Gentlemen Prefer Blondes costar Jane Russell Dies

By Advocate.com Editors

Jane Russell, voluptuous star of films The Outlaw and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, has died at 89, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The actress first came to Hollywood's attention as a discovery of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, who attempted to capitalize on Russell's staggering figure in his controversial film The Outlaw, which was shot in 1941 but not released until 1946.

Russell was a favorite of gay audiences primarily for her costarring role opposite late screen legend Marilyn Monroe in Blondes, arguably her most famous film. Though the film was a showcase for two of cinema's sexiest bombshells, it is appreciated by gay audiences for Russell's unbelievably homoerotic number, "Ain't There Anyone Here For Love," in which the brunet actress cavorts with musclemen clad only in flesh-colored shorts.

Read her full obituary here. Watch a clip from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes below.



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Man Confesses to Raping Lesbian Teen

By Advocate.com Editors

A man who has pleaded guilty to raping a teenage girl told authorties the sex was consensual—until he learned the young woman was gay.

According to U.K. site This Is Nottingham, the 17-year-old girl had stopped to go to the bathroom in the bushes on the grounds of Nottingham’s Open University when James Hamilton appeared and forced himself on her. When the young woman screamed, he threatened to kill her and hit her until she passed out. He was still raping her when she came to.

Eventually he left the scene and the victim was able to call police.

When Hamilton was arrested following DNA identification, he claimed the encounter was consensual and that 17-year-old had instigated encounter.

But after police told the man his victim was a lesbian, he changed his tune and pleaded guilty to raping her. He will be sentenced next month.

Read the full article here.

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'Jose Luis Sin Censura' comes under fire; GLAAD, NHMC want FCC to shut down show for indecency violations

by Joe Flint

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the National Hispanic Media Coalition want the Federal Communications Commission to shut down "Jose Luis Sin Censura," a raunchy talk show that might best be described as a Spanish-language version of Jerry Springer's program.

"We want it off the air," said NHMC President and Chief Executive Alex Nogales, who called the show "pornography" "Jose Luis Sin Censura" is carried by Liberman Broadcasting's Estrella TV.

The show, which airs in the afternoons across the country, including on KRCA-TV in Los Angeles, often turns into a shouting match between young men who often insult each other with anti-gay slurs. Fists fly as well.

"We are put at risk by this content," said Jarrett Barrios, President of GLAAD.  "This is far and away the most outrageous and defamatory television show."

"They encourage people to go and beat up the people who are declaring themselves to be gay," Nogales said.

When guys aren't calling each other names, scantily clad women get into the act. One clip that GLAAD and the NHMC sent to the FCC shows a young woman giving what looks to be a tutorial on lap dances to the men in the studio audience.

Although some of the language on the show is bleeped, much of is not. To make things easier for the FCC, the almost 200-page complaint includes a dictionary of the Spanish words that are heard regularly on "Jose Luis Sin Censura" that GLAAD and the NHMC find particularly offensive.

Liberman Broadcasting Chief Operating Officer Winter Horton declined comment on the complaints of GLAAD and the NHMC.

Nogales has expressed concern in the past about the FCC's willingness and ability to enforce indecency regulations when it comes to Spanish programming. In a news release announcing the filing to the commission, Nogales expressed concern about a "pattern of weak FCC enforcement" against Spanish-language broadcasters.

"I think there is a question of whether the FCC is capable of handling complaints about Spanish-language programming," said Jessica Gonzalez, NHMC vice president of policy and legal affairs.

Asked for a response, the FCC forwarded examples of fines it had issued to Spanish-language broadcasters for indecent content in the past, and a spokesman said in an e-mail that the agency reviews all complaints and will take action when appropriate.

-- Joe Flint


ORIGINAL SOURCE

Flour Bluff High School Student Fights Discrimination

by Shannon Cuttle

Bianca "Nikki" Peet, a senior at Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, Texas, will head back to school today, but says she now feels afraid for her safety.

Last week Flour Bluff High School gained national attention after Peet, who has been fighting to get a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) approved on campus, was told by school administrators that she couldn't start the club. The school administration even went so far as to ban all extra-curricular activities in order to prevent the GSA from forming.

According to Peet, she wants to create a safe space not just for LGBT students and allies, but one that is  "open to all students to stop bullying for everyone and gives back to the community."

Peet says that she has been a victim of bullying and harassment at Flour Bluff High School, both for her disability and for standing up against bullying and harassment.

But even while some administrators and community members have opposed her plans to start a GSA, many others have expressed support.

"I have heard a lot of students say that they like the idea to start the GSA, that it is needed at our school, but the teachers tell me they are not allowed to talk to me about it," says Peet.

As of Monday, both the Flour Bluff Independent School District and the Flour Bluff High School website are no longer showing a listing of the student clubs for the high school, as the page now reads "error".

Paul Rodriguez, the President of the GSA at nearby Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, has been supporting Peet in her efforts to start the GSA at Flour Bluff High School. Rodriguez says that they have received support from the GetEQUAL Texas chapter and Equality Texas. The ACLU is now also in talks with Peet about next steps.

Tonight, Peet and the local Texas A&M GSA will host a community meeting open to students, parents and supporters about Flour Bluff ISD Superintendent Julie Carbajal's recent decision to ban all after-school clubs to prevent the GSA from forming. They hope to bring the community together against intolerance and discrimination.

"Other groups can disagree with the GSA or not like me because of it, but we need to respect each other and get along with each other and stand up to discrimination. Student clubs have a place at Flour Bluff High School", says Peet.

A peaceful protest has also been called for on Friday at 9am by local students outside Flour Bluff High School in support of having student clubs on campus to fight bullying.

We'll be updating this story all throughout the week as it moves along. Meanwhile, if you haven't added your name in support of Nikki Peet, urging Flour Bluff High School to allow a GSA on campus, please do so here.

Photo credit: basykes


ORIGINAL SOURCE