Man oh man, some homophobes in Kosovo have serious issues! An anymous person or persons sent a hateful note to the leader of the gay rights group, Centre for Social Emancipation. The" revolutionary" recipient - known only as Mr. Z - couldn't believe the severity of the threats, which translate thus: "We will fuck you mother, burn you with all your belongings, and will make you carry your intestines in your own hands, you lewd man”. Talk about lewd! The author goes on to accuse Mr.Z of “smearing the pure and freedom-seeking nation" and says he should "prepare his funeral within two weeks”. Yikes!

Despite the imminence of the warnings, the Serbian province's police initially refused to pursue the case. Looking for some justice, the CSE enlisted the help of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights. Under growing pressure, the police opened an allegedly flawed exploration. A CSE spokesperson declares:

We believe that Mr. Z’s right to use all the possible legal remedies has been violated by the police officers... His privacy was not respected as he was being interviewed in the reception room and at least seven different police officers and random citizens walked into the room, thus stopping the interview process and finding out what had happened.

Poor Mr. Z. Always last on the list of priorities...

Gay, Lesbian Youth Leaders Under Serious Death Threats [UK Gay News]

Colorado Springs' developers and politicos alike recently announced to the world that they've shed their anti-gay ways and are now a completely queer inclusive community. Unfortunately, prominent real estate man Ron Spraggins didn't get the message. Spraggins - who presides over Colorado's oldest, "number one in sales since 1975" real estate group, Commonwealth - sent a nasty note to a Queerty reader named Roman, who commented on our original post:

A hetero friend moved from Los Angeles to Colorado Springs. He's a Buddhist Caucasian married to an Asian woman. They just had a daughter, and wanted to raise her in a family-friendly environment. They moved back to L. A. within six months. Apparently gay is just part of a long list of things those people hate.

And apparently Roman's comment on our original story rubbed Spraggins to wrong way, because Roman received this rambling message:

One simple question: do you believe in The Bible. If so, what does it say about gay sex? Clearly says it's a sin, just like adultry [sic], stealing, etc. Using another sin to justify your doesn't work. What happened to "We just want to be left alone?" clause ou all used when Amendment 2 came up? You're on an agenda, just like [Family Research Council president Tony] Perkins said years ago. Re: people who went back to AL, good. Maybe you and your other gays friends should do the same, since LA likes everything except what this country was founded upon. If everyone was what you want, gay, how do we reproduce?

Um, duh! We don't.

Gays will not rest until the entire planet's one big wasteland of corpses and AIDS. Oh, and drag queens' old, tattered wigs. Obviously this man hasn't brushed up on our agenda. Maybe you guys can help show him the way. Here's his company's phone number: 719-685-0600. Send him our love.

The notion that scandal-ridden actor Isaiah Washington would make a pro-gay PSA for GLAAD borders on the absurd. The entire set-up's like a bad plotline from an equally bad prime time soap: actor fucks up, goes to "rehab", makes PSA telling people not to fuck up. It's ridiculous! We've all read the words, but now you can see the - um - real deal above.

Meanwhile, TMZ also has an uber-bizarro video of Bobby Trendy and an American Idol reject (aka one of Trendy's horrible homo spawn) fagging it up. Warning: this video is not for the faint of heart. It is, however, perfect for anyone looking to call someone a faggot. Isaiah Washington take note.

Ch-ch-check it out, after the jump...

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More horrific details of the recent gay birthday raid in Isfahan, Iran. The majority of the 80 people detained by police have been released, although at least five partygoers remina in custody. Of those who were either let go or paid the $250,000 bail, many came out bruised and battered. No surprise considering eyewitness accounts of the arrests and detention.

Doug Ireland passes on word from Arsham Parsi - exiled head of the Iranian Queer Organization - that police treated the "prisoners" with the utmost severity. One detainee told Parsi:

The police beat us so hard that one of us threw himself out of the third-floor window and broke his legs; he is now in hospital. When we were arrested, we were forced to sleep on the floor, and the police were walking on us. We don’t have any voice here and you are our voice, please tell the world about our horrible situation in Iran, it is our daily life.

Those arrested face charges of homosexuality and consumption of alcohol, the latter carries a sentence of 100 lashes. The former can lead to execution - which may be what the birthday boy has in store for him, according to Parsi.

Parsi also says that the police brought video cameras and four mullahs to the raid, thus ensuring damning evidence for the forthcoming trials. Maybe we can all rally to stop things before it's too late...

Neal Anthony and Michael Duncan are again living in fear down Tennessee way.

