• Ruben Solorio has been arrested in connection with the 2005 murder of Arizona-based drag queen, Amancio Corrales. Hooray!

• Get the low down on Sao Paulo Pride parties. Be sure to send us a postcard. And a Brazilian.

• David Banda's the cutest of all Madonna's "stolen" African babies!

• Focus on The Family seems to think that New York state law defines marriage as "between a man and a woman". Good As You calls "bullshit".

• The United Kingdom's foremost expert on sex change operations, Dr. Russell Reid, has been found guilty of professional misconduct after rushing five patients into surgery without following proper procedure.

• Scream screenwriter and known homosexual Kevin Williamson has a new soap: Hidden Palms. AfterElton describes it as a blend between The OC and Desperate Housewives. Sounds juicy shitty interesting...

• It's Fleet Week and this sailor's looking for some action. Also, has a crush on his drill sergeant, no foresight (he included his picture).

• Some people may take offense at Best Week Ever calling this man a "scary tranny", but nothing else fits. Except, maybe, for Norman Bates.

Cassandra Ormiston and Margaret Chambers' impending divorce takes center stage again this week, as the Rhode Island Supreme Court has ruled that a family court can hear the queer couple's case. The once-loving ladies married in Massachusetts in 2004, during the brief months before former Governor Mitt Romney helped pass a law invalidating out-of-stater's same-sex nuptials.

Unfortunately, the ladies called it quits after heading back to their home state and filed for divorce. A family court judge, the brilliantly named Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr, couldn't take the backdoor judicial pressure and passed the case on to the Supreme Court.

The Court originally sent the case back to JSJ Jr., but has now agreed to hear the case only to answer this pressing question:

May the Family Court properly recognize, for the purpose of entertaining a divorce petition, the marriage of two persons of the same sex who were purportedly married in another state?

The Supreme Court will answer that very query on August 1. The Court also makes clear that this decision does not decide whether or not the state will legalize gay marriage. That's quite the disclaimer, especially considering Attorney General Patrick Lynch's recent vow to legalize Massachusetts' gay vows.

R.I. court to rule on same-sex marriage [The Providence Journal]

The New York Post ran a blind item this morning in which they intimated that an anti gay-marriage Brooklyn-based politician has been shacking up in Manhattan with her lesbian partner.

Well, those insatiable political gossips over at BlogActive did some digging and found an advert in the Gay City News reading:

Please call Assemblywoman Helene E. Weinstein from Brooklyn, chair of the Committee on Judiciary and ask her why she refuses to sponsor the same sex marriage legislation. Please education her as to why our same sex relationships matter and our right to marry is a civil rights issue. She can be reached at her office: 718-648-4700.

This politically motivated advert - which also thanks marriage supporters, such as openly gay Senator Tom Duane - led BlogActive to assume Weinstein to be the Post's politician. And it turns out they may be right:

Numerous activists and political sources in calls and emails with BlogActive have confirmed that Weinstein is the Assemblywoman mentioned in the New York Post item.

Are we the only ones who find the prospect of a lying labia-lover refreshing? Seriously, we usually have to deal with all those cock suckers - this is a welcome change of pace.

Republican presidential contenders Sam Brownback and Mike Huckabee pulling out the social conservative stops in their improbable bids for the White House. Both men made appearances this weekend at the Christian-leaning Florida Family Policy Council's awards dinner in Orlando. And rest assured the boys took some time to resurrect that old political wedge: gay marriage.

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The confusing case of gay marriage gets even more queer today. And, like so many marriage dramas, this story begins in Massachusetts.

As you know, Massachusetts passed gay marriages back in 2004. Not one for so-called sinners, then-Governor Mitt Romney reminded lawmakers of a 1913 law which prohibited out-of-state visitors from marrying in Massachusetts. Unless, of course, their state would honor the marriage.

While some law-types fell into line, Judge Thomas E. Connolly ruled in favor of a contesting couple, saying that if a state doesn't explicitly bar gay marriage, then a couple's nuptials are legal.

One of the pair hails from New York, which is where things get really interesting...

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He may not be one of the front runners, but presidential candidate Mike Gravel may garner the most gay votes after his strong endorsement of gay marriage. The former Alaskan senator told New Hampshire's WMUR-TV:

If a couple of lesbians or gay men want to get married, and they love each other, they should have the right to do that and enjoy all the legalities in our society that go along with that. I have no problem with that at all.

I think that people who create these problems of homophobia and the likes of that do us a disservice. We are all human beings and one of the things that should motivate us, most of all, is love.

Rare words from the political arena.

Although, Gravel's a rare politician - the 77-year old politico wants an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, no more IRS and hopes to legalize pot, "You should be able to buy that at a liquor store". Sigh, our hero... Too bad he doesn't have a chance in hell.

Mike Gravel, 2008 Democratic presidential candidate, says he has no problem with gay love. [PageOne Q]
Gravel 2008

India's Ministry of External Affairs has found itself in a diplomatic quagmire after finding out two high-ranking Canadian diplomats live with their legal spouses. The unnamed politicos - a man and a woman - both married their partners while still living in Canada. Unfortunately, the Indian government still abides by the colonial era law, Section 377, which forbids homosexuality.

