FREEZED: Cathedral City Police Raid Barracks Bar on Closing Night of Leather Pride Weekend !

Barracks Bar in Palm Springs was raided by police last night during a beer bust for Palm Springs Leather Pride, which was happening this weekend.

Leatherati writes: Breaking news...we just received a text indicating the Barracks Bar in Cathedral City, CA was shut down this afternoon by the local police department for "capacity" issues. The closure came during one of the busiest Sunday beer busts of the year with the town crowded with attendees to Palm Springs Leather Pride. The Barracks has had ongoing difficulties with the Cathedral City police department over capacity issues and displayIng porn in the bar. We'll update as we get more info.

A video posted online supports Leatherati's claim. As of yet, we have heard of no reported arrests.

MAYHEM: Streaker Dressed as Referee Incites Brawl Between Players at UCLA-Arizona Football Game!

Mayhem broke out at the UCLA-Arizona football game last night.
A student (undie) streaker (Arizona student Jacen Lankow), dressed as a referee, ran on the field at the end of the second quarter, inciting a brawl between players and a chase at the end of which Lankow was tackled and escorted off the field.

Two players were reportedly ejected.

CAGED: Lohan Taken Away in Cuffs After Probation Revoked!

Lindsay Lohan was taken out of court in handcuffs today after a furious Judge Stephanie Sautner revoked her probation. Lohan’s bail bondsman will have her out on bail later today, but the actress could now wind up spending up to 18 months in prison; the judge set a hearing for Nov. 2 to decide her fate, TMZ reports.

Sautner, who noted with frustration that prison overcrowding made a jail sentence unlikely, also ordered Lohan to complete 16 hours of community service at the morgue before that hearing. The judge expressed complete disgust with Lohan’s failure to show up at the Downtown Women’s Center for community service, reading incredulously from a probation report in which Lohan said she didn’t find the center “fulfilling.” And she scoffed at excuses that Lohan had to leave town to work, saying she’d warned Lohan to do the service quickly in case she got a movie role—“I mean, she is supposed to be an actress, from what I hear.” Click for more.

BEEFCAKE: Chippendales dancers pose for NOH8 campaign

NEW FRONTIER: Marines Recruit ... at Gay Pride Event!

As usual, Marine Corps recruiters asked passersby to attempt 20 pull-ups from a bar. But this time they were asking gays and lesbians at a gay pride event yesterday in Pasadena, Calif.—possibly the first Southern California pride event to host military recruiters, the Los Angeles Times reports. The eight Marines at the recruitment table made for the event's biggest draw, attracting more people than church groups, healthcare organizations, and nearby tables of colorful garden decorations.

Event organizers said they were intrigued that among US forces, only the Marines accepted an invitation to the San Gabriel Valley Pride event—especially after Marine Corps Gen. James Amos had adamantly opposed last month's repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The Marines even claimed poverty and had their $150 table fee paid for them. "They had tens of thousands of felony waivers, and they were taking people convicted of drug use," said a passerby who had left the military because of its gay ban. "This will increase the pool of people available and allow people who want to serve the country to join."

MURDERER: Murray Did Lousy CPR on Jackson!

Today's testimony in the Conrad Murray trial doesn't exactly speak to his skills as a doctor. One of Michael Jackson's security guards said that when he entered the singer's room, he saw Murray performing a shoddy version of CPR—using only one hand, intermittently, reports the Los Angeles Times. 

Murray told him that Jackson was in bad shape and needed to get to a hospital, even as he temporarily halted CPR, grabbed a "handful" of vials, and said, "Here, put these in a bag.” The guard, Alberto Alvarez, said he was also asked to grab a saline bag containing "a milky white substance." It was only after Alvarez helped put away vials and bags that Murray told him to call 911, notes TMZ. 

OUTburst: Heckler Calls Obama 'The Antichrist'!

President Obama was heckled by a wingnut named David Serrano at a House of Blues fundraiser last night in L.A..

Yelled Serrano: "The Christian God is one and only true living God! The creator of heaven and the universe! Jesus Christ is God! Jesus Christ is God! Jesus Christ is still our God! Jesus Christ is still God! You are the Antichrist!"

The heckler was identified as David Serrano, the NYDN reports: Tony Bell, spokesman for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, says Serrano has been a fixture at county meetings for a couple years, giving long, rambling religious statements predicting earthquakes and the apocalypse.

"He yells out his statements, which are very mistaken, odd interpretations of scriptures," Bell said. "He's been pretty close to being thrown out of our meetings. When he calls Supervisor Antonovich 'Mikey,' it's very vitriolic. He's not a pleasant guy. He talks about Jews in his diatribes and seems very anti-Semitic. I don't have the impression he's dangerous, but he has issues that could use some help.

