Mary Cheney knew her child with lesbian lover Heather Poe would cause a stink. Anticipating the conservatives outrage, Vice-President Dick Cheney's daughter released a preemptive statement:

When Heather and I decided to have a baby, I knew it wasn’t going to be the most popular decision. This is a baby. This is a blessing from God. It is not a political statement. It is not a prop to be used in a debate, on either side of a political issue. It is my child.

While some people celebrated Samuel David Cheney's birth on Wednesday, not everyone jumped for joy. Take, for example, Peter LaBarbera, the homophobic leader of anti-gay group, Americans for Truth...

CONTINUED »

Kanako Otsuji has changed the face of Japanese politics. In 2003, at the tender age of 28, Otsuji became the candidate to win a seat on Osaka's assembly. In that seat, the politician pushed for social change, successfully passing a law allowing gay couples to rent housing together. Then, in 2005, Otsuji came out as a lesbian, thus becoming the first openly gay politician in Japanese history. Though the public embraced her, Otsuji found some opposition among her political peers, including, according to the Guardian, one anti-queer "comrade" who asked her if she planned on becoming a man.

Despite this ignorance - and her aides' advice to keep a lid on it - Otsuji hasn't given up her political dreams and has just joined forces with the Democratic party to launch a campaign for Japan's upper parliament. Not surprisingly, Otsuji's efforts rest on highlighting Japan's diverse nature, a stark departure from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's chimerical political conformity.

In a message on her website, Otsuji wrote:

I think there is a tendency to put forward one set of values and make it seem as though that is the only beautiful or right way. But the reality is becoming more diverse. Japanese society is not engaging with the wide range of people living in diverse ways, in terms of nationality, race, sex, age and disabilities.

Hopefully Otsuji's countrymen will feel the same way.

• We're not sure what's funnier - the fact that a bird took a shit on President Bush or that ABC News actually used the word "poop".

• HX Media's Boston rag, In Newsweekly., found itself in the papers this week when associate publisher Bill Berggren's criminal past came back to haunt him. It seems Berggren has been arrested for a number of incidents and some questioned his role as leader for Boston's Pride Committee. Rather than cause a stink, Berggren stepped down voluntarily. And Berggren ain't the only one on Innews' stepping down. From Boston's Weekly Dig:

In the last few weeks, their masthead has gotten a lot lighter in its loafers—editor James Lopata has left the building, as have distributor Thomas Kilduff and associate editor Alexander Sliwinski... We hear grumbling in the streets, too, that their freelancers haven’t been paid in eons.

The blurb goes on to suggest euthanasia. Ouch.

• You know what would help the African continent's millions of AIDS patients? Doctors. Too bad there's a shortage.

• Jenny Bailey can now call herself the United Kingdom's first trannie mayor, thus crushing our life long dreams...

• South African hooker outs celebrities, media refuses to pass names along.

• Mitt Romney doesn't hate gays:

I oppose discrimination against gay people. I am not anti-gay. I know there are some Republicans, or some people in the country who are looking for someone who is anti-gay and that’s not me.

Wait, isn't trying to stomp gay marriage discriminatory?

Approximately forty House Representatives are urging the Pentagon to reconsider its ban on gay Arabic linguists. Spearheaded by Representative Marty Meehan - the Massachusetts politico who regularly fights "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" - the collective asks the Pentagon to justify booting 58 gay Arabic linguists.

Speaking on his own behalf, Meehan pondered:

At a time when our military is stretched to the limit and our cultural knowledge of the Middle East is dangerously deficient, I just can't believe that kicking out able, competent Arabic linguists is making our country any safer.

The outcry comes after government officials fired three more gay linguists, including Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephen Benjamin...

CONTINUED »

Former Massachusetts govenor Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney wants you to know that he's the toughest, hardest, most prickalicious presidential candidate out there. Or so this new campaign commercial promises - minus the "prickalicious" part, although such a word suits both this advert's tone and the man himself.

(Thanks, Bloggernista!)

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...