As we reported back in April, the McMinnville-based queer couple found themselves on the receiving end of some unimaginative homophobic crime when some punks spray painted anti-gay epithets on their historical home. How unimaginative? "All gays go to hell". Snoozefest. What the haters lack in imagination, they certainly make up in tenacity.

We've received word from the boys' friend, who writes:

Yet another hate crime took place over the weekend when four rocks crashed through his front windows as a Red (possibly Burgundy) Ford Explorer with people screaming "FAGS MUST DIE" drove by Neal's home. The local Sheriff's Dep't was once again called out but the investigating officer claimed they could do nothing as the car was headed into an adjoining county (where they have no jurisdiction) and so the matter could not be pursued.

The reader goes on to speculate whether or not the McMinnville police are, in fact, investigation the matter...

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A Jamaican man has applied for asylum in Britain after claiming that anti-gay thugs attacked him in his native country. The man - known only as Asher - asserts that he fled Jamaica after being attacked by a gang back in 2002. He explains to the Jamaica Observer:

What happened is that a group of men drew me into St Michael's Church, and they used a stone and started knocking me in the head... [One man] used a bottle and started knocking me in the head and kicked me up and thing. Then, one of them told his friend to go for his gun to shoot me and throw me in a pit. I was begging for my life and telling them that I was not that (homosexual) and that I was coming from Bellevue.

Then they buck up on (found) a letter that the doctor gave me from Bellevue, and they read through it and decided that I was a 'mad bwoy' and decided to let me go.

The experience, coupled with earlier homophobic incidents, led Asher to England, where he's applied for asylum twice. Immigration officials rejected his applications and now Asher has decided to "swallow" his pride and fess up to being gay. Before he could apply for asylum, however, Asher found himself behind bars after being pulled over in a routine traffic check. Asher eventually made his way back to Jamaica, but hopes the British government will allow him to return.

Asher's just one of countless Jamaican gays who have faced anti-gay hate in recent years. Most recently, a group of gay mourners were attacked during a funeral. Asher's hoping stories like that one and others will help his situation. "I'm sure I'll make it," he told reporters. Let's hope he survives long enough to make his case...

Polish Education minister and lurch lookalike, Roman Giertych unveiled his controversial education reforms yesterday.

Among his conservative goals, Giertych hopes to pass an overarching ban on any discussion of homosexuality in the classroom. Not because he's homophobic, of course. He's simply thinking of the children:

It is only to protect youth from the propagation of views that threaten marriage, threaten family, and threaten the duties of school, which are to prepare one to fulfill family duties and the duties of a citizen.

Though eager to implement his plans, Giertych does not define "propagation". Rather, he describes potentially prohibited material as "every action that is dependent on the public presentation of a certain belief with the intention of convincing others to that viewpoint." The nebulous nature of his legislation has raised a few eyebrows.

European Parliament spoke out against Poland's politics earlier this year, at which point Dutch MEP Kathalijne Buitenweg questioned the nation's political responsibility: "The disturbing proposals to outlaw discussion of homosexuality raise serious concerns about the commitment to fundamental rights in Poland." Buitenweg isn't the only concerned citizen.

Human Rights Watch has posted a petition urging the Polish government to stop its policies before it's too late. Head on over and give it a go - the petition will be delivered Saturday, May 17, during the Warsaw Equality Parade.

Sallie Toussaint certainly didn't mince words when it came to Justin Timberlake. The - um - actress known as "woman from opera" in The Departed and "Blinged-Out Girlfriend" from a singular The Sopranos episode wonders what people see in the fey J.T: "I would definitely not date a guy like [Timberlake]! Bringing sexy back? Why doesn't he bring his b - - -s back?" We're assuming the word Page Six chose to censor is "balls". Although, we do wonder: if J.T. has lost his balls, how, where, why, when...and, most importantly, who?

Ms. Toussaint goes on to explain her ire's origin:

After the Janet [Jackson] thing where he didn't step up, I stopped liking him. He could have helped tremendously by just being a man, but he didn't. He ripped her top and ran. Timberwuss is quite the fairy.

If this hopeful starlet doesn't have a publicist, she needs one. If she has one, she needs to fire them.

PS: We may have found photographic evidence of Timberlake's "fairy" behavior. Careful, though - it's not safe for work. In fact, it's not safe for anywhere. The image you'll see after the jump will haunt you for life...

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Rosie O'Donnell's about to have a lot of time on her lesbianic hands. TMZ has confirmed that the 45-year old big mouth will be leaving The View, a retreat she'll allegedly announce on today's episode. O'Donnell's departure comes less than a year after her September 6, 2006 take-over for Meredith Vieira. A pretty short tenure for a woman some people credit for making the ten-year old gab-fest relevant again. (In her first three months, O'Donnell helped boost ratings by 15%.)

