• Anderson Cooper made himself available to the highest bidder for an AIDS auction charity. The winning bid? $21,000. The winner? Brit bachelor Oliver Hicks. [Page Six]

• Brad Pitt. Shirtless. Smoking. On a motorcycle. Pics. [MollyGood]

• You care immensely about Britney Shears, right? [Dlisted]

• Leader of Iraqi GLBT advocacy group met with open arms – and applause – at London conference [UKGN]

• Anglican Church tries to get its shit together. [AP]

• Always lovely to see black press supporting homophobia. [Black News Weekly]

• Nigerians speak up for GLBT rights. [GCN]

• Doctor Who's John Barrowman's biggest complaint: being too well endowed. [Sky]

There's no shortage of homophobia in African nations, so it really comes as no surprise to hear of a growing problem in Namibia - a country many of you may most readily associate as the birthplace of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's biological bundle, Shiloh.

Yes, reading Windhoek resident Hugh Ellis' piece in today's Namibian - in which he reports on an attack against his gay friend is certainly discouraging, but what's most impressive about his words is his own admission of past prejudice:

I used to think homosexuality was disgusting, and that gay people deserved any beatings they got. Things changed when I went to study; at university I got to speak with some homosexuals, and found them, to my horror, to be normal people.These people assured me they couldn't stop being homosexual any more than they could stop being black. I began to question myself further... I began to investigate African history, and found that, before the white missionaries came to indoctrinate us, many tribes not only accepted homosexuals but viewed them as especially spiritual people.I cannot yet say I'm cured of my homophobia, but I'm getting there. Other Namibians should follow my example and stop this discrimination. The Government and Police should come down strongly against any violence meted out to homosexuals... The media should give voices of gay people equal space to those of gay-bashers.

• Face it, you've got an internet addiction. Don't worry, so do about 12-14% of Americans. [Physorg via Tom's Grab Bag]

• Can Helmut Lang survive without Helmut Lang? Well, sort of... [The New York Times]

• Truly disturbing: a passed out 17-year old kid was found tagged with anti-gay epithets. [Boston Herald]

• Speaking of epithets, Boy George's former bandmates had a few for him. [365 Gay]

• Al-Qaeda's To-Do List: Destroy freedom, make video on America's evils, kill Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. [Mollygood]

• Would-be killer wants to kill all the homos. What a mensch. [Dallas Observer]

Everyone's favorite super couple have announced they'll continue living in sin until all Americans can marry. That means us, of course.
In the new issue of Esquire, Pitt says, "Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able." That's nice. When we're allowed to marry, why don't you ditch Angie and give us a call. And, no, we won't sign a pre-nup.

The aforementioned issue of Esquire is on stands Sept. 19th

"Brangelina To Marry When Everyone Can" [AP via Breitbart.com]

Few people know Brad Pitt is an architecture buff: he interned with architecture superstar Frank Gehry, mastermind of the weird swoopy museums popping up everywhere, which we don't necessarily like that much but we don't go to museums anyway so it doesn't matter. Wait, what were we writing about? Oh yes--

Pitt has announced he's sponsoring an architecture contest for New Orleans, designing environmentally-friendly homes in the hurricane-devastated areas of the city. Super cool, we think. Considering the city has made zero progress in the seven months since the hurricane, we're glad Bradley is getting something done.

For pics of the hurricane, take a look at the Big Gay Road Trip: New Orleans. These pics were taken a few weeks ago.

Brad Pitt, Global Green Team Up For New Orleans [New Orleans CityBusiness]

Brad Pitt is the gay-friendly type. One of his best friends is Melissa Etheridge, he's done some pretty queerish roles (Fight Club, anyone?), and is married to a bisexual woman. So it came as no surprise to us when he announced a short time ago he was jumping on the gay movie bandwagon. Looks like the movie he might star in is a homo Olympics flick called The Front Runner.

But if he's looking for an Oscar win, he should choose right. Our lesson from last night? Actors who play gay cowboys don't win. Actors who play real-life tormented writers do.

Brad to play gay? [NY Daily News]

Well, we were holding out for Madonna to be godmother to the soon to be born "World’s Most Beautiful Baby," but it looks like the crown is going to a lesbian - which would’ve been our second choice. And it isn’t Brad Pitt’s best bud, Melissa Etheridge.

Angelina Jolie has reportedly asked her lesbian lover to be godmother to her children - angering boyfriend Brad Pitt, according to Britain's Daily Star newspaper.

The actress allegedly wants Jenny Shimizu, who she had a relationship with while filming 'Foxfire' in 1993, to give spiritual guidance to her two adopted children, Maddox and Zahara, and her unborn baby with Pitt.

