(POP NEWS): Shelton puckers up; Gay GCB; Trudeau rips; Game Change!

BROMANCE: 'I Want to Kiss' Adam Levine'!

RAUNCHY: Mark Deklin talks about his role as a closeted gay man on GCB!

STICK UP: Trudeau Rips Papers Axing Doonesbury Abortion Strip!

FREEDOM: Man Sues City of San Diego Over Gay Pride Thong Arrest!

Palin Aide: Accurate Game Change 'Made Me Squirm'!

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.

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."

REBEL: Arrests made at Moscow Gay Rally!

The AP has released video from the scene. Is that an anti-gay counter-protester making the Hitler salute?

NOT QUEER: Sao Paulo OKs Pride Day—for Heterosexuals!

We're here, not queer, get used to it? Sao Paolo's city council has just passed legislation designating an official Heterosexual Pride Day to be held on the third Sunday of each December, the AP reports. Mayor Gilberto Kassab must sign the bill before it goes into effect, however, and he hasn't said if he will. The bill's author, Carlos Apolinario, insists it's "not anti-gay, but a protest against the privileges the gay community enjoys." 

Apolinario complained, for example, that the city's massive gay pride parade is allowed to march down Paulista Avenue—a major thoroughfare—while the March for Jesus is not. "I have no trouble coexisting with gays as long as their behavior is normal," Apolinario said. But the Brazilian LGBT Association thinks the legislation will provoke homophobic violence. "It belittles the just cause of the LGBT community," the group said in a statement. "Unlike homosexuals, heterosexuals are not discriminated against simply for being heterosexuals."

OUTscene: (PRIDE 2011) MK's Exclusive INTER-view with Writer and Grand Marshall, Armistead Maupin!

by MK Scott

OUTscene Editor

I was thrilled to learn that an old friend was selected to be a Grand Marshall for the Seattle Pride Parade. I met Armistead Maupin over 12 years ago when he was featured in a special concert with Seattle Men's Chorus and we have stayed in touch and saw him this Past Fall and we planned  an interview soon. Now the moment has arrived for the interview we have the video below:

OUTscene: (PRIDE 2011) MK Chats with Activist and Grand Marshall, Daniel Hernandez at Seattle Pridefest!

by MK Scott

OUTscene Editor

I ran into LGBT Rights Activist and 'Hero', Daniel Hernandez at Seattle Pridefest and asked about being asked as Grand Marshall for the Seattle Pride Parade and doesn't consider himself a Hero, even though he   saved Gabi Giffords Life!  

GOSSIP: Shia LaBeouf goes to Gay Party to promote his Straight-ness!

Gatecrasher reports: Shia LaBeouf could have used some protection from Optimus Prime at the SoHo Grand on Sunday night. A source tells us that when the "Transformers" star asked the hotel's staff where he could find a "cool" soiree to attend, he was directed to the Pride Party at the Yard, an outdoor space that the Grand recently opened, where the Misshapes and Matt Kays were providing the entertainment.

Little did LaBeouf know, the celebration was chockablock with gay men who, our insider says, "swarmed" the actor when he arrived with his girlfriend. The source says the quick-thinking LaBeouf used his lady as a buffer and the two started "hard-core making out," just in case any of the boys were getting ideas.

HOT: Brazil pride brings out hundreds of thousands!

Hundreds of thousands of people dancing and wearing costumes packed the streets of South America’s biggest city to celebrate gay pride and call for an end to homophobia. Gays, lesbians and their supporters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, participated in the city’s 15th annual gay pride parade on skyscraper-lined Avenida Paulista. Many danced to the beat of loud music blasting from several sound trucks.

Organizers hoped the final count would total more than 3 million join in the parade, which they say is one of the biggest in the world.

Police reported a few arrests for drug possession but say no major incidents occurred.

BACK LASH: Hate Group Leader Tony Perkins Condemns the Empire State Building's Rainbow Show of Pride!

Tony Perkins, leader of the hate group Family Research Council, is not happy that the Empire State Building lit up in rainbow colors on Friday night following the marriage equality victory in NY.

Writes Perkins, in part:

People at the Empire State Building said it was a coincidence. Officials explained that it takes hours to change the lights. But there was no mistaking the message Friday night when the highest point in the city lit up like a towering rainbow, its colors blazing across the New York skyline. Like a warning flare, the reds and blues and greens exploded over the city, announcing the arrival of same-sex "marriage" to the world. Overnight, New York had become a beacon in the fight for family--a symbol of people who had lost their way...

When the law goes into effect next month, New York will be the sixth and largest state to shatter the definition of marriage in America. To understand the devastation of that defeat, consider this. Within hours, the number of people living in jurisdictions with same-sex "marriage" doubled. 

