The ongoing Anglican Communion's queer internal struggle took a decidedly high school direction this week. Two of the most controversial American bishops have not been invited to next year's international Anglican Communion conference, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury's office.

Neither openly gay Gene Robinson, nor Bishop Martyn Minns - who leads a breakaway Virginia church aligned with anti-gay Bishop Peter Akinola. Secretary general of the communion, Canon Kenneth Kearon told reporters that while Robinson may get a last minute invite, Minns definitely off the list. Washington Post reports:

Robinson may be invited to attend the Lambeth Conference as a guest, but Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is not contemplating inviting Minns, Kearon said.

"The question of Gene Robinson ... I think has exercised the archbishop of Canterbury's mind for quite some time... However, for the archbishop to simply give full recognition at this conference would be to ignore the very substantial and very widespread objections in many parts of the communion to his consecration and to his ministry.

If Nigeria can't play fair, they may not be able to play at all. The African nation, which has been mulling comprehensive homophobic laws, has applied to host The Commonwealth, also known as the Olympics for Britain and their 52-former colonies.

Glasgow, Scotland and Abuja, Nigeria lead the hosting competition, but some claim Nigeria's unjust laws violate the Games' philosophy. The Guardian's sportsman, Nicky Campbell, writes

I might best explain by adducing Article 2 of the Commonwealth Games Federation constitution, which earnestly promotes "gender equality and tolerance"; or Article 7, which says "there shall be no discrimination against any country or person on any grounds whatsoever including race, colour, gender, religion or politics". That is clear enough, then, and that is Abuja scuppered, then.

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Nigeria Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola's tightening his grip on America's soul. The virulent homophobe will pay Woodbridge, Virginia a little visit to appoint former Episcopal clergyman Martyn Minns as the leader of Akinola's Convocation of Anglicans in North America.

Born from the never-ending gay debate, Akinola's Nigeria-based Convocation aims to recruit conservative Americans into his Bible-thumping fold. American Episcopal leader Katharine Jefferts Schori has pleaded with Akinola to back off her territory, but it seems Akinola's hellbent on a bit of religious colonization. Akinola replied by saying that the CANA will:

provide a safe place for those who wish to remain faithful Anglicans but can no longer do so within the Episcopal Church as it is currently being led.

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Aunty Maiduguri has mad skills. The forty-five year-old Nigerian lesbian managed to snag and marry four - four! - lovely ladies. Two thousand guests gathered earlier this week to participate in the two-day festivities, but things turned ugly when neighbors tipped off the police.

Nigeria's national law forbids homosexuality - politicians have been mulling a comprehensive, equally controversial law outlawing anything remotely queer, including befriending a fag. In addition to the secular prohibitions, Maiduguri's state - Kano - enforces Sharia law, putting her in double legal trouble.

Deputy commander of the Islamic police, Rabo Abdulkarim told reporters:

As defenders of Sharia law, we shall not allow this unhealthy development to take place. We are investigating the matter with a view to find the culprits and punish them.

• Can someone please tell us what the fuck P. Diddy (or, for you traditionalist, Puff Daddy) is doing in this picture? It's either horribly violent or horribly sensual. Either way, it's horribly horrible.

• Good news from Nigeria: the anti-gay bill seems to be stalled in the lower House. Cross your faggy fingers!

• !! omg !! Straight people in drag!

• Atlanta's gay stars are way cooler than you. And more socially conscious. You better recognize.

• Ug, Victoria Beckham is such a copycat. Also, David has a girl's haircut.

• Sarah Michelle Gellar in the new Batman?

• We have something in common with Keith Olbermann. We both think Michael Savage stinks as much as that horse shit he spouts.

• Those Soulforce riders just can't stay out of jail.

• Were you guys at the Jimmy Im spun, eastern bloc housed, Svedka soaked, Queerty sponsored Good Times last night? No? Check out some pics to see what you missed.

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The European Parliament held a special meeting today to debate what it finds to be Nigeria's continuing human rights violations, including their frightening ban on all things homo. The MEP's voted 61-24 (with one abstention) for Nigeria to abandon the bill, as well as do away with the death penalty, address censorship and child labor, among other things.

Section J, article 6 of Resolution B6-105 reads:

[The European Parliament] Calls on the Nigerian Parliament not to adopt the proposed 'Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act' in its current form, since it contains infringements of the basic human rights of freedom of expression and opinion, in particular when it envisages a five-year prison sentence for anyone involved publicly or privately in positive representation of or advocacy for same sex relationships.

