• Speaking to visitors in Bethlehem, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini (pictured) seemed to blast Pope Benedict XVI's recent edict insisting Catholic politicians vote according to Catholic ideology. Martini insisted, "The Church does not give orders... It is necessary to listen to others, and when speaking to use terms that they understand." Word. [Catholic World News]

• Gay rights v. human rights in Fiji. [Fiji Times]

• Jonny McGovern's up to his old tricks. And we do mean tricks. [Daily Motion]

• Hedi Slimane's furniture. [Reluct]

• This pleases us not: "New data released by the city's department of health show that the highest rates of new HIV infections are among gay men 35 to 49 years old." [Gay City News]

• Would we be better off ignoring Peter Pace's comments? [NY Blade]

• Staffers at London's Carlton Tower complain that Michael Jackson - who checked in under a woman's name - doesn't tip enough. Or, really, at all. What do they expect? He's broke. [Daily Mail]

• A South African journalist has come under fire after outing two restaurant owners. [Mamba Online]

• Rosie even answer interview questions in her patented poetics. Weird. [AfterEllen]

• Vermont's Senate passed a bill to protect against gender discrimination. [Rutland Herald]

• Frank Griggs just won't quit with posting videos from the Dieux du Stade calendar. Not that we're complaining: watching three hunky ruggers spread dirt on one another's naked bodies may be the gayest thing we've ever seen. And we've seen a lot of gay things...

• Meanwhile, Vermont pols aren't giving up on the transgender discrimination bill. In fact, they're reintroducing legislation to ensure that trannies get equal protection under the law.

• It seems gay people use social networking websites more than straight people. Want proof? A survey shows 20% of queers use craigslist vs 13% of their straight counterparts. Hmmm, wonder what they're looking for...

• Speaking of statistics, art prices climbed a whopping 27% in 2006.

• We're sure Mitt Romney wishes his numbers were rising. Despite fighting tooth and nail against gay marriage in Massachusetts, some religious conservatives doubt his conviction. That's the best news we've heard all day.

The Galveston County Daily News may be losing a few readers, but Vermont-based gay paper Out in the Mountains lost all of them. Or, rather, the readers have lost the paper.

For twenty-one years, the paper has chronicles the ups and downs of Vermont's gay communities - which, we imagine, involves a few lumberjacks and a whole lotta lezzies. While poor finances and the rise of the internet (of course) both contributed to the monthly paper's demise, some wonder if there were other forces at work. Cathy Resmer reports:

[Former editor Euan Bear] acknowledges that much has changed for the GLBT community since 1985. “Who would have ever thought, even six years ago, that we would have five gay members of the legislature?” she muses. And she points out that OITM isn’t the only queer-friendly institution to fail this year: 135 Pearl, the state’s last gay bar, closed in July. “Is this the price of assimilation?” she asks...

Also, we know it's not the best time, but we'd like to offer ourselves as a replacement for Out In The Mountains. Sure, we may or may not be part of the reason the paper closed, but we're always here when you need us. Except at night and on the weekends. That's when we get naughty (read: stare at a wall).

• Remember our post on WGAY-TV's disheartened former employee? Remember our tipster, Addison. Well, his full name is Addison Phillips and - surprise! - he has a blog, too. [Addison Phillips]

• If there's one thing Patrick Wilson loves, it's fucking his woman on a washing machine. And showing his butt. [!! omg blog !!]

• As South African President Thabo Mbeki prepares to sign the same-sex marriage bill, people schedule their long-awaited weddings. [SABC News]

• The kids over at Best Week Ever want you to caption a picture of Paris Hilton and Sean Preston Federline. We have a question, rather than a suggestion: how do you make a dead baby? [Best Week Ever]

• While we're on the subject of questions: Did Argentina ask the Bush twins to leave for security issues? Are we the only people who forgot the Bush twins exist? [ABC News]

• If there's one place we wouldn't want to be, it's between two lesbian mothers fighting over their four-year old daughter. Nor, it seems, would Virginia: they've just handed the case over to Vermont. And that's a fact, Jack. [365 Gay]

• In Alabama, Patricia Todd – set to become the state's first openly gay state legislator – was ousted (along with the woman she defeated in a runoff vote) for violating a financial disclosure rule no other candidate has obeyed since 1998. [AP]

• In Wisconsin, researcher Rob Carpick – responsible for bringing in millions of dollars in grant money – quits his position at the University of Wisconsin at Madison because it doesn't offer health insurance benefits for his partner. He's headed to the University of Pennsylvania. [Wisconsin State Journal]

• In Vermont, Carolyn Conrad and Kathleen Peterson – the nation's first gay couple to enter a civil union – have split.

• In Nepal, two men prepare to get married — in the country's first openly gay wedding. Meanwhile, homosexuality remains a crime, punishable by a year in prison and a fine. [Times of India]

• In Massachusetts, an inmate's fight to have the state pay for his sex change operation now rests in the hands of a federal judge. If the court rules in Robert Kosilek's favor, it will be the nation's first state-sponsored transgender operation in history. [AP]

Carolyn Conrad and Kathleen Peterson, the first couple in America to register for a civil union, have officially called it quits today after living apart for exactly a year. They separated after Conrad said she feared physical harm from Peterson, her partner of more almost ten years. Yikes.

We wish them both the best and hope they can find someone new who won't hit them.