...Despite all of the disappointment, God is on the move. Regardless of how things appear, never doubt that He is at work behind the scenes. Rainbow colors may cut through the New York night, but shadows are where you and I are called to shine. The world takes advantage of the darkness, but only the church can set it ablaze. "Arise... for your light has come... See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." (Isaiah 60:1-3)

(MK 20) a PRIDE debut 10 years in the making!

The Calm before the storm in 2001

by MK Scott

OUTview Publisher

Ten years ago I had a vision of a site with quality GLBT news and Web TV programing (way before streaming video was the norm), in fact I even had a team in place with such notable Newsmen as Mike Bradbury, Brook Stanford, as well as Fresh talent in Samantha Starr and David Walker. As the site (QTalk) was being created we wanted to get the word out. So I approached the manager of the Gay Bar, Manray and he gave us the money to pay for our expenses. One expense was renting a Ford Mustang convertible and create a sign.

I also hired a cameraman to capture the parade, but the day was headed for disaster. 

OUTscene: (PRIDE 2011) Parade and PrideFest 'Totally Awesome'!

Photo by Starr Quality

OUTview was a PROUD media sponsor of the pride parade as MK rode PROUDLY in the parade with Lincoln Rose and Ethan McMahon in a1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder Convertible. No Big stars this year but the real Star was the car (driven by Seattle attorney, Douglas Titus)!  

On the corner of 4th and Bell, our partners at ITV was capturing and streaming LIVE on Ustream and OUTview  (Look for Highlights coming soon).

 

In the The Seattle Times: Adam Rosencrantz, board president of parade sponsor Seattle Out and Proud said, estimated crowds at 400,000, in excess of last year's 250,000. "It's an exciting time," he said. "I think one message for us to remember is why we're doing it (Pride festivities). In this country, we can do this. But there are places around the world where if anybody finds out you're gay, it's punishable by death or life in prison."

Once we got to Seattle Center for Pridefest, we were amazed how crowded it was already. MK and the Team shared the booth with our Pridefest Sponsor, Blue Sky Cleaners. Many Thanks to Jessica and her team for their support.

One of the headliners was 2010 IDOL Runner up Crystal Bowersox singing her hit, 'Farmer's Daughter' and a special request for a Tracy Chapman Hit. 

Many Hot shirtless guys in underwear, buying underwear, T-Shirts, Lesbians Toppless and  running around nude in the international Fountain. It was an 'Totally Awesome' Day!

More Photos Below!

HATE: Vandals Slash Tires of Thirty Chicago Pride Floats!

The tires of the 30 floats were slashed overnight just before today's Pride parade in Chicago. According to the Windy City Times:

Chuck Huser, owner of long-time Pride float provider Associated Attractions at 4834 S. Halsted on Chicago's South Side, said the floats were fine when he left 8 p.m. Saturday night, but when he returned 5 a.m. Sunday to start preparation for drivers to depart, he found two tires punctured each on more than 30 floats.

"This is catastrophic," he told Windy City Times at 8 a.m. June 26. "This has never happened before, and we have been doing this since 1989."

The attackers broken in but did no other damage to the floats, and they took nothing else, leaving Huser to believe this had to be a hate crime. No notes were left.

Huser has filed a police report, but his main focus the morning of the Pride Parade was finding an open tire shop, where they were running back and forth to repair the tires.

"They didn't want these folks to go out," Huser said. He added that he has no disgruntled employees or customers, and that most of his workers have been with him more than 20 years.

Openly gay Illinois state Representative Kelly Cassidy on if this might be a hate crime: “It’s hard not to think so a couple of days after New York’s huge victory."

Twenty other floats, all stored indoors at a separate location, were not damaged and will participate in today's Pride parade in Chicago. Huser and his team are currently scrambling to find replacement tires for the vandalized floats before the parade began.

OUTscene: (PRIDE 2011) The Guys were Hotter than the Weather at the Capitol Hill Pride Block Party!

The 3rd Annual Capitol Hill Block party was Saturday and the weather went from warm to cold, sunny to cloudy. We were amazed that many more people were there than last year. 2 stages (One Latino, one acoustic) plus Julia's beer garden provided entertainment, food and non profits. The guys on the left were great eye candy! Later I walked past the Dyke March. 

More Photos Below!

