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London Protest of Anti-Gay Bill at Ugandan Embassy

There were several worldwide protests against Uganda's proposed Anti Homosexuality Bill on Thursday and Friday. The largest was outside the Ugandan High Commission in London.

Peter Tatchell of London-based Outrage!: "The keynote speakers were gay Ugandan John Bosco and straight Ugandan human rights activist, Michael Senyonjo. John Bosco was recently jailed in Uganda, after he was illegally and forcibly returned to Uganda by the British Home office while seeking asylum in the UK. He condemned the Anti-Homosexuality Bill as 'an attack on the civil liberties of all Ugandans,' denouncing it as 'dividing Ugandans against each other and requiring people to report...family members who are gay.'"

Tatchell adds: "President Museveni is fast becoming the Robert Mugabe of Uganda and that's a threat to the civil rights of every Ugandan person—gay or straight. There's a huge ground swell of public opinion that this bill goes way too far. Even people who say they're against homosexuality say this bill is excessive and a threat to the human rights of all Ugandans."

There were smaller protests in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco, where Supervisor Bevan Dufty called on the Obama Administration to threaten to withhold aid to Uganda if it doesn't kill the legislation.

In related news: The European Union has lodged a formal protest with the Uganda Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the proposed legislation. The demarche was also signed by the Norwegian and American Embassies to Uganda, reports The Monitor. Two weeks ago, the prime ministers of Britain and Canada personally voiced their displeasure with President Museveni.

California Assembly Selects John Perez as Its 1st Openly Gay Speaker

History is made this afternoon in California as Assembly Democrats chose Assemblyman John A. Pérez as their new speaker, making the first-term Democrat the first openly gay man to hold one of the most powerful posts in state government.

Assembly Dems "settled an internal fight" and "unanimously backed" the freshman Los Angeles legislator who chairs the Assembly Democratic Caucus. Pérez was challenged in the speakership race by Democratic Assemblyman Kevin De Leon, a fellow Hispanic lawmaker. The speaker-elect reportedly had the votes earlier this week and questions were raised as to why De Leon was publicly challenging Perez.

Perez, cousin of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, will replace current Speaker Karen Bass, who became the first black female speaker. Bass will be forced out of the Legislature by term limits next year.

The nomination now goes before the full Assembly, but the candidate with the most Democratic support usually wins because Democrats hold a majority of seats in the 80-member Assembly.

Very Unlikely California Will Have a Marriage Equality Vote in 2010

It now appears unlikely that California voters will be asked to repeal the state's ban on same-sex marriages next year. The Courage Campaign, the most prominent group behind the 2010 repeal effort, announced today that more time was needed and "we do not see a path to victory" in 2010, reports the San Jose Mercury News.

Rick Jacobs, founder of the Los Angeles-based Courage Campaign, said today that polling and other research his organization commissioned shows that gay marriage supporters do not have the financial backing, leadership or edge in public opinion to try to overturn Proposition 8 in 2010. The announcement by Jacobs means that a coalition of small gay rights groups that is gathering signatures to qualify a gay marriage measure for the November ballot will be working without support from established organizations.

Lambda Legal also announced that they were withdrawing from a 2010 effort.

Equality California, the state’s largest gay rights groups, and a coalition of black, Latino and Asian LGBT groups announced last summer that they preferred waiting until 2012. With today's withdrawal of the Courage Campaign and Lambda Legal, the only notable group working to place enough signatures for a 2010 repeal is Love Honor Cherish.

H/T: JoeMyGod

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Rick Warren on Gay Executions in Uganda: "I Can't Take Sides"

There are more developments on the extreme, anti-gay hysteria sweeping Uganda, encouraged by conservative American Christian missionaries and partially funded by your tax dollars. Anti-gay and anti-choice conservative mega-church Pastor Rick Warren's extensive ties to Uganda are being questioned. Warren, one of the leading supporters of Proposition 8 in California, drew considerable fire last year when he was invited to give the invocation at President Barack Obama's inauguration. Warren refuses to condemn the proposed Ugandan legislation that would make gay sex punishable by death.

The Daily Beast's Max Blumenthal extensively documented Warren's ties to the leading anti-gay clerics in Uganda. Warren was recently forced to distance himself from the East African nation's most prominent evangelical, Martin Ssempa, who made numerous appearances at Warren's Saddleback Church and whose own church was accused of organizing a rash of anti-gay riots in Uganda. Ssempa backs the "The Anti Homosexuality Bill" that calls for the death penalty for those guilty of "aggravated homosexuality" which includes having gay sex if they are HIV positive.

