Aaron Carter

payday loans

Aaron Carter decided to celebrate the anniversary of his friend Michael Jackson’s death by sharing an interesting tidbit of information: the King of Pop used to give him wine and cocaine.
In a new interview with OK! magazine, Carter talks about the relationship he had with Jackson, and how although he misses the musician, he was troubled by some of the activities they took part in.
“I never talked about it… This is the first time. I do… I miss Michael… I have spent such incredible times with him. I did things with him that nobody else did… But I was also troubled about what he did to me… Yes, he gave me wine. I mean, I could have refused, but I was 15.”
The 23-year-old then revealed even more shocking information.
“He gave me cocaine. I felt weird about that and other stuff… We spoke afterwards, hours and hours, on the phone. I admired Michael, but his behavior bothered me a lot. Then my mother called the police…”
In 2004 Carter’s mother Jane told “Access Hollywood” that Aaron had spent a night with Jackson at his Neverland Ranch without supervision. His sister Leslie also implied that drugs had been used that night.
At the time, Carter vehemently denied his family’s drug accusations, telling People magazine: “I don’t do drugs. I didn’t do them with Michael Jackson and I don’t do them with anyone else.”
Since Jackson isn’t alive to defend himself, we’re left to wonder: Was he lying then, or is he lying now?
This new revelation comes days after rumors starting circulating that Carter’s former manager Aldo DiSorbo has been keeping a crystal-studded jacket Jackson gave the child as collateral for a $100,000 loan between the two.
from The Long Island Press

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After days of contentious negotiations and last-minute reversals by two Republican senators, New York became the sixth and largest state in the country to legalize gay marriage, breathing life into the national gay rights movement that had stalled over a nearly identical bill here two years ago.
Pending any court challenges, legal gay marriages can begin in New York by late July after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed his bill into law just before midnight Friday.
At New York City’s Stonewall Inn, the Greenwich Village pub that spawned the gay rights movement on a June night in 1969, Scott Redstone watched New York sign the historic same-sex marriage law with his partner of 29 years, and popped the question.
“I said, `Will you marry me?’ And he said, `Of course!’” Redstone said he and Steven Knittweis walked home to pop open a bottle of champagne.
New York becomes the sixth state where gay couples can wed, doubling the number of Americans living in a state with legal gay marriage.
“That’s certainly going to have a ripple effect across the nation,” said Ross Levi, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda. “It’s truly a historic night for love, our families, and democracy won.”
“We made a powerful statement,” Cuomo said. “This state is at its finest when it is a beacon of social justice.”
The leading opponent, Democratic Sen. Ruben Diaz, was given only a few minutes to state his case during the Senate debate.
“God, not Albany, settled the issue of marriage a long time ago,” said Diaz, a Bronx minister. “I’m sorry you are trying to take away my right to speak,” he said. “Why are you ashamed of what I have to say?”
The Catholic Bishops of New York said the law alters “radically and forever humanity’s historic understanding of marriage.”
“We always treat our homosexual brothers and sisters with respect, dignity and love,” the bishops said Friday. “We worry that both marriage and the family will be undermined by this tragic presumption of government in passing this legislation that attempts to redefine these cornerstones of civilization.”
Legal challenges of the law and political challenges aimed at the four Republicans who supported gay marriage in the 33-29 vote are expected. GOP senators endured several marathon sessions, combing through several standard but complex bills this week, before taking up the same-sex marriage bill Friday.
The bill came to the floor for a vote after an agreement was reached on more protections for religious groups that oppose gay marriage and feared discrimination lawsuits.
“State legislators should not decide society-shaping issues,” said the Rev. Jason McGuire of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms. He said his organization would work in next year’s elections to defeat lawmakers who voted for the measure.
The big win for gay rights advocates is expected to galvanize the movement around the country after an almost identical bill was defeated here in 2009 and similar measures failed in 2010 in New Jersey and this year in Maryland and Rhode Island.
Jerry Nathan of Albany, who married his partner in Massachusetts, called the vote “an incredible culmination of so much that’s been going on for so many years it doesn’t seem real yet.”
Ultimately, gay couples will be able to marry because of two previously undecided Republicans from upstate regions far more conservative than the New York City base of the gay rights movement.
Sen. Stephen Saland, 67, voted against a similar bill in 2009, helping kill the measure and dealing a blow to the national gay rights movement. On Friday night, gay marriage supporters wept in the Senate gallery as Saland explained how his strong, traditionally family upbringing led him to embrace legalizing gay marriage.
“While I understand that my vote will disappoint many, I also know my vote is a vote of conscience,” Saland, of Poughkeepsie, said in a statement to The Associated Press before the vote. “I am doing the right thing in voting to support marriage equality.”
Also voting for the bill was freshman Sen. Mark Grisanti, a Buffalo Republican who also had been undecided. Grisanti said he could not deny anyone what he called basic rights.
“I apologize to those I offend,” said Grisanti, a Roman Catholic. “But I believe you can be wiser today than yesterday. I believe this state needs to provide equal rights and protections for all its residents,” he said.
A huge street party erupted outside the Stonewall Inn Friday night, with celebrants waving rainbow flags and dancing after the historic vote.
Watching the festivities from across the street was Sarah Ellis, who has been in a six-year relationship with her partner, Kristen Henderson. Ellis said the measure would enable them to get married in the fall. They have twin toddlers and live in Sea Cliff on Long Island.
“We’ve been waiting. We considered it for a long time, crossing the borders and going to other states,” said Ellis, 39. “But until the state that we live in, that we pay taxes in, and we’re part of that community, has equal rights and marriage equality, we were not going to do it.”
The bill makes New York only the third state, after Vermont and New Hampshire, to legalize marriage through a legislative act and without being forced to do so by a court.
from The Associated Press

