• Brokeback Mountain may have lost the best picture statuette at the Oscars, but at least it won the big prize at this weekend's Spirit awards. [The Advocate]

• "Don't ask, don't tell" may keep soldiers out of the military, but it can't keep recruiters out of U.S. universities. [Bloomberg]

• From George Clooney’s mouth to God’s Ears: Batman is GAY. [Pink News]

• Gay Cowboys’ in Sydney? We’re there. [CNN]

• You knew the ban on gay priests was stupid, but you didn’t know it would also be a huge waste of money. [The Boston Globe]

With the Village Voice’s help, Father Bob Hoatson has come forward outing New York City’s one and only Cardinal Edward Egan in a pending lawsuit. Papers have been filed and this looks like a doozy.

Halfway through the 44-page complaint, the priest-turned-advocate drops a bomb on the cardinal: He alleges that Egan is "actively homosexual," and that he has "personal knowledge of this." His suit names two other top Catholic clerics in the region as actively gay—Albany bishop Howard Hubbard and Newark archbishop John Myers.

What’s worse about the whole thing is the cover-up.

What Hoatson claims is that, as leaders of a church requiring celibacy and condemning homosexuality, actively gay bishops are too afraid of being exposed themselves to turn in pedophile priests. The bishops' closeted homosexuality, as the lawsuit states, "has compromised defendants' ability to supervise and control predators, and has served as a reason for the retaliation."

Someone better inform the Pope that his gay-banning directive isn’t working so well. Who would have thunk it? It seemed like such a great idea at the time!

Outing Cardinal Egan [Village Voice]

Last week’s loving and accepting speech by the Pope claiming that there is absolutely no social need for gay marriage got Italian queers into a tizzy. We’re sure the Pope was delighted to see drag queens and (gasp!) men smooching in protest over the weekend.

Plenty of people still support Pope Benny and by the way they make it sound, they must have a completely gay-free family! Even that middle-aged bachelor uncle who lives with his “roommate” has gotta be a total hetero!

"Family is a serious thing, based on love between a man and a woman." He is a member of the right-wing Northern League party.

Culture Minister Rocco Buttiglione, who is close to the Vatican, told reporters that people's energy should be spent on pro-family efforts like finding jobs and housing.

"These are the political problems you should put the spotlight on," Buttiglione said. "Because without children, Italy dies."

OK. We’ll just be blunt about this. Will someone please slap the stupid out of people like this and remind them that gay marriage does not equal the end to procreation?

Gays rally in Rome for legal recognition [NY Blade]

• Here's what you fags have been waiting for all season: the new Abercrombie & Fitch catalog! [Trent]

• There are lots of gay options on the tube tonight. Once you're done watching Will & Grace's live episode, head on over to ABC to see how well Fred Savage handles being a closet-case in Crumbs. [Crumbs] [Will & Grace]

• ABC gets all gay-friendly by airing a PSA starring a couple of soap stars speaking out against homophobia. [Mediaweek]

• Ever the progressive thinker, the Pope calls gay unions not a "casual, sociological entity" but "a question of the correct relationship between a man and a woman." [ABC News]

• The peeps over at Dolce & Gabbana watch way too much Nip/Tuck. [Towleroad]

Jim Morrison (not that Jim Morrison, mary. This one’s still alive and kicking), a priest at the St. Thomas Aquanis Catholic Church in Thibodaux, Louisiana has come out publicly to the diocese and his congregation. His coming out comes on the heels of the Vatican’s statement that priests with homosexual tendencies (um, are there priests without them?) should leave the priesthood.

Saturday evening, the pews at St. Thomas Aquinas were full. As pastor, Morrison told the congregation, "I ask you constantly to trust me. I ask you come to me with your life, all the blessings, all the struggles." "But it's not a one-way street," he said.

Shock of all shocks, Morrison will keep his job, mostly ministering to students, because the Catholic Church has a problem only with homosexual acts, and Morrison is celibate. Don’t get us started on what we think of the Vatican’s latest anti-gay directive, but we’re glad Morrison’s keeping his job. It’s nice to know that a man of the cloth is being judged by true Christian values – honesty and courage – and not by some church leader’s ignorance.

Popular priest tells parish he's gay, but celibate [KATC]

What were some of the biggest headlines and news stories about the gay community this year? There were many important happenings this year. Here are our top So Gay! picks.

5. Hangings In Iran. It’s tough enough being openly gay in this world. But we can’t even begin to imagine living in a country where people are publicly executed for being gay. Absolutely revolting.

4. Sheryl Swoopes’ Coming Out. The bitch was so cool this year that she made not one but two of our So Gay! lists. No one in pro sports as popular as the WNBA’s Swoops has had the courage to come out of the closet while still an active player. We hope this is the start of a long overdue trend.

