'Dallas,' 'I Dream of Jeannie' star Larry Hagman, son of Broadway's Mary Martin, dies at 81

The Dallas Morning News reports that Larry Hagman, J.R. Ewing and son of Broadway legend Mary Martin, has died of cancer complications at 81.

From The Dallas Morning News:

“Larry was back in his beloved Dallas re-enacting the iconic role he loved most,” his family said in a written statement. “Larry’s family and close friends had joined him in Dallas for the Thanksgiving holiday. When he passed, he was surrounded by loved ones. It was a peaceful passing, just as he had wished for. The family requests privacy at this time.”

Click here to read the complete DallasNews,com report.

IGLHRC: 'Proposed Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill is a Vicious Attack on Human Rights'

News release from The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC):

The "Anti-Homosexuality Bill" was re-tabled before the Ugandan Parliament in February 2012. Rebecca Kadaga, Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament, has promised to pass this bill as a Christmas gift to Uganda. The bill now appears on the Parliament’s order of business, following the discussion and consideration of legislation related to oil production in Uganda. The provisions of the bill range from years of imprisonment and high fines to risk of life imprisonment or the death penalty. The bill was first introduced in 2009. Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), a Ugandan non-governmental organization, has vehemently protested re-introduction of the bill.

Statement from Damian Ugwu, Regional Program Coordinator for Africa, IGLHRC

"The Ugandan government has an obligation to promote and protect the human rights of its population without distinction of any kind, including sexual orientation or gender identity. The Uganda anti-homosexuality bill is therefore a vicious attack on human rights of sexual minorities in Uganda. The bill, if passed, will surely incite hatred and specific acts of discrimination, harassment or violence against anyone suspected of being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. We must raise the questions: Why is the Ugandan parliament bringing this legislation forward at this time? Whose interests does it serve?"

See Also: Statement of Protest: Anti-homosexuality Bill in Uganda, Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG)

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), founded in 1990, is a leading international human rights organization dedicated to improving the lives of people who experience discrimination or abuse on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. We are dedicated to strengthening the capacity of the LGBT human rights movement worldwide to conduct documentation of LGBT human rights violations and by engaging in human rights advocacy with partners around the globe. We work with the United Nations, regional human rights monitoring bodies and civil society partners. IGLHRC holds consultative status at the United Nations as a recognized Non-Governmental Organization representing the concerns and human rights of lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender people worldwide. For more information about the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission visit: www.iglhrc.org.

Celebration Sundays and Bear Nation to raise money at Chalk for male breast cancer foundation

From Michael M:

Michael M, Tony Lima, Jei, Robert Greening and Paolo Pincente present Celebration Sundays.
The Get Together Edition. As Celebration and Bear Nation get together to celebrate '' YOU''.

Music by Birthday boy DJ Smeejay and Pabel Lima.
Complimentary vodka cocktails 8 to 9 pm.
Donate 10.00 to the John W Nick Foundation and get vodka cocktails from 10 to 11.
Crunch Gym providing fabulous raffle prizes benefiting the foundation.
Half off all gaming all night.
And as if that wasnt enough, $4 draft beer, $ 6 vodka cocktails.
$ 5 pong for half hour. $ 10 pool for hour all night.
Check out our pop up shop with mens jewelry by Punked by a Angel, Bear Nation t shirts, art by P .Stephen Urdahl and Lichi supplement giveaways.
And for all you studs, sign up to be a model for Playgirl.com

Black Friday video | Judy's Holiday - A PunchyPlayers Extra

Hat tip to The Judy Garland Experience:

From PunchyPlayers: Black Friday madness as Judy and Ann wait for sales on hot items.

Anti-gay-rights lawsuit against Madonna dismissed in Russia

BY MAX SEDDON AND IRINA TITOVA, ASSOCIATED PRESS

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- A Russian court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit that sought millions of dollars in damages from Madonna for allegedly traumatizing minors by speaking up for gay rights during a concert in St. Petersburg.

The ruling came after a one-day hearing that bordered on the farcical. During it, plaintiffs claimed that Madonna's so-called "propaganda of perversion" would negatively affect Russia's birthrate and erode the nation's defense capability by depriving the country of future soldiers. At one point, the judge threatened to expel journalists from the courtroom if they laughed too much.

In the end, the Moskovsky district court in St. Petersburg threw out the Trade Union of Russian Citizens' lawsuit and the 333 million rubles ($10.7 million) it sought from the singer for allegedly exposing youths to "homosexual propaganda."

Madonna did not attend the trial, and her publicist Liz Rosenberg said Thursday the star wouldn't comment about it.

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