Jerry Curl

By Pat Bagley

The Allegator reports : Danny Chaviano is a relatively normal guy. He loves pasta. He plays piano. He pays taxes. He’s your neighbor, your classmate, your average civil engineering student. He speaks of his calculus class with an air of slight disgust, and he thinks one of the weirdest things about himself is his utter dislike of steak. But the Food and Drug Administration thinks this 18-year-old, piano-playing, pasta-eating, UF engineering student is a potential threat to blood banks everywhere. Chaviano is just one of the sexually active, gay American men who have been turned away from donating blood since 1983 when, in the light of the AIDS scare, the FDA enacted an umbrella ban on any man who has had sexual contact with another man since 1977. “I couldn’t do something for someone just because of my sexuality,” Chaviano said. “It just doesn’t make sense.” And he’s not the only one who doesn’t understand or agree with the 26-year-old ban. The ban, which also includes any woman who ha...

Thanks Vee .

Andrew Beyers as featured on DNA .

ArtsBeat reports : France’s major tourist attractions, including the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame and Versailles, could be shut down next week because of a strike over planned job cuts, the General Confederation of Labor union warned on Friday. “We think awareness is growing in all the major public institutions,” said Franck Guillaumet, who heads the culture section of the union, France’s second largest. “This includes the Louvre, the Musée d’ Orsay, the palace of Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame church.” The General Confederation of Labor and seven other unions sent a joint letter to the Culture Ministry on Thursday evening, warning that they would go on strike on Wednesday, “in all the major institutions of the Ministry of culture,” if the government pursues its plan to reduce the budget deficit by replacing only one out of every two retiring civil servants. “No to job cuts, no to reducing subsidies for public establishments, no to the financia...

As Miami Beach prepares to play host to Art Basel, one of the world's most important art fairs, gallery owners from across the globe are trying to strike the right mix of art and commerce that will not only telegraph their artistic vision but allow them to survive amid one of the steepest downturns in decades. "It's hard for small booths to attract attention,'' said James Danziger, whose gallery in the Chelsea district of New York City will be making its first trip to the Miami fair. So he's counting on unique images and compelling stories -- such as a historical Ali photograph -- to help him stand out in the crowd. "If you want people to walk into the booth you have to have something eye-catching.'' With all of its glitzy parties, wild sculptures and deep-pocketed collectors, it's easy to forget that Art Basel Miami Beach is really a trade fair. And its participants -- about 250 gallery owners and dealers -- are investing tens of thousands of ...

Adam Lambert's suggestive American Music Awards performance hasn't hurt sales of his first album. With stiff competition from a slew of holiday compilations and Susan Boyle's first album, Lambert's debut is still managing to sell well online. " For Your Entertainment " , Lambert's first album after his run on American Idol , where he came in second to winner Kris Allen, is the fifth most downloaded album on iTunes behind Lady Gaga, Susan Boyle, the "New Moon" soundtrack and John Mayer. On track to sell some 600,000 copies in its first week, "For Your Entertainment" blew away Kris Allen's debut (80,000 copies). Lambert's 14-song album is also in the top 10 of Amazon.com music purchases as the ninth most purchased album. (Via CNN )

Amid all the doom and gloom of an extinction crisis, a bit of fleeting good news appears every now and again, when a species thought gone for good surprisingly reappears. MSNBC reports : The Rabb's fringe-limbed tree frog, shown above, is one of 17,291 species threatened with extinction, according to a recent assessment of 47,677 animals and plants by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The frog is found only in the mountains surrounding the town of El Valle de Anton in central Panama. Deforestation and a fungal disease are blamed for its decline. Only one male has been heard calling in the wild since 2006, and captive breeding efforts have so far proven unsuccessful, according to the IUCN's "Red List of Threatened Species." You can read about the other species here .

Reuters reports : A Chinese city with one of the nation's highest rates of AIDS has opened a government-funded gay bar in an outreach effort that has stirred debate over the use of taxpayers' money. The health department in Dali, a picturesque city on a lake in southwestern Yunnan province, funded the bar to reach out to China's increasingly open gay community. Dali is one of the 10 cities in China most affected by AIDS. Same-sex transmission accounts for about one-third of new HIV infections in China, the minister of health said this month. "Some readers think that it's a waste of taxpayer money, or an indirect endorsement of homosexual behavior," the Beijing News said in an opinion piece on Monday, citing letters to the editor after it ran an article on the bar over the weekend. "They think if there were another way to reach out to the gay community, it wouldn't be necessary to open a bar." Founder Zhang Jianbo hopes that the bar will be a publ...