Person Killed At Alaskan Gay Pride Parade

It appears as if the pedestrian was killed in a tragic accident this morning that involved the car carrying the parade's grand marshal. The AP reports:

Anchorage police Lt. Dave Parker said the 50-year-old man who was killed was participating in the Celebrating Diversity Parade. He said the car accelerated and ran over the man just minutes after the parade scheduled for 11 a.m. started. Officers "immediately started CPR, but were not able to revive him," Parker said. "He was declared deceased at the scene." Police questioned the driver and authorities were trying to determine whether the collision was caused by mechanical failure or driver error. There was no indication that alcohol was involved. Grand marshal Doug Frank told the Anchorage Daily News that the convertible's driver had trouble with the car's accelerator. "It ran over a person, totally over," Frank said, sobbing. "This went from one of the best days of my life to the worst."

The parade was immediately canceled following the accident.

The Alska Dispatch has printed an eyewitness account on what may have caused the crash: "According to people participating in the event, the driver of parade grand marshal Doug Frank's convertible did not know how to operate the car's stick-shift. A witness called it an "irresponsible" decision that left a woman dead and ruined a day of celebration for Alaska's queer communities."

While the AP has said the victim is male, other sources report that the person's gender at this time remains unconfirmed.

PROTEST: Gay Activists Attacked In Russia!

Gay rights participants who were taking part in an unapproved pride parade in Saint Petersburg, Russia today were attacked by a group of anti-gay protesters. 14 LGBT activists were arrested as were some of the anti0gay attackers. Russia's most highly visible gay rights advocate (and OUTview Fan) Nikolai Alekseyev was one of the jailed but was released soon after.

The AP reports: "I've seen a lot of things in six years of holding such events in Moscow, but I've never seen such cynicism in St. Petersburg," said Nikolai Alekseyev, Russia's highest profile gay rights activist, who was himself briefly detained.

Activists held their protest beside a monument to city founder Peter the Great, "because Peter the Great founded a city with European values," Yuri Gavrikov, head of the Equality group said Friday. President Dmitry Medvedev has insisted Russians share European values today.

UK Gay News has lots of detailed information on the attacks. The photo to the right captures the moment right gay activist Alexander Sheremete was attacked by an hateful anti-gay protester. Sheremete reportedly suffered head and lips bruises.

UPRISING: NYC Gay Bar Raided As Patrons Celebrated Marriage Equality Vote!

The New York City police department is receiving heat for what many are calling a raid on one of the city's gay bars, the Eagle, which took place at the very same time that the state Senate voted to introduce marriage equality to New York Friday night. Police claim this was a routine inspection. Whether that's true or not, the timing of this operation was remarkably insensitive. About 100 people were at the Eagle at the time.

The NYT reports: Allen Roskoff, 61, a veteran gay-rights activist who was not at the Eagle, said, “In typical New York City Police Department fashion, the N.Y.P.D. demonstrated its disrespect for the gay community by raiding the Eagle mere moments after the passage of most important piece of gay rights legislation in history.”

But some accounts of the inspection diverged significantly, in places, from what the police described. For instance, (Eagle owner Robert Berk) said the inspection lasted about two hours, while (Police Department’s chief spokesman David Browne) said it was completed in about 45 minutes.

Along with flashlights being shined in people’s faces, lights were turned off and patrons were forced to empty their pockets “without probable cause,” Mr. Shevlin said.

A reader of Kenneth in the 212 writes: "yes, i was there and they definitely raided it. i argued with the police there for an hour over the outrage and eventually left. i am going to try to organize a response, like i did after the raids 3 years ago after pride."

HAPPY PRIDE from OUTview!

The Sun is shining in Seattle as morning begins. This will be quite a day for OUTview Online as we are a Media sponsor of the Seattle Pride Parade! We are #45 in the line up and will be joined by MK and his 2 contributors, Lincoln Rose and Ethan McMahon. 

WATCH the Parade LIVE, right here from 10:30a to 2:30p PT!

Later OUTview can be found at the Blue Sky Cleaners booth. MK and Lincoln will be on hand. You never know who will show up? Last year it was Eric Alva and Julie Goldman!

Hope to see ya!

OUTscene NW: Photos from the 2011 Portland Pride Parade!

So many great shots from Anna M Campbell Photography. There’s a goodly smattering below but you might just want to open the full Flickr slideshow to see all 364 amazing pictures of the Portland Pride Parade. Special Thanks to QPDX for Sharing!

BREAKING NEWS: OUTview and ITVNW to Stream Seattle Pride Parade LIVE!

OUTview Online, the fastest growing National Gay, Lesbian and Trans multi-media Outlet in the Northwest Region, has teamed up with ITVNW to capture the Seattle Pride Parade Streamed LIVE on Ustream, OUTview, ITVNW, and More! 

The parade will take place this Sunday, June 26 at 11 a.m. in Downtown Seattle. 

"When OUTview signed up as a Media Sponsor of the Parade, we were only required to shoot the parade and broadcast it to monitors in the designated Beer Garden on the parade route," said MK Scott, Executive Producer, OUTview Online.