One can't help but wonder if O'Donnell's many feuds have something to do with her ouster. She did, after all, once promise to stop digging on The Don, yet told had a special message for him at Monday's Matrix Awards: "Eat Me".

In light of this announcement, we'd like to share an email message we just received from an irate - and possibly deranged - reader:

Rosie is a fat lesbo, and I would love to have two hours alone with her. Given the chance, I can convert any abnormal lesbian back to normality as I have proven on several occasions. But Rosie is so disgusting that I would have to have one of my assistants do her. Apparently you are also of the rug munching variety and therefore would also qualify for my services. Let me know.

Um...thanks for the offer, but we're not carpet munchers. Even if we were, we'd rather eat pussy and "burn in hell" than have a go with someone who describes lesbianism as "abnormal". Fucker.

Update: Via TMZ:

Rosie O'Donnell said: "Breaking News. I've decided we couldn't come to terms with my deal." Rosie wanted one year and ABC wanted three years. She says she'll be on frequently next season but won't be a regular.

Great! Even less time we have to spend not watching The View! Oh, also, Donald Trump's apparently taking credit for Rosie's unemployment. Shocker.

To describe Steven Cohen’s performance art as “shameful” would be true on two levels. First, the South African artist shames himself – for example, he caused a stink during 2000’s Limping Into The African Renaissance when he shat on the Dance Umbrella Stage. Cohen’s work can also be described as shameful in a slightly different, slanted way: it is, quite literally, full of shame. The 54-year old’s elaborate and highly personal pieces force the viewer to confront and digest shame.

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We're in the middle of costly war. raq's parliament has been bombed. People continue to die in Darfur. Yet, for some nonsensical reason, our news organizations can't shut up about Don Imus' big mouth. Have we entered some sort of alternate universe? Maybe. Or maybe we're finally addressing America's innate self hatred.

As gay actor Harvey Fierstein writes in today's NY Times:

Our nation, historically bursting with generosity toward strangers, remains remarkably unkind toward its own. Just under our gleaming patina of inclusiveness, we harbor corroding guts.

Prejudice is nothing new. Our nation endorsed slavery for over two hundred years. It's the outrage over prejudice that's surprising. What's more surprising, Fierstein writes, is that people are raising such a stink over Imus' relatively benign remarks and not calling for other people's heads.

What surprises me, I guess, is how choosy the anti-P.C. crowd is about which hate speech it will not tolerate. Sure, there were voices of protest when the TV actor Isaiah Washington called a gay colleague a “faggot.” But corporate America didn’t pull its advertising from “Grey’s Anatomy,” as it did with Mr. Imus, did it? And when Ann Coulter likewise tagged a presidential candidate last month, she paid no real price.

...You cannot harbor malice toward others and then cry foul when someone displays intolerance against you. Prejudice tolerated is intolerance encouraged. Rise up in righteousness when you witness the words and deeds of hate, but only if you are willing to rise up against them all, including your own. Otherwise suffer the slings and arrows of disrespect silently.

Indeed. How can a nation - an entire nation - shake a fist at a cadaver of a radio host and not do the same against other offenders? How can people claim to be incensed when they've let other slip-ups slip past? Either Americans really love Rutgers or they've got their heads up their asses. We choose the latter. But at least America's finally talking about its bigotry. Hopefully something good will come of this. If not, it's been a supreme waste of time.

Homophobia's ugly business. Especially when scrawled in spray paint on the side of a house, as some immature thugs have done to Neal Anthony's Tennessee home.

The Irving College native and his boyfriend are shocked and appalled that a group of unidentified men took it upon themselves to scrawl such delectable bits as "All fags go to hell" and "Fags deserve to die" on the side of their shared home. The graffiti comes only two weeks after a group threw a stone through their window and destroyed their mailbox.
Despite the repeated attacks, Anthony's sticking to his gay guns:

I guess whoever was doing this thinks they are going to run me offfrom this community because I’m gay. That is not going to happen… this house has been in my family since it was built in 1851. People our there are ignorant… times have changed. They need to accept open-mindedness.

That's right, girl. Not all Anthony's neighbors are so backward: they're lending a helping hand with the cleanup. That's Southern hospitality, right there.

Also, can we note that these homophobes need a lesson in creativity? "Fags deserve to die?" Boring.

Anti-Gay Messages Spray-Painted On Man's Home [WKRN]