Lesbian Mom Left Toddler To Die: DA". Classy!

New York City's tourism bureau put together a fabulously deluded advert for the Big Apple.

CONTINUED »

New York City Speaker Christine Quinn may not be advocating for animals, but she knows more needs to done to save human lives.

The 41-year old sappho-politico penned a letter to the NY Times celebrating the city's commitment to HIV awareness. The city, however, can only do so much:

In order to help New Yorkers, the City Council and the Health and Hospital Corporation announced additional Council financing of $5.6 million for public hospitals to expand rapid H.I.V. testing. This investment has helped the hospitals expand their reach beyond AIDS centers and prenatal care clinics to offer rapid H.I.V. testing to current hospital patients, visitors to the emergency rooms and outpatient clinics.

Rapid testing helped hospitals test almost 134,000 patients last year, and allowed doctors and counselors the chance to provide education and services on the spot if a person tested positive.

Increasing the availability of testing can be vital in the early detection of H.I.V., and early detection can be the crucial factor in fighting this devastating illness.

The only way to truly combat this crisis is to ensure that all New Yorkers take a simple first step — learn their H.I.V. status.

You heard the woman - go get yourself an HIV test. It does a body good.

Jim Naugle would shit! New York City yesterday unveiled the big apple's first pay toilet (seen above, being adored by Dept. of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff).

The $100,000 throne costs a mere quarter - the same price as the NY Post - and allows the user 15-minutes of pure, unadulterated potty privacy. That seems like an awfully long time, but it is in Madison Square Park, home of the famous - and famously dirty - Shake Shack.

CONTINUED »

As health commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden warns of fresh infections, New York City's health department announced that HIV/AIDS-related deaths have dropped in the big apple:

HIV/AIDS deaths dropped from 1,419 in 2005 to 1,209 in 2006. The decline was reflected in both sexes and all ethnic groups.

"Numbers this low have not been seen since 1984, when New York City recorded 952 deaths from AIDS," the health department report said.

Heart disease and cancer remain the city's biggest killers. The NYPD's currently on the lookout for these grim reapers.

New York City's HIV epidemic continues to spread. Despite official statements calling infection rates "stable," Gay City News has obtained a 6-page memo in which health commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden says otherwise.

New York City is now experiencing an increase in syphilis and an increase in HIV infection in men who have sex with men. In view of this increase it is appropriate to re-evaluate New York's current policies regarding commercial sex venues to see if policy changes could reduce the spread of these infections.

The city's policies began in 1985, when they closed dozens of bathhouses and sex clubs, mostly gay, to stem HIV infection. Frieden's memo suggests increasing inspections and closing venues that don't comply with warnings. What's interesting is that two of the suggested solutions - extending policy to private sex parties and clubs and using the Sanitary Code to shut them down completely - specifically warn that implementation will piss off the gays. Frieden knows his shit.

• New York City got a taste of Iowa today when Ford and some real life cowboys celebrated the Invasion of the Bulls.

• Gay activist Wayne Besen endorses John Edwards.

• Baywatch actress Alexandra Paul discusses playing gay and her lesbian twin!

CONTINUED »

• We don't think Chace Crawford and JC Chasez are fucking, but we bet at least one of them comes out next year.

• Mike Huckabee's a manipulative bitch:

Mike Huckabee is holding a press conference right now in which he was supposed to unveil a new negative ad against arch rival Mitt Romney.

But Mr. Huckabee came to the press conference and announced he’d had a change of heart and would not be broadcasting the ad after all.
…
He then broadcast it for a room crammed with reporters, photographers and television cameras.

Way to take the high ground, Huck.

• Today's Choire Sicha's last day at Gawker. Good luck on everything, Mr. S! The Metro Section will miss your peepers.

• Ladies love man-on-man action, says Mark Simpson.

CONTINUED »

New York City's an ever-changing organism. And queer architect Charles Renfro's keeping it healthy.

With his colleagues at Diller Scofidio + Renfro, which he joined in 1997, Renfro has worked or continues to work on some of fair city's most exciting projects the Brooklyn Academy of Music Cultural District, Lincoln Center and the High Line: a once-abandoned train track known for eye-popping interaction between industry and nature.

Our editor recently sit down with Renfro in his firm's 11th Avenue office. Read what Renfro has to say about New York's fluid cultural identity, eco living and how he uses gentrification for good - after the jump, of course.

CONTINUED »

Apparently New York City's looking for even more homos. The Big Apple just launched a $30 million queer tourism campaign, starting with Out magazine's recent Out 100 issue.

Ads will also start appearing soon on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender websites. The city says the demographic is key to the city's tourism because it contains people who have a high level of discretionary income and an interest in travel.

Similar campaigns have worked in Philadelphia, Chicago and Phoenix. The move is another step in the city's efforts to meet the mayor's goal of bringing in 50 million tourists by the year 2015.

Mayor Bloomberg obviously doesn't care about the mental health of this city's resident, who have to fight through throngs of gawking shutterbugs on a daily basis. Thanks, Bloomie!

But, on the positive side, there'll be more imported cock for those of you who have sucked up our supply. You know who you are…