We do hope Brad isn’t jealous of Angie’s lesbian-lover, but somehow, we kind of think he’s the kind of guy that wouldn’t mind. And he does have to admit that his life with Aniston was never this interesting, seeing as though the godmother to that kid would’ve been Courtney Cox. We’ll take a lesbian any day ‘cause dear Jenny gives new meaning to the term ‘fairy godmother.’

Angelina Jolie chooses gay godmother [Female First]

We’re a little confused by today’s revelation that Brad Pitt wants to cash in on the success of Brokeback Mountain by asking his reps to find him a gay role. We thought he’d already covered that part of his professional acting career (and pretty well if you ask us) with Interview with a Vampire and Fight Club.

Says a “source” who could very well just be a bitter Jennifer Aniston spreading gay rumors:

A source said: “Brad has asked his people to find him a script to play a gay man.

“He wants it to be a story that appeals to both men and women and he wants it to be the edgiest work he’s
done.

“He’s seen the critical acclaim that Brokeback Mountain has won and he wants a piece of it.

We’re taking guesses as to who else will jump on the Brokeback bandwagon. Will other stars take the risk by playing queer? Clint Eastwood? Sylvestor Stallone? Tom Cruise? Well, we guess Cruise has already has that checked off as well. Let’s see, there’s Top Gun, Interview with a Vampire (natch), and the never-ending saga that is His Entire Life.

Brad: I fancy a gay one [The Sun]

• A Paula Abdul dating show sounds like the perfect televised train wreck we've been waiting for. If there is a God, her dating pool will be filled exclusively with American Idol rejects. [Zap2it]

• The DGA hearts Ang Lee. We'll soon find out how much the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sceinces loves Lee and Brobeback. Oscar noms are out tomorrow. [BBC]

• China does not heart Brokeback Mountain. [BBC]

• A gay Colombian man, currently in Orlando, wants the U.S. to grant him political asylum because of increased homophobia in his native country. But is landing yourself in a state run by George Bush's bro really a step in the right direction? [Miami Herald]

• Guy Ritchie will be best man at Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's wedding. We would be super-happy fags if Madonna somehow ends up godmother to the most beautiful baby in the world. [Digital Spy]

• Butch supermodel Jenny Shimizu has issued a warning to Brad Pitt about her relationship with Angelina Jolie. “There has never been an ending to her and I. I think there never will be,” she says. [The Sun]

• Pop Bytes calls Bradford “so damn witty and in my humble opinion incredibly cute!” Awww shucks! Flattery will get you everywhere with us. [Pop Bytes]

• Today is your last chance to help choose the Hottest Brazilian of the Year. Like we could just pick one. [Made In Brazil]

• You can also still vote for The Urbs. And yes, Joe.My.God is still spanking us, Toby, Andy, and Shades of Gray. Wait, that sounded hot. [Gridskipper]

• Adrienne Barbeau, the star of classics The Fog and Escape From New York, will star as Judy Garland in an upcoming play. The cult goddess is playing a camp goddess. Sounds like magic in the making. [ABC News]

• Brad Pitt might get more than just a couple of orphaned kids if and when he marries Angelina Jolie. He'll also get a third wheel. [The Sun]

• That gay cowboy movie you'll end up seeing about five or six times before Christmas has just wrangled up a whole bunch of trophies. [Reuters]

• Don't count on that home HIV test being out anytime soon. The last thing a queer needs is getting a false positive at home. [SF Gate]

• Boston College canceled a school-sponsored dance that was to have benefited an AIDS charity citing conflict with church teachings. Next on their list is distribution of chastity belts to the entire student body. [Boston Globe]

• Please join us in giving a big flaming welcome to Jossip's new editor, Corynne Steindler. Don't let the cute innocent smile fool you. We hear she's just as cutthroat as their previous editor. (We keed! We keed! We love her already.) [Jossip]

Schadenfreude. It’s that delightful frisson you feel running along your spine upon learning that something massively awful has happened to one of your enemies. Republican Congressman Randy Cunningham has resigned in abject disgrace, having pleaded guilty to accepting more than $2.4 million in bribes to help campaign contributors and other sleazebags win military contracts.

What’s that? You hadn’t considered there were people in the U.S. government in favor of war in Iraq because the war makes them richer? Cunningham, a “family values” candidate who twice sponsored an anti-gay marriage bill, lived in Washington on a 43-foot yacht owned by one of the military contractors who received tens of millions in federal contracts thanks to “Duke,” as Cunningham is known to his slimy “family values” friends.

One of the worst parts of this is that Puke, as Queerty is now proud to call him, is one of those who basically doesn’t give a hang one way or the other about gays. But this political type merrily exploits anti-gay bigotry in the population to assume, and abuse, a position of power. Because Puke is so ugly, we’re accompanying this post with a photo of Brad.