3. Schwarzenegger Same-Sex Marriage Bill Veto. Oh that Arnie. As seen as he found out about it, the former homo boy toy announced he would veto the bill that would have legalized gay marriage in California, the country’s most populated state. His follow through instantly disappointed committed queers in GLBT meccas San Francisco, Palm Springs, and LA. Guess who is up for re-election next year?

2. Vatican Ban On Gays. Though employing God only knows how many gays, the Catholic Church this year decided it wanted them banned from the Priesthood. The directive came out under newbie Pope Benedict. Why the need for the document? Because only gays abuse little boys, silly! Get rid of them and bammo! Problem solved. Well, not really.

[Read On ...]

• Ann Coulter's speech at UConn was interrupted with jeers from the crowd but she still managed to showcase her prejudiced side by saying she'd tell her own gay child that he was adopted. With those man hands and horse face, adoption might be the only way for her to have kids.

• The more we learn about The Pope, the more we learn how so very different we are from him. Celibacy is not "boring?" Um, no.

• A tranny has been denied a counseling job in British Columbia, which seems like such a foolish decision. Everyone knows that trannies give the best advice.

• Bryan Singer doesn't believe in the casting couch. He believes in the casting hot tub.

• We're not shocked GLAAD has endorsed Brokeback Mountain, just shocked that it's actually newsworthy.

With about as much anticipation as a Harry Potter movie and just about as revealing, the Vatican has officially released its document barring gays from the priesthood.

Some juicy excerpts after the jump. (Courtesy of Reuters)

[Read On ...]

• The Vatican will finally release that long-awaited gay-banning document tomorrow. The Human Rights Campaign is calling on all Catholics to speak out against the document. You go, HRC! And while you're at it, take a minute to voice your objection to the drab robes those closeted priests are forced to wear.

• Too bad the FDA won't approve the do-it-yourself H.I.V. test in time for Christmas. They would have made perfect stocking stuffers.

• Washington State could soon follow in Massachusetts' footsteps and legalize same-sex marriage. But the people of New Hampshire want to go in the other direction.

• A lesbian has been Minneapolis' fire chief for almost a year and can apparently handle a hose like a pro. Who knew?

• We'd be remiss in neglecting to acknowledge last week's announcement that Ambassador Elton John and his long term partner will be getting hitched in England next month once gay unions become legal. We think it's safe to say flamboyant blushing bride Elton won't be wearing white.

• Andrew Sullivan's blog has gone MSM. It will now be a part of Time.com. We're much too jealous to accuse him of selling out.

• Germany has won the 2010 Gay Games which will definately piss off their neighbor's new president.

• Just as we suspected. New York Magazine loves bears.

• This Thursday's Oprah is titled "When I Knew I Was Gay." Guest Carson Kressley will reveal that he knew in first grade. Most likely when his show and tell project turned out to be a make-over of his frumpy teacher.

• That much anticipated queer-restricting document from the Vatican is being released at the end of the month. What a thoughtful early Christmas gift from the Church to gay Catholic priests everywhere.

Canadians are so freaking cool. I mean, they've legalized same-sex marriage and now one of their Catholic priests has come out on national television. “I’m a Roman Catholic priest. And I’m gay.” A perfect sound bite for such a hot button topic. You can bet a ratings-starved Diane Sawyer is scouring Saint Patrick’s Cathedral right now with her gaydar at full-strength.

As we’ve been telling you since we first got word, the Vatican is typing up a document which is reported to state gay priests must remain closeted and have been celibate for at least 3 years. Like we needed even more reason to stay away from the priesthood.

So is our newly-outed Jesus-loving friend, Reverend Karl Clemens in big trouble?

The church does not bar homosexuals from the priesthood, but frowns on priests who publicly identify themselves with a homosexual lifestyle or culture. At issue, a church spokesman said, is whether a priest's statements or lifestyle cause scandal for the church by “sowing confusion in the public's minds.

We’re watching closely how this will play out. Will the Catholic Church finally do what’s right or will they stick to their outdated ways? Canadians have always been more progressive (well, Bryan Adams was one whopping musical step back) and let’s hope that holds true here as well, eh.

• The American Family Association says this past weekend's muscle-fest, Mr. Gay International, was "designed to get homosexuals together for sexual activities." We must have missed the contest's mandatory orgy competition.

• Queer jock Boi from Troy raises the possibility that a USC football player might be responsible for splitting up America's most annoying couple, Nick and Jessica. And the quarterback isn't tackling Jessica.

• Over 1,000 brave Croats come out of the closet by having their names printed in the local rag! Well, first names only.

• UNICEF bombs the hell out of the Smurfs's gay village in a new ad aimed at raising funds. Our thoughts are with Vanity smurf's partner.

• A gay priest speaks out against the Vatican's upcoming ban on gays and (surprise, surprise!) reveals not all men of the queer cloth are dirty little sluts!