Upon hearing of the queer couples, the Ministry of External Affairs told the Canadian government it cannot honor their marriages, nor will they allow diplomatic immunity...

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Massachusetts lawmakers will again debate gay marriage in a special Constitutional Convention. Despite the fact that marriage has been legal in Massachusetts for years now, a group of tenacious anti-gay activists have been pressuring lawmakers to reverse the legislation. The debate heated up last January when politicians heeded a petition to reconsider the law, but stalled when they adjourned before a vote. Now, five months later, the politicos may again debate the tiresome issue, but will again avoid a vote. Boston's WPRI reports:

The House and Senate convenes in constitutional convention on Beacon Hill today, but there'll be no vote on the gay marriage amendment.

A spokeswoman for Senate President Therese Murray -- who presides over the joint session of the Legislature -- says Murray plans to recess the convention until sometime after the state budget is completed.

Right on. Getting an entire state's budget together seems a bit more important than butting into a few thousand people's personal lives.

Gay Canadian Anglicans may be praying for some divine intervention over the next seven weeks. The Anglican Church of Canada has released a statement rejecting the possibility of blessing gay unions. For now, at least:

Where we are today - not in June, but as of today - our doctrine and discipline does not allow the blessing of same-sex unions. So we're acknowledging that's where we are, understanding that that could change in June.

No doubt the issue will come up at next month's general synod meeting in Winnipeg.

Canadian Anglicans may not approve of gay nuptials, but that doesn't mean they're not praying for your sissy soul. Winnipeg Free Press reports:

[Their official statement adds] that it is "a Gospel imperative to pray with the whole people of God, no matter their circumstance."

For example, the statement suggests a parish, with its bishop's knowledge and permission, could pray with a civilly married gay or lesbian couple that wants recognition of their union and celebrate a eucharist with the couple.

They also say they hope that "no child is denied baptism solely on the basis of the sexual orientation, or the marital status, of the parents."

"It is inconsistent and unacceptable to deny baptism to children as a way of imposing discipline on the sexual behaviour of the parents," says the statement.

At least one Canadian Anglican doesn't think that's good enough. Reverend Shawn Sanford Beck stepped down yesterday after clashing with church officials over the controversial matter. Beck wanted to bless same-sex unions, but faced pious religion.

New Hampshire's a mere signature away from allowing civil unions. The state Senate voted 14-10 to pass the controversial measure, which just two years ago a study panel recommended the state ignore. MSNBC reports:

[The panel] concluded that homosexuality was a choice, and it endorsed a constitutional amendment to limit marriage to unions between a man and a woman. State lawmakers have defeated proposed constitutional bans on same-sex marriage two years in a row.

No doubt conservative politicians blasted the legislative progression. Republican Senator Robert Letourneau griped:

Let’s just call it what it really is, no sugarcoating. This creates same-sex marriage. There is no right to marriage in either the New Hampshire Constitution or the federal Constitution... We don’t let blind people drive or felons vote, all for good and obvious reasons.

Well, one reason's more obvious than the other, but they're both completely different, buddy.

Openly gay Representative Jim Splaine contested Letourneau's contentions:

As we continue to evolve this discussion, we’ll see people not worried so much about the marriage word. This is an important difference. This is not marriage. This is civil union. This does nothing to impact anyone’s marriage.

Meanwhile, Representative Gail Morrison's pledged to make an honest lady of her lesbian lover. "My partner and I have already spoken to our minister and we will be having a civil union the instant it is possible to do so."

Oregon state Representative Dennis Richardson certainly offered a mountful in his newsletter last week:

This past week has been like no other. On Monday the world witnessed the tragedy at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. On Tuesday Oregon witnessed the passage of Domestic Benefits for same-sex couples (HB 2007) and Civil Rights based on sexual orientation.

Whoa. Talk about apples and oranges. 32 lives lost and the opportunity for countless happy lives to be lived. Our words fail us right now, so we'll let Loaded Orygun do the talking:

I could come up with any number of adjectives to describe this noxious juxtaposition--such as ignorant, hateful, paranoid, misinformed, calculating, neanderthal or just plain stupid--but let's just stick with "pathetic"...

Oh, wait, that inspired us: Richardson's words are tasteless. Not to mention totally idiotic. But, sadly, not surprising.

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Rock and roll ain't meant to be tame. And no doubt Xiu Xiu frontman Jamie Stewart knows a thing or two about letting out his wild side. He may look like an angel, but boy's got the sonic spirit of a hell bound demon. In a good way, of course.

As with Matthias Herrmann, Stewart's all about the artistic message. He's aware, however, that there's a fine line between giving the listener a glimpse and shoving it down their throat. He tells Queerty contributor Jesse Finkelstein:

The point of making art is that hopefully someone is touched by it. It is not the business of the person making it to foist their preconceived notions of destination on a listener or viewer.

See what else the handsome 34-year old has to say, after the jump.

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