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Paris is Burning

French authorities move to impose order and curfews after youths riot for a 12th night. Early reports suggest today's riots were less severe than those yesterday, when protesters fired at police and torched more than 1,400 cars. That was the worst violence since the unrest began on October 27 when two teenagers were accidentally killed. They were of Mauritanian and Tunisian descent, electrocuted as they hid from police in a power substation—apparently believing that they were being chased.

The uprising began in the Parisian suburbs and has spread across the country. It forces France to confront long-suppressed anger in neglected suburbs and among the French-born children of Arab and black African immigrants.

President Jacques Chirac: Recognizes the inherent racism and xenophobia in his culture, "the incapacity of French society to fully accept" those of African or North African origin. Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin: Reluctant to call army, but expands powers of the local prefects. French youths: Police misconduct is routine, drugs are planted as a pretext for arrests. Riots threaten the nation's carefully cultivated tourism industry.

Baby Boy

From Steph & Alek, a few of the models featured in the new Baby Boy calendar, produced by the French magazine of the same name—"le magazine gay, gratuit, chic et urbain." (Our sentiments exactly!) All of the models are Parisiens, but from diverse backgrounds such as Algerian, Tunisian, Arabic, or of West African origin. The new 2006 calendar features 34 stunnaz. Oui!

Paris Is Really On Fire (Oh la la Paris) Jacoby All-American (Oh la la Paris)

Momento Futebol

Sometimes the accidental is much more sexy than the deliberate, as seen here during last week's Brazil-Venezuela match. Memo to Made in Brazil: More Adriano, please!

Where will the hustlers go? Gay activists say San Francisco's once-notorious Polk Street is becoming home to more upscale restaurants and clubs, while that gentrification "is pushing out hookers, hustlers, drug addicts, homeless people, trannies, needle exchange services, working-class queers and other social deviants." A host of new bars have replaced Polk Street's historic hustler watering holes. The Polk Gulch Saloon was once renowned for drag queens and transsexuals; now, it's the chic Lush Lounge, which serves trendy cosmopolitans and caters to the happy hour crowd.

More than 1,200 Croatian lgbt publish their names in several newspapers in a bid for greater tolerance. The names appeared under the banner, ""I don't want to hide any more." Gays face strong bias and persecution in the predominately Roman Catholic nation.

Former star of HSBC's equity trading department sues the bank for £5m, or about $8.75m. The trader says that he was fired because he is gay; the bank says he groped and harassed male colleagues. We'll be hearing about this one for awhile ...

What Are You Into?

That's the question posed by a new print ad campaign spotted by yours truly, while at Borders thumbing through Britain's Attitude and reFfresh magazines. Actually, when the models look this hot, we say "everything!" and hope for the best, but here's the backstory: At left is a scan of the full-page ad that appears on page 117 of the new Attitude ("The UK's No1 Gay Lifestyle Magazine"), which only offered a website, Recon.com. Clicking there, we learn that it's a Brit-based dating service, very M4M with a euro twist.

Six wallpapers are available, and trust us, the new campaign is a far cry over last year's Tom of Finland-inspired, Black Party-theme. Not that there's anything wrong with that color; as mentioned yesterday, we luv black.

The Bush Administration's reactionary, "family values" rhetoric is costing lives in Africa. UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa Stephan Lewis says the new policy of promoting abstinence leads to more unprotected sex as less condoms are being distributed in Uganda. The result could be a devastating rise in HIV infection-rates. Uganda normally uses 150 to 180 million condoms a year; since the Bush administration has cut funding, only 32 million have been made available. Condom use had been the cornerstone of Uganda's much-praised fight against HIV; current infection rates are around 6 percent today, from 30 percent in the early 1990s, a rare success story in Africa. Meanwhile, Uganda's homophobic government insists there is "no shortage."

LA-based foundation to donate 1 million condoms to Uganda.

Maryland judge hears challenges to state's ban on prohibition of same-sex marriages.

State and federal agents raid Parliament House in Orlando, arresting all 12 bar employees. Investigators say minors were used to test the club's system of identifying bracelets on underage patrons, and were served drinks. Parliament House has been in business for more than 30 years, is frequently used as a venue for events associated with Gay Days at Disney World, and has been targeted by anti-gay groups.

The "Naked Boys" fight back. The Milwaukee Gay Arts Center files suit against the city, after authorities shut down the theater a week ago today during a performance of Naked Boys Singing. Lawyers for the center say officials are selectively enforcing a requirement for a theater license because the group is gay.

For the second time, a Nigerian Islamic court delays the trial of two alleged gay men who face the death penalty.

India joins China and Iran by cutting access to Gay Egypt.com. Muslim fundamentalists object to a list of gay websites, and speculation on the sexuality of the prophet. GayEgypt.com has been very popular in India because of its 100+ gay Indian message boards.

The Human Rights Campaign thanks the Rev. Jerry Falwell for expressing some support for gay rights. Meanwhile, the feds allow a critic of Falwell's anti-gay rhetoric to keep a domain name.

A Hong Kong judge rules laws that prohibit gay sex are "unconstitutional." Existing laws prohibit sexual intimacy between men if one or both are under 21, while heterosexual and lesbian couples who are 16 or older may do so lawfully. The judge ruled those laws "discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. (They) are demeaning of gay men who are, through the legislation, stereotyped as deviant."

The challenge was brought by William Roy Leung, a 20-year-old gay man. After the decision, he told reportes, ""The difference is I can finally have a loving relationship without being scared of (being) thrown into jail for life imprisonment. That would be what we've been asking for."

Meanwhile, Aruba's Superior Court rules the Caribbean island must register the lesbian marriage of Charlene and Esther Oduber-Lamers, who were wed in Holland in 2001. Meanwhile, the government of the former Dutch colony promises an appeal to Holland's Supreme Court. Holland legalized gay marriage in 2001, but Aruban authorities say Dutch law also grants their right to self-rule.

UK police look for witnesses after six lesbians are attacked in Oxford. Two have facial injuries after being punched, beaten and hit with a brick.

Some Like it Ruff

Inspired in Paris, dreamed about while in Brazil, and finally created in beautiful California. Here are the images from the new "Billboard Boys" campaign by Rufskin.

Rufskin's swimwear campaign is killer. Well, their jeans are hot, too. And their tops. Although most of the clothes are American-made and -designed, the fit is intrinsically Latin, no? You almost feel like you're walking down a beach in Bahia or the Dominican Republic. But the total look and texture of the adverts is Latin.

More fabulous cocoa models on the Ruskin site, or at Oh la la Paris.

Spanish Adventures

Our friend Edu is on holiday at Puro Beach, near Palma de Mallorca. Some guys have all the luck.