America's First Civil Union Formally Ends [365 Gay]

A "group" of Vermont activists were so taken by Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain that they want to actually name a mountain after the location where Ennis penetrated Jack. Since the original mountain was fictional (located in the Wyoming of Annie Proulx's imagination) and the film was shot in Canada, there really is no reason why Brokeback couldn't exist in Vermont, or really, anywhere else. The activists, led by the mysterious "John" are collecting e-signatures for their e-petition on their website, so go support "them" if you don't think "they" are totally nuts. Please note the use of quotations to indicate our doubt that anyone other than "John" is really on board.

Vermonter Starts Petition To Name Mountain 'Brokeback' [NBC10]
BrokeBackMountainVermont.com ["John"'s official website]

Want more proof that gays and lesbians deserve full and equal marriage? We fuck up our relationships just as much as heteros do! That’s right, the very first same-sex couple to receive a Vermont civil union are going the way of Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson.

Lesbians Carolyn Conrad and Kathleen Peterson ended their five-year civil union and ten year relationship at the Battleboro Town Court.

"All I want to say is that the civil union was a big source of pride for me and now it's not," Peterson said Wednesday night.

We at Queerty wish the gals all the best. The making history part, it turns out, was easy but the making it work part, well, we all know that’s hard. Even for quick to commit dykes.

Vermont's - and nation's - first civil union breaking up [The Times Argus]

• The book Sextrology has been selling like crazy all over the globe without having to filter any content. Not anymore. Russia has de-gayed the book without obtaining the consent of the authors or publisher HarperCollins.

• If you haven't yet seen the teaser to Superman Returns starring soon to be Hollywood "It Boy" Brandon Routh, check it out. All we have to say is "Tom Welling who?"

• Over 6,500 gay marriages have occurred in Massachusetts since the State Supreme Court ruled that queers should not be excluded from attending marriage counseling. Congrats, people.

• An openly gay State Senator from Vermont was seriously injured in a car wreck yesterday. We hope he gets better. So far we haven't heard anything from those tactless fundamentilsts claiming this was caused by some wrathful gay-hating God.

• John Waters's "dog crap-eating tranny" state of mind invades the OC. His photography show is now at the Orange County Museum Of Art.

• Andy has some photos of a recent hazing by the Marquette University lacrosse team. We're bummed Bill O'Reilly wasn't there to cover that wild collegiate episode.

What could be more fabulous than the name of the Speaker of the House of the Vermont Legislature, Gaye Symington? We’ll tell you. It’s that Gaye, along with about 90 other Vermont lawmakers, has signed a letter asking Congress to extend to people in civil unions all federal legal and financial benefits heretofore reserved for married hets.

The benefits those Vermonters want given to civil union couples involve tax filing rights, inheritance rights and immigration law. By way of example, under current law if an American woman weds a man from Timbuktu, the Timbuktuian is eligible to become a U.S. citizen. If the same American woman enters into a civil union with a woman from Timbuktu, however, that female can barely order rocky road at a Baskin-Robbins without getting deported.

The Vermonters’ letter quotes our dear friend George W. Bush, who last year said he does not oppose states offering civil unions to same sex couples. For the record, Queerty does not oppose remedial education for Republican leaders. Those interested in the courses should know that you can only study “How to Respond to a Hurricane” after taking “How to Staff FEMA 101.” The Vermont letter is being given to out Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts so he can deliver it in gay person. If there are any Republicans not being indicted in Washington this week, we hope they give this letter its due consideration.

On Saturday, Connecticut became the first state to legalize civil unions through the legislative process. Massachusetts recognizes gay marriage and Vermont also recognizes civil unions, however both those situations required judicial decisions.

The new law ensures many rights for gay couples. According to the New York Times:

Within the state, the new law will ensure a broad range of rights. Gay partners can serve as conservators of their partners' estates; they can receive state tax deductions if they inherit money from their partners; they can be assured of hospital visiting rights; they can file joint state income tax returns and take the same deductions married couples do.

However, it is far from a perfect situation. Many tax breaks and inheritance benefits come from the federal government. And the law in Connecticut also defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Their civil union certificate is worded exactly as the marriage certificate except the words “bride” and “groom” are replaced with “party 1” and “party 2.”

Not exactly the best title, but we have been called worse.

The great state of Vermont, having legalized civil unions for homosexuals, not only deserves your travel dollars but also offers some of the most charming destinations in the United States. Whether you take a llama trek in the summer, a foliage tour in the fall, go downhill skiing in the winter or delight in the French-inflected atmosphere of Lake Memphremagog in the spring, you are sure to find New England charm in abundance.

While Vermont is still largely rural and horse-drawn sleighs are commonly seen in the winter, the 21st century makes itself known throughout the state, even beyond that civil union legislation. Burlington, Bennington and Brattleboro all have enticing nightlife options, while in many of Vermont’s fabled ski centers upscale shopping venues have brought high fashion to the Green Mountains.

A by-product of the state’s tolerance is that you will be welcomed and feel comfortable even in most luxury hotels that don’t specifically cater to gay tourists. Additionally, Vermont has many enchanting bed and breakfasts which take pains to advertise themselves as either gay friendly or gay owned and operated. Purpleroofs, ever a useful resource, includes on its site no less than twelve pages of such locales in Vermont.