The Miami Herald reports : Hialeah Park, after an eight-year slumber, roared back to life Saturday afternoon -- attracting a crowd of 26,874 eager to watch horses once again gallop down one of the world's most famous racetracks. The packed house cheered at the 1:05 start time, followed by another boisterous shout when, once the fourth race had ended, the track's signature pink flamingos flew overhead en masse. Hialeah, a National Historic Landmark, was visibly dilapidated as recently as a few months ago. The years of closure had taken their toll, as had hurricane damage the property sustained during that hiatus. Construction crews worked around the clock to bring the luster back to Hialeah's clubhouse. For the most part, those crews succeeded, as the clubhouse Saturday charmed with its Renaissance Revival architecture, its old-timey light fixtures, and its wall monuments honoring racing greats from decades past. The restoration is still very much a work in progress, however...

Weekend Top Five: #1 The Twilight Saga: New Moon ($42.5M) #2 The Blind Side ($40.1M) #3 2012 ($18M) #4 Old Dogs ($16.8M) #5 A Christmas Carol ($16M)

Image removed by request. Dan Pera as featured on Queerty .

Cuban blogger Yoani Sánchez, who was detained and beaten a few weeks ago , posted President Barack Obama's answers to seven questions she sent him in an effort to engage in a bit of "popular diplomacy." Sánchez also posted in her popular blog, Generacion Y , seven questions to Raúl Castro, but it was not immediately clear when the questions were posed to the Cuban ruler. She wrote to the two leaders, the blogger noted, because for too long "Cubans have resigned themselves to having no one 'up there' explain or consult with us the road this island will take, so much like a ship taking on water and at the point of sinking.'' A spokesman for the U.S. State Department's Western Hemisphere department confirmed Obama had answered Sánchez's questions. Sánchez wrote that both the Spanish and English-language versions of Obama's replies were provided to her by the White House. Obama's answers amounted to a standard restatement of his administra...

A Swiss adventurer went down in the Atlantic today while trying to fly from Morocco to Spain with jet-powered wings strapped to his back. A rescue helicopter pulled him from the water and he appeared unhurt. Yves Rossy took off from Tangiers but five minutes into an expected 15-minute flight he was obliged to ditch into the wind-swept waters. "The good news is that he fine," Stuart Sterzel, spokesman for sponsors Webtel.mobi, told reporters on a beach outside this southern Spanish town, where Rossy was supposed to land. "He gave the thumbs-up sign through the door of the helicopter," said Sterzel. Sterzel said the wing malfunctioned, possibly due to engine failure, but said Rossy had deployed his parachute and landed in the water in a controlled fashion. Rossy was flown to a hospital in the southern city of Jerez for a precautionary checkup. (Via MSNBC )

ArtsBeat reports : The Fox network is raising a few eyebrows with the announcement of its winter 2010 schedule. The Hollywood Reporter said that the network will put its hit series Glee on a four-month hiatus between December and April, rather than pair the musical comedy with American Idol , which returns to Fox on Jan. 12. The hiatus is most likely to accommodate the Glee creator Ryan Murphy, who is also directing Julia Roberts in the film adaptation of Eat, Pray, Love . Fox will also move its series Fringe to Thursdays, and show the finale episode of Dollhouse on Jan. 22.

(Via Homotography )

By David Fitzsimmons

In an unprecedented gesture, Tyler Perry has pledged $1 million to the country's oldest and largest civil rights organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "I feel so honored and blessed to be in a position where I can give," said Perry. "Had it not been for the perseverance and vision of the thousands who came before me in the 100 years of this legendary organization, I would not be in the position I am in today." The millionaire and creative force behind the "Madea" film franchise and plays, as well as executive producer of this season's likely Oscar contender, "Precious," represents the mission of the NAACP at work, said Chairman Julian Bond. "Tyler is a courageous pioneer in bringing positive images of African American culture and struggles to the screen. His remarkable journey from poverty and childhood abuse to become one of the world's most successful filmmakers and entrepreneurs is an in...

CNN reports : President Obama said Monday that the U.S. needs to restore the nation's leadership in educating children in math and science to meet future challenges, and he announced a new Educate to Innovate Campaign. In the U.S., a major challenge is to revive the interest, opportunities and abilities of students in math and science, Obama said. American students rank 21st in science and 25th in math compared with students around the world, he said, putting U.S. at a disadvantage on vital issues such as medicine, energy and security. The Educate to Innovate Campaign seeks to bring together teachers, parents, businesses and even the "Sesame Street" gang to promote math and science learning, Obama said. So far, the private sector has committed $260 million to the campaign, and corporate giants, including Intel, Xerox, Kodak and Time Warner Cable, have signed on, the president said. Specific programs include a two-year initiative on "Sesame Street" to teach kids ...