High School Water Polo Coach Says He Was Fired for Being Gay Over Anonymous Complaint About Facebook Photos!

Mitch Stein, the former summer water polo coach at Charter Oak High School in Covina, California, has filed a complaint against the school district following his firing in response to photos that were taken from his Facebook and MySpace pages and mailed to the principal anonymously, the Whittier Daily News reports: Stein said the letter included two photos, one of him posing with two drag queens and the other of him about to eat a corn dog. According to the complaint, the letter's author called Stein "unfit to coach" and threatened to go to the school board if he was not fired immediately.

Stein said he promised to have the pictures taken down, but he said Wiard was adamant that he be fired. Wiard did not return calls requesting comment.

"The reaction to that letter, in my opinion, was homophobic," Stein said.

According to Stein's attorney, the principal told Stein, "Oh, by the way, we're not doing it because you're gay," which immediately made him realize the opposite.

Superintendent Mike Hendricks denies the charges: "We do not discriminate against anyone."

Students are reportedly rallying around Stein, whose team was undefeated.

DENIED: Killer Loses Bid for Prison-Paid Sex Change!

A transgender California prisoner has lost a bid to force the state to pay for a sex change operation. Lyralisa Stevens, who was born male but lives as a woman, sued the state, demanding that the public fund surgery to remove her male genitalia, at a cost of as much as $50,000. A San Francisco appeals court nixed the suit, but Stevens, 42, may still take her case to a higher court, reports the Los Angeles Times. California, like many states, provides hormone treatments for transgender inmates. 

Had Stevens been successful in her suit, the state would have become the first in the nation to pay for a sex change operation. Stevens, who's serving 50-years-to-life for shooting to death a woman in a dispute over clothing, argued that hormone treatments alone are inadequate for her situation. She also looked forward to being placed in a woman's prison once her penis was removed. Stevens said she's under constant threat of sexual assault in the men's prison where she's currently housed, even though she has a cell to herself. "She has not been outside in over a year because she is not safe out on the yard, and she has to be very careful about when she showers," said her attorney.

THEFT: Rembrandt Lifted From LA Hotel!

A small pen-and-ink drawing by Rembrandt was stolen from a California Ritz-Carlton Saturday night in what detectives are calling a "well-thought-out and well-planned theft." The Judgment, an 11-by-6-inch drawing worth more than $250,000, was on display at the Marina del Rey hotel during an exhibit for potential buyers, the Los Angeles Times reports. It went missing between 10:20pm and 10:35pm, while the curator was distracted. It's not clear whether the person doing the distracting is connected to the heist, but detectives do believe the thief had accomplices.

UNITED: Hundreds Rally Over String of Anti-Gay Attacks in Long Beach, CA!

Hundreds of people, including Congresswoman Janice Hahn (D-CA), gathered in Long Beach last night to protest a string of anti-gay assaults in the area, Karen Ocamb at LGBT POV reports: Only one of three separate attacks in two weeks has so far been confirmed as a hate crime. Police have arrested 21-year-old Jorge Ibarrias of Torrance, who was chased down by Eric Avila after Ibarrias allegedly attacked Avila’s friend Martin Sanchez on July 24 outside The Falcon bar. Ibarrias has been charged with felony battery with a hate crime enhancement.

SEX: LA Has the Most Sex... but Not the Best!

It's quantity over quality when it comes to sex in Los Angeles. Angelenos have the most sex in the country, but when it comes to fulfillment, they had a more middling 75% mark, according to the Trojan US Sex Census. Philadelphia reported the highest sexual satisfaction (82%), but was tenth on the frequency scale (99 times a year), reports the Los Angeles Times.

Trojan interviewed 1,000 adults for the survey and found that the average American has sex 120 times per year. LA residents say they do it 135 times and also reported the highest level of sexual adventurousness. However, Angelenos are also the most likely to fake an orgasm. Those in the South are most likely to abstain from sex until marriage, while San Franciscans are least likely to wait.

HOTTIE: Bicycle Racing AIDS Activist!

Gonzalo Garcia writes, I was born in New York City on April 3, 1980. Three weeks later to the day, and three thousand miles away, the first AIDS case was recognized in San Francisco and reported to the Centers for Disease Control. I grew up a child actor, so I was surrounded by people, stories, myths, and health lessons regarding this disease. And I’ve helped raise money over the years, starting around the age of 10. Now, 21 years later, as I turn 31, I’m doing something I never thought I would do. I’m riding my bike in one of the most physically challenging events, the San Francisco to Los Angeles AIDS Life Cycle.