Blesses news from the White House: Vice President Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter, Mary Cheney has given birth to a son, Samuel David Cheney. The 8 lb, 6 ounce boy came bursting into the world this morning at 9:46. Miraculously, the lesbian's love child does not have horns or a pointy tail.

Ms. Cheney and her girlfriend, Heather Poe, are no doubt relieved that their controversial child has come out safe and sound. Congratulations to the Cheney family - except for you, Dick. You blow.

In celebration of young Mr. Cheney's birth, Family Pride will be hosting a virtual "baby shower" on which readers can chat about the little bundle of joy.

• San Francisco's Department of Human Services has launched an ad campaign to recruit gay parents to adopt.

• Meanwhile, the San Francisco Chronicle have clarified their report on the aforementioned ad campaign. The newspaper originally cited Family Research Council's Paul Cameron as an "expert" on the matter. They neglected, however, to mention that he's been debunked by the American Psychological Association and hates gay people. Oops!

• On that note: the APA formed a "task force" to review research on ex-gay conversion therapy. Oh, we're sorry - "therapeutic responses". APA president Dr. Sharon Stephens Brehm bursts with joy: "I am pleased to announce the initiation of this task force. Its work will be of significant value as it will help inform all mental health practitioners about appropriate and effective therapeutic responses to sexual orientation. I look forward to the group's report." That could be good for the children.

• National Runaway Switchboard has published a new brochure for gay teens, "Being Out, Being Safe". NRS director Maureen Blaha remarks, "Research shows that LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to exhibit the symptoms of major depression than heterosexual youth -- which may lead to a runaway episode". Be sure to pack a lunch!

• "Shirley Q. Liquor" - a black face drag comedienne - did an interview with Rollingstone. Jasmyne Cannick - a black sappho-journo - wrote a rebuttal. NSFC (Not safe for children).

• In other baby-related news, here's a baby playing with a cobra! No word on whether the parents are gay.

• Pictures of celebrities smoking pot. Grownup children!!

• Plague strikes Denver zoo! Do not take your kids there. They will die. And so will you... (In fact, don't go to Colorado at all.)

• Looking for a movie about 1980s Liverpool gay teens who venture into a magical trans bar? Well, look no further: The Fruit Machine's out on DVD. Now you can go to the Denver zoo.

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.

African leaders have gathered this week to discuss the continent's human rights situation, but Ghanaian deputy attorney general, Kwame Osei-Prempeh made sure his people know that gays don't count as human.

Employing an especially quaint term - "homosexualism" - Prempeh insisted that while other countries may coddle the queers, Ghana's not reversing its anti-gay ways:

He explained that charters and international conventions that recognize homosexualism do not override national laws. For that reason the Criminal Code of 1960, which outlaws homosexualism is incontrovertible.
...
Prempeh said unnatural carnal knowledge is an illegal act under the Criminal Code as per section 104, and homosexualism, without any equivocation, is a form of unnatural carnal knowledge.

Section 104(2) explains, "Unnatural carnal knowledge is sexual intercourse with a person in an unnatural manner or with an animal."

Prempeh's statements echo the Ghana government's declaration last year, in which they claimed: "[The] government does and shall not condone any such activity which violently offends the culture, morality and heritage of the people of Ghana." Yet, they continue to speak the colonial tongue: English. How queer...

Ghana: No Room for Gays And Lesbians [All Africa]

A contentious queer novel has returned to the Rochester, New York's Webster School District's summer reading list.

Alex Sanchez's Rainbow Boys tells the story of teeny-bopper faglings coming into their out own. And, needless to say, the story caused a bit of a stir, but garnered even more praise.

The book's 2001 publication led School Library Journal to plead: "...Please, have the courage to make [Rainbow Boys] available to those who need it — it can open eyes and change lives." Regardless, Webster officials worried the text crossed a few too many lines, particularly lines of the sexual variety. Unsure of the explicit carnal content (not the homosexual overtones) they removed the book from its summer reading list, thus making it ineligible for the two essays due come September. The book would remain available in the library.

Sanchez, however, cried "censorship"...

CONTINUED »

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.

CONTINUED »