Week in News

OBVIOUSLY the dude on the right is gay. Right? Lately, our gaydar has been totally wack. But a study out of Tufts University — led by grad-student Nicholas Rule (as in “I rule!”) — claims that gaydar is as real as Britney Spears’ drug and alcohol abuse problem. And not only could respondents weed out the suspected fruitcakes just by looking at their faces — they got it right in record time.

For the study, 15 undergraduate students, both male and female, were shown photos of faces of 90 men, evenly divided between gay and straight. The photos were taken from Internet personal ads and from Facebook. More… »

SHADY PINES, MA! – Before Sex and the City’s Samantha, Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda there was Rose,  Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia. Nudity and profanity aside, The Golden Girls covered similar ground dishing on sex (or lack there of), relationships (or lack there of), gays (!!!), and anxieties about getting older. Estelle Getty was an instant favorite as cantankerous, octogenarian Sophia Petrillo. She was bitchy, but smart, oldest, but often the most lively. Getty died earlier this week at the age of 84. An active supporter of gay rights and AIDS research, Estelle Getty will be sorely missed by men like me who grew up dreaming to one day move to Miami and grow old amidst a crew of unforgettable friends. Sophia Petrillo left us many memorable quotes, we’ve compiled our favorites here. It may be cliche, but it’s the most fitting send of:

Thanks Estelle, for being a friend. More… »

It’s a girl! Well, it’s a girl for now. Thomas Beatie, the “pregnant man,” has given birth. Beatie used to be a girl, too. Then he decided to become a man. Which he is now. Sort of. [Slate]

A surgeon in Bucharest was ordered to pay $795,000 in damages to a patient after a 2004 operation in which the doctor “accidentally” severed the patient’s penis — and then, in a fit of rage, chopped it into little pieces before storming out. [Associated Press]

THAT’S GROSS – “Louis Rove, the man identified as the adoptive father of Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove, apparently lived the latter part of his life as an out gay man who was deeply involved in body piercing culture.” [BoingBoing]

ERECTILE COCKTAIL - Scientists in Texas, where everything is bigger, suggest that eating watermelons can give you Viagra-style erections. PROS. You’ll be going strong all summer. CONS. Watermelon is a diuretic (though this may be a pro for water sports enthusiasts) and they’re high in sugar — a low carb no-no.

Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body’s blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra. [Yahoo]

BAD DAY FOR WISCONSIN GAYS - There’s a badger and bear fight going on the sore subject of marriage equality. An obscure state law in Wisconsin (The Badger State) makes it a crime for WI residents to marry in another state (ie CA), if the marriage is prohibited in WI (which it is).

The law imposes a penalty for those who enter into a marriage that’s prohibited or declared void in Wisconsin of up to $10,000 and nine months in prison. [JS Online]

REIGN IN SPAIN – Not only have Fernando Torres and Sergio Ramos proven that they’re one of the best soccer players in the world, they’re also sexy as hell. Here’s our countdown to the 10 reasons why we’d rather watch soccer than football. Enjoy.

REASON 10. — THE BLATANT LEG FONDLING:
Soccer players are all about the boy/boy touching. And there’s no shame. We love it. Here Iker Casillas gets a nice grope from his mates. While football players may enjoy a nice ass tap every so often, here we have a full on inner thigh fondling. Hot! More… »

On Sunday, while I sipped mimosas and watched the pride procession from the shelter of my friend’s apartment, hundreds of gay activists gathered on the other side of the world to march and raise awareness about gay rights in a country where homosexuality is illegal. (Photos from REUTERS/Adnan Abidi) More… »

Our homophobic friends over at the American Family Association’s OneNewsNow made a little auto-replace boo boo when they changed all instances of “gay” into “homosexual.” So, professional basketball player Rudy Gay’s name becomes Rudy Homosexual and runner Tyson Gay becomes Tyson Homosexual.

Asked how he felt, Homosexual said: “A little fatigued.”

Funny or Dangerous? Words have powerful associations. The difference between the phrases homosexual marriage and marriage equality is stammering. [boingboing]