Rick Warren was questioned about the proposed bill and refused to denounce it, notes Newsweek's Lisa Miller:

"A request for a broader reaction to the proposed Ugandan anti-homosexual laws generated this response: 'The fundamental dignity of every person, our right to be free, and the freedom to make moral choices are gifts endowed by God, our creator. However, it is not my personal calling as a pastor in America to comment or interfere in the political process of other nations.' On Meet the Press, he reiterated this neutral stance in a different context: 'As a pastor, my job is to encourage, to support. I never take sides.' Warren did say he believed that abortion was 'a holocaust.' He knows as well as anyone that in a case of great wrong, taking sides is an important thing to do.""

Warren did not have a problem "interfering in the political process" in California's Proposition 8. Appearing on Sunday's Meet the Press, Warren minimized his role promoting the ballot initiative and refused to rule out whether he would re-fight the issue when a Prop 8 repeal appears on the ballot. Watch Warren's response on Uganda and marriage equality on Meet the Press, as well as the television commercial where he was "taking sides" during Prop 8, AFTER THE JUMP.

More on the international backlash against Uganda: Over the weekend, we reported the prime ministers of Britain and Canada formally protested the Ugandan proposal. Uganda is lashing out to its critics in the international community: "The government yesterday responded strongly to international criticism over the proposed anti-gay law, saying the process would continue uninterrupted. Speaker Edward Sekandi told Daily Monitor that it was necessary 'to do whatever we can to stop' homosexual liaisons in Uganda. 'We don’t support that practice,' Mr Sekandi said yesterday."

Meanwhile: The Obama Administration's Global AIDS Cooordinator Eric Goosby, who is responsible for administering some $287 million in your taxpayer money to Uganda for HIV and AIDS programs, also takes no position on the proposed law that would execute HIV positive gay men: "My role is to be supportive and helpful to the patients who need these services. It is not to tell a country how to put forward their legislation. But I will engage them in conversation around my concern and knowledge of what this is going to do to that population, and our ability to stop the movement of the virus into the general population."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice and President Obama have said nothing on the proposed Ugandan law that would execute gay men.

WEHT Thou shalt not kill? Warren's response on Uganda and marriage equality, as well as his commercial endorsing prop 8, AFTER THE JUMP.

HOT: Dark and Lovely Matthieu Loves His Tighty Whiteys

For those of you who enjoy seeing crisp white fabric against dark and bulging muscles: Alek & Steph introduce us to Matthieu, a Paris-born model visiting Los Angeles. More images here and here. You're welcome.

Carrie Prejean Unplugs on Larry King, Refuses Call from Gay Viewer

During a meltdown on last night's episode of Larry King Live, former Miss California Carrie Prejean refused to take a phone call from a gay viewer. Prejean removed her microphone under the apparent direction of an advisors off stage. "I think you are being extremely inappropriate right now and I'm about to leave your show."

Watch AFTER THE JUMP.

Meanwhile: The anti-gay beauty queen has apparently been caught lying about her XXX video adventures. "Carrie Prejean's ex-boyfriend—the guy to whom she sent the XXX solo video—tells TMZ Carrie and company called him last week and tried getting him to 'lie' and say she was 17 when she shot the video. During an audio interview with TMZ, the man says Carrie sent him the video when they were involved with each other in 2007. He says Carrie sent him numerous explicit videos and insists the one in question was shot when she was 20."

WWJD? The so-called "Christian" Prejean began sending XXX photos and videos to the man after knowing him only for four days. Via JoeMyGod, who has been doing a fabulous job chronicling the Prejean fiasco, watch the meltdown AFTER THE JUMP.

Dallas Mavericks' Drew Gooden Accused of Calling Fans "Faggots"

Only days after Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson was suspended for using anti-gay slurs, another professional athlete has been accused of doing the same thing. Dallas Mavericks player Drew Gooden is accused by a Los Angeles Clippers fan of calling him and his friend "faggots" at Staples Center after Saturday night's game, Outsports reports.

The fan, actor Chris Wylde, who is married and not gay, is a Clippers season ticket holder and was sitting with his friend close to the Mavericks' bench during Dallas' 93-84 NBA win. The 28-year-old Gooden, a seventh-year player signed by Dallas this season, was in street clothes after an injury. Wylde said that Gooden made eye contact with them during the game, but no words were exchanged. He also says that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban "winked at us and pointed" during the game because both men were in Halloween costumes.

