Republican vice-presidential candidate and self-described hockey mom Sarah Palin appeared at a Flyers game in Philadelphia this weekend.

The crowd's boos are overwhelming. We almost feel bad for this Palin character. Almost.

Philadelphia city councilman Jack Kelly sure is touchy about being associated with the gays:

Kelly has sued Paul D. Corbett and Corbett's loosely-assembled group, Citizens Opposed to Politicians Who Pander to Perverts, for defamation. Kelly field suit last month in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, asking at least $50,000 in damages.

Kelly, who is paying his own legal fees in the case, argues that fellow Republican Corbett and other members of COPPP "publicly and privately embarrassed and shamed" him by distributing fliers in church parking lots in the weeks before the November election.

The fliers announced that "Councilman Kelly voted with the homosexual lobby to remove the Boy Scouts from their city rent-free headquarters. The Scouts can remain only if they agree with the homosexual agenda which would promote sodomy to our youth."

Kelly and fifteen other politicos voted to up the Boy Scouts' rent because city lawyers found they could not grant preferential treatment to a group that discriminates.

Last weekend I found myself in an improbable position: on a bicycle, in Valley Forge. Biking isn’t really my thing. It was once, when I was far younger, but I’ve always preferred two legs to two wheels. Call me a naturalist.

But, I had signed on to a press trip for a gay weekend in Philadelphia. Group activities are also not something to which I’m inclined and I needed some time away from New York City, with which I was falling out of love.

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Philadelphia-based news anchor Alycia Lane brought shame to her CBS colleagues this week.

As we reported Monday, the journo recently went apeshit on an undercover cop, whom she deemed a "dyke bitch". While Lane languishes in "vacation," the honchos over at her local CBS affiliate want the gays to know that will stand by our collective side:

CBS 3 is conducting its own investigation of whether Lane, who now is off the air on "vacation," called a female New York undercover cop a "dyke" and slugged her in the face early Sunday on a New York City street, the station said in the statement.

"Alycia and her lawyer have categorically denied that she used this language," said the statement from station spokeswoman Joanne Calabria.

"While Channel 3 is in the midst of its own investigation, we can state without hesitation that we find this language offensive, intolerable and inappropriate under any circumstances," Calabria said.

Philadelphia Gay News publisher Mark Segal also reminds us that CBS 3 led the fight against Dr. Laura Schlessinger's on-air homophobia: they were the first to drop the show from their frequency. Their action sparked a national movement.

Yesterday we reported on how the Philadelphia's Boy Scouts will be evicted from their city-owned headquarters because they refuse to accept the gay folk. From today's NY Times:

A scout leader who once sued the City of Berkeley for challenging a national Boy Scout ban on members who are gay or atheist has been arrested on felony charges that for at least five years he sexually abused young males in the troops he led.

Sick, yes, but oh-so entertaining!

It's all over for Philadelphia's Boy Scouts of America.

The organization refused to renegotiate its anti-gay policies and will now definitely face eviction from their tax-subsidized headquarters. We've been covering this story for some time now, but we're consistently impressed with the Scouts' tenacity. Consider this quote from national spokesman Gregg Shields,

Since we were founded, we believe that open homosexuality would be inconsistent with the values that we want to communicate with our leaders. A belief in God is also mentioned in the Scout oath. We believe that those values are important. Tradition is important. Our mission is to instill those values in scouts and help them make good choices over their lifetimes.

Yeah, well, your "good choices" have made you homeless. We'd rather be a sinning cocksucker with a roof over our - um - heads, than a homeless wimp who refuses to evolve.

And our mother wonders why we loathed our brief Boys adventure.

• 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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• Floridian Republican Bob Allen has been found guilty of soliciting a male police officer for sex. May face $500 fine and 60 days in jail. TGIF!

• Jossip hit up The Atlantic's 150th anniversary bash/voyeuristic adventure. Watch for special appearances from Moby, Andrew Sullivan, Patti Smith and some other familiar faces.

• Who's your favorite fictional gay?

• RIP AIDS activist and Bill Clinton ally Dr. R. Scott Hitt.

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Philadelphia isn't fucking around with the anti-gay Boy Scouts. The city of Brotherly Love canceled the Scouts' cushy $1 rent because of their refusal to hire openly gay leaders. And it seems they've put a price on discrimination: $200,000. The city has decided that the Boy Scouts chapter here must pay fair-market rent of $200,000 a year for its city-owned headquarters because it refuses to permit gay Scouts.

The organization's Cradle of Liberty Council, which currently pays $1 a year in rent, must pay the increased amount to remain in its downtown building past May 31,

Now that they have to pay up, Scout officials are playing the "think of the children" card. Scout Spokesman Jeff Jubelirer says "[The money] would have to come from programs. That's 30 new Cub Scout packs, or 800 needy kids going to our summer camp. It's disappointing, and it's certainly a threat." Boo hoo.

Daniel Anders will become Philadelphia's first openly gay judge today. And, as the Philadelphia Inquirer points out, the appointment's quite fitting, for today's National Coming Out Day.

39-year old Anders knows, however, that coming out can't be contained:

Though lots of people know I'm gay, the coming-out process really doesn't end. It's important to be who you are and to be happy with yourself.
…
Many other courageous people came out before me. Being gay doesn't define who I am or impact my job in any tangible way, but maybe I can be a role model for some gay kid or inspire someone to get involved in politics.

Though unique to Philadelphia, Daniel isn't the only gay Anders: his older brother, Chris, works as a lawyer for the ACLU. Mama must be so proud.

Gays may be a more powerful political force than some would like to believe.

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This cop really is a pig. 32-year old Philadelphia officer Norberto Cappas finds himself unemployed after an internal review found him guilty of "conduct unbecoming an officer".

Cappas, you see, decided to have a little fun at the expense of two female prisoners.

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Erika Keels lost her life on March 22nd after someone pushed the trans woman from their car, backed up and proceeded to run her down four times. Horrified witnesses reported the incident to the Philadelphia police. Though police identified the alleged perpetrator, they've done nothing to seek justice, according to Philadelphia's KYW Radio News.

What's more, the department declared Keels' killing an "accident". When Keels' trans comrades raised the issue, police turned their backs.

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