PARIS – French lawmakers on Tuesday rejected a bill presented by the opposition Socialist Party seeking to legalize same-sex marriage, despite growing public support for gay rights.
The vote reflected opposition to gay marriage among President Nicolas Sarkozy’s governing conservatives and the strain of traditional values that runs through many parts of France – away from the gay-friendly bars and neighborhoods of Paris.
The National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, turned down the measure by 293 votes to 222. Opposition was led by Sarkozy’s UMP, while Socialists and other leftists supported the bill, which said “marriage can be contracted by two people of different sexes or of the same sex.”
Supporters say France has fallen behind the curve on gay rights, as nearby countries like Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands have legalized gay marriage.
Earlier this year, France’s highest court ruled that laws banning gay marriage don’t violate the constitution. The esteemed Constitutional Court said any change would be up to parliament to decide.
In France, same-sex couples can form civil unions, but those do not confer inheritance rights or joint custody of goods, among other things.
France’s very vocal gay rights groups say their efforts are making progress, crediting improving media coverage and role models like Mayor Bertrand Delanoe of Paris, who came out publicly years ago.
A January poll published by Canal Plus TV found 58 percent of respondents in France believe gays should be able to marry, up from 43 percent five years ago. No margin of error was given.
from The Associated Press

The Kentucky Equality Federation says it is planning a public protest because two gay men with intellectual and developmental disabilities were kicked out of a recreational center run by the city of Hazard on Friday.
The federation, which advocates for people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex, says the two were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation.
The city’s attorney, however, said the facility does not discriminate, and “there is a dispute as to the facts of what transpired.”
The men, who were not identified, had been swimming at the Hazard Pavilion with a group from Mending Hearts Inc., which provides care to people with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
“The Pavilion staff immediately entered the pool area and asked my clients and their staff to leave the Pavilion,” Shirlyn Perkins, executive director of Mending Hearts, said in a news release issued Monday by the Kentucky Equality Federation. She said her staff “were informed that ‘gay people’ weren’t allowed to swim there.”
Perkins said Mending Hearts staff members argued that their clients were being discriminated against, but the Pavilion staff member “stated that what he was doing was in the Bible and he could do it.”
“My clients, whom already feel ridiculed and different, left the city-owned facility crying and embarrassed for trying to participate in ‘normal’ activities that everyday ‘normal’ people do,” Perkins said.
Ollie Adams, co-owner of Mending Hearts, said a staff member told her that the Pavilion employee told the group to leave after one of the men sat on the other’s knee and put his arm around him while sitting outside the pool. “There was no kissing and hugging,” Adams said.
Paul Collins, the city’s attorney, said that he is still investigating, but based on initial information, “there seems to be a wide disparity between the versions of the events.”
Collins said a lifeguard said he saw the two men repeatedly hugging and kissing in a corner of the pool.
“The staff at the Pavilion report to me that they do on some regular basis caution or warn individuals about excessive public displays of affection and that these warnings are given regardless of sexual orientation,” Collins said.
City Manager Carlos Combs said that while Pavilion staffers try to stop public displays of affection, the city’s policy is that “we don’t discriminate against anyone.”
Will Taylor, the Equality Federation’s assistant regional director for Southern Kentucky, said he is planning a protest of city hall and the Pavilion unless “an official apology” is issued and “immediate corrective action” is taken.
“As a public community service, the Pavilion has a responsibility to provide equal treatment to all members of their facility and to properly educate their staff accordingly,” Julia Oiler Spiegel, a representative of the federation, said in the news release.
from Kentucky.com