While it's not unheard of for politicians to issue such edicts, one can't help but wonder why Europe's picking on Nigeria. Yes, Nigeria doesn't have the best human rights record, but what about all the gay hating in Ghana and Uganda?

Related: Activist War: Africans Outraged Over Outrage!
Activist War II: Africans Still Outraged At Outrage!

• There's a scourge wreaking sartorial havoc on gay communities - men who refuse to age gracefully. Pretty scary, right? Don't worry, Patrick Huguenin can help. First, you have to decide where you're coming from and where you want to go. We're leaning toward a rake (pictured). Pretty sexy for a sketch, no? [Genre]

• Outrage! outraged over Ghana's anti-gay laws. They best be careful, lest they have another Nigeria controversy. [UK Gay News]

• Arkansas advanced a bill to ban gay adoptions. Fuckers. [Arkansas News]

• Mr. Show on reparative therapy. [QueerSighted]

• Where's The Simpsons Movie premiering? Springfield, of course. Which Springfield? That depends on which one's got the most Simpsons love. [Houston Chronicle]

• Lesbians love Amy Winehouse and her drunken ways. But, really, who doesn't? [AfterEllen]

• Matt Sanchez had a little chat with Michelangelo Signorile. Joe from Joe.My.God's totally got the audio. Best if taken with a grain of salt and a whole lotta disbelief. [Joe.My.God]

• Gay veteran and Don't Ask activist, Eric Alva to General Peter Pace: "Judging gay men and women in the military for factors unrelated to their fitness to serve undermines our military's effectiveness." [Pink News UK]

• HRC said something, too. [HRC]

• General Peter Pace to world: "I admit I shouldn't have said anything, but I'm still not apologizing to a bunch of immoral butt fuckers. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go fuck Ann Coulter up the ass." [HuffPo]

• Finally, a friend sent us the video for a German toilet commercial. Let's just say it makes us reconsider how, where and when we do our next line of blow. See for yourself, after the jump...

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Some Nigerian activists may be busy battling Outrage!, but pro-gay peer and director of Changing Attitude Nigeria, Davis Mac-Iyalla has been busy running from death threats.

Mac-Iyalla's made quite a few enemies in recent weeks, particularly after he traveled to Tanzania to plead with homophobic Archbishop Peter Akinola to include gays in the Anglican Communion.

Now a few shady seeming individuals showed up at his work looking to have some words, while another called his unlisted number to offer a little telephonic threat. The intimidation, Mac-Iyalla and others claim, comes straight from anti-gay rivals and Akinola-supporters, the Church of Nigeria. Fearing for his life, Mac-Iyalla's gone into hiding.

This isn't the first time Mac-Iyalla's garnered such warnings: he got a batch back in January. While certainly a shame that Mac-Iyalla's living in fear, at least he knows he's got the homophobe's attention.

A little over a month after issuing a call against British gay activist Peter Tatchell, a group of African gay do-gooders maintain that Tatchell and his group, Outrage!, are still meddling in their business.

They claim that their British counterparts inadvertently brought Nigeria's anti-gay bill back from the dead, thus leading to more oppression. Dorothy Aken'Ova of Nigeria's International Centre for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights insists:

Press attention to the bill, even if it is as mild as reporting that it is presumed dead as a result of political tension will be dangerous. Right now, we want silence.

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• 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]

All right, enough of that lovey dovey bullshit. There are bigger things going on in the world, like Nigeria's public hearings on faggotry's legalities. People are coming forward to the House of Representatives to voice their opinions on the place of homosexuality in Nigerian society.

As happens, religious institutions have come to support the bill. The Christian Association of Nigeria and The National Muslim Center have both condemned homosexuality as being antithetical to Nigerian society at large, a sentiment echoed by some politicians.

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Anglican leaders will gather in Tanzania later this week to duke it out on the international churches most divisive issues, particularly the institution's stance on the homos. It will certainly be an eventful weekend, as more conservative leaders take a stand against Presiding Episcopal Bishop Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson. Of those leaders, Nigerian archbishop and virulent homophobe Peter Akinola's voice will undoubtedly be the loudest. Before Akinola wears out his vocal cords, however, a number of Nigerian activists are asking him to raise his fist against the African nation's proposed ban on homosexuality.

You may recall the long-dormant bill got a breath of fresh air a few months back, a resurrection Nigerian activists blame on the British-based Outrage! and other international gay rights organizations. Regardless of who's to blame, the discriminatory documents will effectively outlaw same-sex relations. In a list ditch effort, pro-gay Christian non-profit, Changing Attitude Nigeria has penned a desperate letter to Akinola and his allies.

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