Google Inc. is apologizing for a racially offensive image of the first lady that appears at the top of the list when users search for pictures of Michelle Obama on its site. Google placed a text ad above the image titled "Offensive Search Results" that states "Sometimes our search results can be offensive. We agree." Users who then click on the ad are directed to a letter from Google that explains its results "can include disturbing content, even from innocuous queries" but notes that Google doesn't endorse content on these Web sites. Google says its search formula relies on thousands of factors to rank a Web page's importance, and says it doesn't eliminate search results simply because of user complaints. However, Google says it will take down images in certain cases, such as when required by law to do so. "We apologize if you've had an upsetting experience using Google," the company wrote. (Via MSNBC )

Steve Routhaus reports : Wire Magazine, Equality Florida and Unity Coalition will hold a vigil Wednesday evening on Lincoln Road in memory of Jorge Steven López Mercado (left), the 19-year-old Puerto Rican found decapitated on Nov. 13 and Jason Mattison (right), a 15-year old gay boy recently raped and murdered in his aunt’s Baltimore home. The official press release reads: Hate Crimes Vigil to be Held in Honor of Murdered Gay Teens In Memory of Jorge Steven Lopez & Jason Mattison WHAT: On Saturday, November 13, 2009 police found the burned, beaten, dismembered and decapitated body of a gay 19-year old by the name of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado. Due to his homosexuality he had been brutally murdered by a 26 year-old father of four. To make matters worse, the lead investigator publicly stated to the media that as someone who chose to live this lifestyle, Jorge should have expected something like this to happen. Unfortunately Obama’s latest hate crimes legislation has resulted in the ...

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Jorge Rossi as featured on Made in Brazil .

Ali had Frazier. Coke has Pepsi. The Yankees have the Red Sox. Now Wal-Mart, the mightiest retail giant in history, may have met its own worthy adversary: Amazon.com. In what is emerging as one of the main story lines of the 2009 post-recession shopping season, the two heavyweight retailers are waging an online price war that is spreading through product areas like books, movies, toys and electronics. The tussle began last month as a relatively trivial but highly public back-and-forth over which company had the lowest prices on the most anticipated new books and DVDs this fall. By last week, it had spread to select video game consoles, mobile phones, even to the humble Easy-Bake Oven, a 45-year-old toy from Hasbro that usually heats up small cakes, not tensions between billion-dollar corporations. Last Wednesday, Wal-Mart dropped the price of the oven to $17, from $28, as part of its “Black Friday” deals. Later the same day, Amazon cut its price, which had also been $28, to $18. “It’s ...

Complaints poured in Monday about Adam Lambert's sexually charged performance at the American Music Awards, including criticism of his kiss with a male keyboard player that was left out of rehearsals for the show. ABC did not expect one of Lambert's dancers to stick his face in the singer's crotch during the S&M-themed performance of "For Your Entertainment," a moment that was cut out when the awards show was broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on the West Coast on Sunday. During a rehearsal last week that an AP reporter attended, Lambert thrust a male dancer's face toward his crotch, though the dancer did not get as close to Lambert in the rehearsal as he did on Sunday night. At one point during rehearsals, Lambert also caressed a male dancer's upside-down face, but he kept his hands off the dancer's cheeks Sunday night. "A lot of what I do is kind of freestyle," the singer told The Associated Press last week about the routine's choreo...

Adam Lambert's For Your Entertainment Lady Gaga's Fame Monster Shakira's She Wolf Rihanna's Rated R

The NYT reports : President Obama said today that he will announce his decision on how many more troops to send to Afghanistan next week, and that it is his intention to “finish the job” that began with the overthrow of the Taliban government in the fall of 2001. Mr. Obama, offering a tantalizing preview of what looms as one of the momentous decisions of his presidency, said he would tell the American people about “a comprehensive strategy” embracing civilian and diplomatic efforts as well as the continuing military campaign. While he avoided any hints of the new troop levels he foresees in Afghanistan, the president signaled that he will not be talking about a short-term commitment but rather an effort muscular enough to “dismantle and degrade” the enemy and ensure that “Al Qaeda and its extremist allies cannot operate” in the region. Mr. Obama said he would talk about the “obligations” of America’s allies in fostering peace in Afghanistan, and that the United States would be acting n...

Writes FreshJive : "Pre-releasing on Black Friday is the tee shirt design, 'Hope is Fading Fast'. This is actually the first item releasing without the Freshjive brand name on it. Read the recent post on the World's Got Problems blog regarding how the Obama administration is maintaining continuity with its disgraced predecessor." (Via Towleroad )

Weekend Top Five: #1 The Twilight Saga: New Moon ($143M) #2 The Blind Side ($34.1M) #3 2012 ($26.4M) #4 Planet 51 ($12.3M) #5 A Christmas Carol ($12.3M)

ABC News reports : Vampire romance movie The Twilight Saga: New Moon raked in $26.3 million at North American box offices in midnight showings, breaking the record set by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince , studio officials said today. Box office analysts expect the widely-anticipated New Moon to make around $100 million in its opening weekend, Friday through Sunday, including the midnight screenings. The $26.3 million places the film at No. 1 on the all-time list of top box office grosses for midnight screenings in domestic markets, said Summit Entertainment, the independent studio behind the film. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince made $22.2 million in midnight screenings when it was released this past July.