Neil Patrick Harris

A colleague of mine at the Sun walked into the office the morning after last year’s Tony Awards saying, “Was that the gayest show ever?” He didn’t exactly sound pleased, either.
I can’t imagine what the poor guy will think after Sunday’s fabulous ceremony, which started with that fabulous Broadway’s-not-just-for-gays-anymore production number and went on to be peppered with many a gay reference or resonance. (I’ve attached a clip of that curtain-raiser below — I hope YouTube doesn’t pull it.)
Me, I thought it was terrific. Mind you, I don’t usually watch awards shows. Too many boring spots, too many commercials. But those three hours Sunday night, at least on TV, seemed to fly by and with far fewer hitches than “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” has had. And, yes, it was awfully gay. That’s what gave it such a kick.
Neil Patrick Harris is too good to be true — cute, funny, a very competent singer and dancer, and a host who actually makes you believe he is welcoming everybody into his world. From the way he nailed the hilarious opening song (I can’t remember any Academy Awards show starting with something so witty, succinct and just plain fun) to the way he delivered the rushing rap at the close, Harris demonstrated a remarkable cool factor. (That not-for-gays-anymore song was written by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger, creators of “Cry Baby.”)
As for the actual awards, there didn’t seem to be too many surprises or strange choices. It was a glorious night for those of the Mormon persuasion — nine Tonys for “The Book of Mormon” and some great references to a religion that is bound to come in for even more attention as the presidential race heats up.
I especially loved Trey Parker’s acceptance remarks, reminding folks who like the show that they will have to atone for it one day, and thanking “our co-writer who passed away, Joseph Smith.”
The “I Believe” number from the “The Book of Mormon” was …
a great choice for the awards broadcast, letting everybody at home know what the fuss is all about. Ticket sales probably had an uptick during last night’s TV performance. (If my editors knew what was good for me — I mean good for them — they’d send me to New York on a Broadway round-up story so I could report back to my faithful readers on “The Book of Mormon” and all the other must-sees.)
It was, well, heartening, to see Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart” receive a Tony for best revival of a play, 30 years after the world started keeping toll of deaths from a disease that seemed to be targeting gay men. Kramer’s acceptance speech must have driven some folks crazy, with its description of gays as “a special people” (I wondered if he added that as a riff on all the Mormon talk).
On a lighter note, there was cute little Daniel Radcliffe hoofing it up mightily in “The Brotherhood of Man” from “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” (you gotta admire the guy for continuing to break out of his movie persona).
And we all got to hear a number from the cursed “Spider-Man,” the show that will finally open next week after, what, three years of previews? The song didn’t make me want to rush out and get a ticket, but it was nice to get a taste of what could still end up being one of Broadway’s monumental crashes.
The Tony show had an off-moment or two. Chris Rock was as needlessly vulgar as ever (couldn’t he learn by now that you don’t have to bend over a microphone to be heard?).
There were glitches, too, of course, including some professional actors who couldn’t read cue cards; the inevitably teary, over-the-top speeches (I’m still trying to understand Nikki M. James and the bumble bees — she’s pictured above in a Reuters photo); and some fashion oddities, including those from Whoopi Goldberg, wearing what looked like a cross between an 18th-century tricornered hat and a small building, and best actress winner Frances McDormand, who looked like she had just gotten out of bed and grabbed her previous day’s clothes off a chair before rushing to the Beacon Theatre.
In the end, though, I still say it was a great ceremony, celebrating the variety and considerable quality of this year’s theater scene. And, yes, it was the gayest show ever.
Fabulously so.
from The Baltimore Sun

Tracy Morgan

Tracy Morgan said Friday that he was sorry for telling an audience in Nashville, Tenn., that if his son were gay, he would “pull out a knife and stab” him.
The comedian and “30 Rock” actor apologized to his fans and the gay and lesbian community for what he called “my choice of words” during his June 3 appearance at the Ryman Auditorium.
A Facebook account posted by an audience member said Morgan’s stand-up performance was full of homophobic references. The Ryman issued its own apology afterward for Morgan’s behavior.
Morgan’s outbursts triggered heated comment on Twitter, making him a “trending” topic Thursday and Friday.
Meanwhile, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation called on Morgan to remove anti-gay remarks from his show “and send a strong message that anti-gay violence is not something to joke about.”
The Human Rights Campaign said apologizing wasn’t enough. The gay civil rights organization it said Morgan “now has a responsibility to make amends for his horribly hurtful and dangerous `comedy’ routine.”
In his statement, Morgan, who has three sons, denied being a hateful person and acknowledged that “even in a comedy club” what he said went too far “and was not funny in any context.”
from The Associated Press

Lady Gaga

ROME – Lady Gaga arrived in Rome on Saturday for a gay rights parade at which hundreds of thousands are set to voice their defiance against the Vatican and Silvio Berlusconi’s ‘backward’ government.
Organisers of the EuroPride event say they want to stress that Italy is a laggard in terms of gay rights in Europe, with no specific laws against homophobic violence and no provision for gay civil unions.
Paolo Patane, director of Italian activist group Arcigay, said he hoped the parade would help ‘push out’ the Berlusconi government, which is already reeling from a humiliating defeat in local elections this month.
The leaders of two small opposition parties – Italy of Values and Left, Ecology and Freedom – have said they will attend the parade, which also comes on the eve of referendums that will again challenge the government.
Organisers say they are expecting around a million people at the parade, while police forecasts range between 300,000 and 500,000. Tight security measures are in place to prevent any possible outbreaks of violence.
A small protest is planned by a religious group calling itself ‘Militia Christi,’ and Catholic politicians have warned Lady Gaga, a vocal advocate of gay rights, against making provocative statements about the pope.
from Straits Times