By now you've heard about the NY Times' piece on John McCain's troublesome relationship with a female lobbyist

While we love to revel in hypocrisy exposed, it seems to us - and our Jossip colleagues - that the Times story isn't so much a smear campaign as it is a political sketch gone horribly awry.

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While the NY Times editorial board approves of the President's hypodermic turnaround, the journalists expect more from the Bush administration:

Congress and President Bush have done the right thing, lifting a disastrous nine-year ban that prevented Washington from using locally raised tax dollars on needle-exchange programs that help fight the spread of AIDS. Unfortunately, that still leaves in force an even broader and more damaging law that prohibits the use of federal funds for needle-exchange programs in the United States or abroad.

That ban must also be rescinded.
…
First enacted by Congress 20 years ago, the prohibition against using federal dollars for these crucial needle-exchange programs has hobbled AIDS prevention efforts both in this country and abroad. Health organizations using American tax dollars should be encouraged rather than blocked from developing these programs.

Eliminating the federal ban would save many thousands of lives every year.

And that's the truth, Ruth.

It's a sad day for journalists as we bid adieu to one of our own. Former NY Times reporter and National Association of Black Journalists president Thomas Morgan. The 56-year old bid his own adieu on Monday when he succumbed to AIDS-related illness in North Hampton.

Missouri-native Morgan started his adult life in the air force, before moving to Miami, where he landed his first gig at the Miami Herald. He slowly worked his way through The Washington Post to the NY Times, where he worked as a reporter and administrator until 1994.

In addition to his daily work, Morgan devoted years to the NABJ, including two as it's president. During his time as the organization's financial guru, Morgan helped grow the group's dough from $50,000 to over $1 million. He also spearheaded the NABJ's LGBT task force. Not too shabby, if you ask us.

Morgan's survived by his partner of 23-years, Tom Ciano, as well as three brothers.

The NY Times wags an editorial finger at the House of Representatives for last week's hate crime turn around. The piece, entitled "Caving In On Hate Crimes," includes some sharp words for Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

Congressional leaders, who have disappointed frequently this year, have done it again. This time, the House leadership has failed to find a way to get a bipartisan law against hate crimes passed and signed into law. Racial, religious, sexual and other minorities have waited long enough. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has to do more than just express her support for the bill; she must find a way to make it the law.
…
President Bush has suggested he would veto the bill. It’s an unfortunate threat, but one he is certainly capable of carrying out. House and Senate leaders planned to get around that threat by attaching it to a Department of Defense Authorization bill, which Mr. Bush would have had trouble vetoing. But House leaders decided last week that since some liberals did not want to vote for the defense bill and some conservatives did not want to vote for the hate crimes bill, they could not piece together a majority to get it through.

Ms. Pelosi says she is still committed to getting the Matthew Shepard Act passed, perhaps early next year. That’s nice, but it is time for her to explain how she intends to do it — and then to make it happen.

That goes for the rest of the Democrats, as well.

• The NY Times' Ward Sutton had some fun with presidential campaign posters past and present.

• Britain's Anglican and Roman churches come together to protest lesbian in vitro legislation.

• United Nations takes on Amy Winehouse's cocaine "glamorization".

• Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency experiencing gayest season ever!

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The New York Times editorial crew sure has been opinionated lately - and gay. In addition to taking on the ever-complicated ENDA, the paper's journos offered their thoughts on New Jersey's "flawed" civil unions:

It is hardly a surprise that New Jersey’s civil union law is not working very well. During the past several weeks, dozens of same-sex couples have testified that the law has not provided the equal benefits that were promised when it passed.

Now, the special commission that heard the testimony has made it official: the civil union law has been a “failure.” Frank Vespa-Papaleo, who is chairman of the commission as well as the state’s director of civil rights, said the law is not as effective “as if the word ‘marriage’ were used.”

The obvious conclusion is that the Legislature should give same sex-couples the right to marry.

Ah, yes, but that would be too easy and politicians have a severe allergy to expediency. Except, of course, when it comes to fucking people…

The world's been all about gay Iranians since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ridiculously reported that his fair nation has no homos. Never one to miss a trend, the New York Times' Saturday edition published a look at gay life in Iran.

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We often thank our lucky stars - and affinity for slacking - that we don't work at NY Times. Our thanks get a capital 'T' today, because it sounds like there's about to be a full blown war at the famed paper.

Gawker continues to follow up on the whole "Times photo director may or may not have called photo editor a faggot" story and reveals some real gems (except for whether or not the scandal actually went down).

First, the "faggot" "photo editor" clocks in as a lowly freelancer (poor sucker - oops). Second, a source says the flinger of faggot, a one Michelle McNally, won't suffer any disciplinary action. Third, there's an angry letter going around the office - someone's calling for gay mutiny.

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There's a bit of gay drama brewing at New York Times.

Gawker passed along word that the newspaper formed a "Diversity Advisory Council" after a top editor called an employee a faggot during a going away party.

And now the junior detectives at Page Six think they know who let the "faggot" fly…

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John Travolta had plenty to say to NY Times journo Jesse Green. Like what? Well, he again defended Scientology's allegedly homophobia, “Scientology is one of the least homophobic religions. It’s not very interested in the body at all.” Except restricting it, of course.

The Hairspray star's words fall a little flat after Green's wry opening:

We had only just met, but John Travolta, big and handsome and hypnotic, was fondling the lapel of my navy blue blazer. “Ooh, what a great idea to match this with a cobalt blue shirt,” he cooed. “I wouldn’t have thought of that.”

You're a good actor, Travolta, but not that good.

New York Magazine was the first to break the story that hide and seek author JT Leroy might indeed be a she. And by a she, they meant a middle-aged hippie. They also alleged that the person strutting around town claiming to be JT is really a decoy.

The New York Times has torn the penis off of JT, revealing that the decoy is actually a chick: the half-sister of Geoffrey Knoop who is dating the aforementioned middle-aged hippie, Laura Alpert. Alpert is said to be the real writing force behind everyone’s favorite AIDS-inflicted former West Virginia truck stop hustler turned writing sensation.

Turns out Ms. Decoy's real name is Savannah Knoop and the Times has discovered some modeling pics of the twenty-something chameleon.

JT, whoever it may be, had only this response to the Crying Game twist:

As a transgendered human, subject to attacks," the statement read, "I use stand-ins to protect my identity."

In the past, JT Leroy has invoked transgenderism to explain confusion over his identity.

Gender confusion has never been this, um, confusing.

After the jump, screen grabs of Savannah, stripped of her top hat and dark sunglasses, striking a pose as her androgynous self.

The Unmasking of JT Leroy: In Public, He's a She [NY Times]
Earlier: Girl (Or Boy) You Know It's True (Or Not)

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