AIDS Life Cycle provided by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the event, and during June 5 through the 11th over 2000 cyclists and roadies will come together to accomplish this ride.


This event also consists of riding my bike between 80 and 100 miles each day, sleeping in a tent, waking up at 5:00 AM to get back on the bike at 6:00 AM and repeating it all for seven days until all 545 miles are complete. It’s the 10th anniversary of this event and I’m super excited to try this with 2000 other people! Click Here for More!

VICTORY: Gay Los Angeles officer awarded more than $1M!

AP-An openly gay police sergeant who said he was subjected to derogatory remarks by his supervisor was awarded $1.1 million by a jury Thursday.


Sgt. Ronald Crump worked for the Los Angeles Police Department’s media relations section in 2008 and 2009. While there, he said his supervisor, Lt. John Romero, made remarks about his sexuality, including that Crump was “the new Ruby minus the heels,” a reference to a woman he succeeded in the unit.

Crump said that after he complained about the remarks through formal channels, his concerns were deemed to be unfounded. He ultimately was transferred to the city’s Skid Row area, a move he said was punitive and cost him future opportunities for promotion.

“It was a serious dilemma for me to sue the agency that I admire and respect,” Crump told the Los Angeles Times. “But my commanding officer made poor decisions that, unchallenged, would have had a serious effect on me and other employees who are retaliated against.”

City Attorney spokesman John Franklin said the office is reviewing legal options.

HONORED: Margaret Cho to Be Honored With Kight Lifetime Achievement Award at LA Pride

Comedienne, actress and LGBT activist Margaret Cho will receive the 2011 Morris Kight Lifetime Achievement Award during the Los Angeles Pride Celebration in early June.


"This is such a tremendous honor. I am so excited about this. This is my community, my home and I am very proud of how far we have come in our journey," Cho said in a statement.



The Morris Kight Award was first presented in 2003 and honors an individual whose lifetime of work has made a lasting positive impact on the LGBT community.


Cho's new film, "Cho Dependent," will receive its world premiere at the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival May 15. She is also on tour with her latest solo show, with stops set for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, London and Brighton.

PROP 8 Trial: Gays, Lies and Videotape!

Controversies around Prop 8 and the lawsuit to overturn it continue almost unabated. Anti-equality activists want all film of the trial "put under lock and key," so that no one may view it. The presiding judge in the case had shown a 3 minute clip during a lecture he gave and that got Prop 8 proponents in a tizzy, Reports the Huffington Post.


You might remember that proponents of Prop 8 were adamantly against allowing the public see and hear their actual case. Prop 8 opponents, in contrast, were happy to make it public.

When it came to the majority voting on whether a minority had the same rights as themselves, Prop 8 proponents were advocates of "let the public decide." When it comes to the trial itself, they don't want the public to have easy access.

So, why the sudden switch from trusting the public to demanding secrecy?

Kobe Bryant apologizes (to HRC) for gay slur during Tuesday night’s Lakers game, is fined $100,000 by NBA!

Lakers star Kobe Bryant says he’s sorry but he was still fined $100,000 by the NBA for using a gay slur during Tuesday night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, reports Greg in Hollywood.

His language was captured by TNT camera and it has become the slur heard around the world. (The slur was the other F-word, I don’t want to spell it out).

“Kobe Bryant’s comment during last night’s game was offensive and inexcusable,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement. “While I’m fully aware that basketball is an emotional game, such a distasteful term should never be tolerated. … Kobe and everyone associated with the NBA know that insensitive or derogatory comments are not acceptable and have no place in our game or society.”

California Megachurch Choir Forces Members to Sign Anti-Gay Pact!

Orange County's Crystal Cathedral has asked the members of its choir to sign a "covenant" asking them to respect the Biblical view of sexual intimacy and marriage, between one man and one woman, the Orange County Register reports:

The "Crystal Cathedral Worship Choir and Worship Team Covenant," recently handed out to members, states that members should commit to being Christians by following the Bible in every way.

Former and current choir members say they are particularly offended by a statement in the document that refers to homosexuality. Long-time church members say this is the first time they have seen the cathedral take a firm stand against homosexuality and are disturbed by it.

The covenant states: "I understand that in an era where images of family relationship and personal sexuality are often confused, Crystal Cathedral Ministries believes that it is important to teach and model the biblical view. I understand that Crystal Cathedral Ministries teaches that sexual intimacy is intended by God to only be within the bonds of marriage, between one man and one woman."