Wylde elaborated on Gooden's outburst in an email to Outsports:

"My friend and I have been season ticket holders for the Clippers for eight seasons. Last night was Halloween, and he dressed up as longtime Clippers announcer Ralph Lawler and I dressed up as an airline pilot. We were upgraded to courtside Row 2, adjacent to the Mavs bench. We were maybe 10 feet away. All game, we loudly proudly rooted for our Clippers. We threw in some silly good-natured jibes against the Mavs (nothing against Gooden specifically) like how they have a short backup point guard, and that Dirk Nowitzki clearly had a fake tan. Is it a spray? Is it a cream? That sort of stuff. Very silly. Very innocent. But 95% pro-Clippers loudness.

"After the game we went to the souvenir shop and my friend said he wanted to check if one of the kiosks had a particular jersey he was looking for, so he headed back through the stadium and I followed a few feet behind. I saw him look shocked and turn to me, then I heard from Drew Gooden who was surrounded by three or four guys walking past me and pointing to me, 'there's that other faggot.' He had said 'there's that faggot' about my friend and that's why he turned to me shocked. It was completely unsolicited. We said nothing to him during the game, or in the hallway. He just called us both 'faggots' because he's a bigoted spoiled bully."

Wylde emailed Mark Cuban and the Mavericks' owner replied he would "deal w Drew." Cuban told Outsports he is seeking confirmation of what Gooden said "and that if he took any action, it would stay private."

Wylde tells Outsports he has known many gay people and has heard homophobic slurs hurled their way. "I do strongly feel that Drew Gooden and other professional athletes should not be walking around after games loudly referring to anyone, gay or straight, as a faggot," Wylde said. "I've been out with gay friends and been verbally assaulted with them. I've heard their stories before and it sickens me."

Maybe Drew Gooden will say he didn't know "faggot" was an offensive word?

Prop 8 Repeal Activists Submit Ballot Language for 2010

A coalition of California LGBT groups submitted ballot initiative language to repeal Prop 8 in November 2010. The proposed measure reads:

This amendment would amend an existing section of the California Constitution. Existing language proposed to be deleted is printed in strikeout type. Language proposed to be added is printed in underlined type.

Section 1. To protect religious freedom, no court shall interpret this measure to require any priest, minister, pastor, rabbi, or other person authorized to perform marriages by any religious denomination, church, or other non-profit religious institution to perform any marriage in violation of his or her religious beliefs. The refusal to perform a marriage under this provision shall not be the basis for lawsuit or liability, and shall not affect the tax-exempt status of any religious denomination, church or other religious institution.

Section 2. To provide for fairness in the government’s issuance of marriage licenses, Section 7.5 of Article I of the California Constitution is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 7.5. Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Marriage is between only two persons and shall not be restricted on the basis of race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or religion.

The 2010 repeal campaign is led by Love Honor Cherish. Journalist Rex Wockner adds: "Key ally Courage Campaign, which has voiced support for a 2010 effort, is not yet onboard. Numerous other key California GLBT organizations, including Equality California, have said they want to wait until 2012 to go back to the ballot."

Equality California, one of the state’s largest gay rights groups, recommends waiting until the 2012 election. EqCA stated their position after a new coalition of black, Latino and Asian LGBT groups known as Prepare to Prevail—one of its leaders is Jordan Rustin Coalition's Ron Buckmire—announced in July that returning to the ballot next year "would be rushed and risky."

Patrik Ian Polk and Fol Chen on European Tour

A few photos from the Rotterdam performance of Fol Chen, the Los Angeles-based art rock slash electro-pop band fronted by Noah's Arc director Patrik Ian Polk. The band's European tour ends tomorrow in Rennes, France and included Dijon, Paris, Amsterdam, and Antwerp.

Patrik has been Tweeting from the road such as this update earlier today: "In Nantes, France...performing at the University here tonite. Should be a fun show. 3 other bands opening 4 us #FolChenEuroTour09."

Fol Chen's Janet Jackson-inspired "Cable TV" was one of the  breakout tracks of the Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The band also covered Prince's "The Beautiful Ones" on SPIN's Prince Tribute CD Purplish Rain. Patrik Ian can be heard on lead vocals. The free download is HERE. The trivia answer is KEYBOARDIST.

[Rotterdam photos via Flickr User FrontStageMusic]

WATCH: "Real Housewives" NeNe and Gretchen's Publicity Stunt

Real Housewives of Atlanta's NeNe Leakes and her Orange County counterpart Gretchen Rossi were conveniently spotted "having lunch" in Beverly Hills. Just the ladies, their men, a half dozen martinis and the paparazzi. Being the "classy" Southern lady that she is, NeNe did her best impression of Madonna at the VMAs and pretended that she was sticking her tongue down Gretchen's throat.

How dreadful.

Watch, if you dare, WHEN YOU JUMP.