Nicholas Baggetta as featured on Queerty .

(Via Queerty )

The University of Miami has received a $2.4 million gift from a private organization to enhance its prestigious Cuban Heritage Collection housed inside the Otto G. Richter Library at its Coral Gables campus. The gift comes from The Goizueta Foundation and will go to expand the reach of the collection. The foundation is named after the late Roberto Goizueta, a Cuban-born businessman who served as CEO and chairman of the Coca Cola Co. in the 1980s and '90s. Goizueta was an early benefactor of the Cuban Heritage Collection, one of the largest collections of Cuban and Cuban diaspora materials in the world. It includes rare books, manuscripts, photographs, maps, architectural drawings, prints, broadsides, posters, audio visual materials, newspapers and journals and other materials. Part of the grant will also establish the Richter Library'sFellowship Programs in a partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences to attract students and scholars and cultivate the use of the unique c...

Towelroad reports : In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Adam Lambert discusses the OUT magazine controversy that erupted earlier this week when editor Aaron Hicklin ripped Lambert and his handlers in an editor's letter for wanting to avoid being perceived as "too gay" in his interview or cover shot for the OUT 100. Lambert says he's responsible for managing his own image and that Hicklin "crossed a line" with the letter: I’m not being puppeted around. I didn’t want to jump onto a gay magazine as my first thing, because I feel like that’s putting myself in a box and limiting myself. It was my desire to stay away from talking about certain political and civil rights issues because I’m not a politician. I’m an entertainer. That is not my area of expertise. I can talk about relationships and personal experiences because as an artist those things involve writing lyrics and that part of my process. But I didn’t feel comfortable talking about the March on Wa...

Several hundred gay activists rallied yesterday afternoon in Puerto Rico to demand a robust prosecution in the brutal slaying of a gay teenager nearly a week ago. Juan A. Martinez Matos was charged at a hearing Wednesday with first-degree murder and three weapons violations in connection with the killing of 19-year-old Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado. The teen's decapitated, dismembered and partially burned body was found Friday afternoon on a road in central Puerto Rico. Bail has been set at $4 million, court documents show. The slaying has reverberated through the gay and lesbian community in Puerto Rico and the United States, where supporters started a Facebook page called "Justice for Jorge Steven Lopez -- End Hate Crimes." The group demands an investigation by Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno and prosecution of the case under the federal hate crime law. Puerto Rico's gay community is asking authorities to investigate whether the slaying was a hate crime, said Pedro Julio...

The New York Post reports : The queen of daytime TV will announce today that she's ending her long-running talk show in 2011 -- after 25 years -- when her current deal expires. Oprah Winfrey will make the announcement on today's show. Signs that Winfrey was gearing up to leave -- including the launch next year of her cable network, OWN -- have been around for months. "I don't believe this is the last we'll be seeing of Oprah's talk show -- I think she'll be doing it on [OWN]," said industry analyst Marc Berman of Mediaweek. Ratings for the show, while still strong, took a hit last season, and Winfrey was expected to take a cut in fees if she continued her show beyond 2011. Still, she seemed to be pulling out all the stops this season to pump life back into her show by grabbing an interview with the elusive Whitney Houston, shocking viewers with a glimpse of chimp-maul victim Charla Nash, and having a hugely anticipated talk with Sarah Palin, whose visi...

Jeff Tomsik as featured on Queerty .

Chaz Bono opened up for the first time on live television to talk about the transformation from Chastity to Chaz, and Chaz's new life as a man, in an exclusive interview with Good Morning America . Bono, a LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) civil rights advocate, journalist, author and musician, began the gender-changing process earlier this year, following his 40th birthday. His publicist announced Bono's decision to undergo gender reassignment in June. "I always felt like the male from the time I was a child," Bono told Entertainment Tonight in October. "There wasn't much feminine about me. I believe that gender is something between your ears and not between your legs." Bono has undergone breast removal surgery and began taking hormones to alter his appearance. The overall process, however, reaches back nearly a decade, Bono said. "It was just a long process of being comfortable enough to do something about it. I was turning 40, and I thou...

A thousand and one apologies for not writing about this in due time. Sometimes there's so much to cover, we forget about the basics. In any case, three Jerry Curl favorites released new albums this week and we thought it only appropriate to let Jerry Curl readers know. We've purchased all three and have to say, we're far from disappointed. Not to discredit the other two, but Norah Jones' fourth studio album is the highlight of this trio of heavy hitters. The album, an instrumental departure from her previous efforts, is melodic perfection. The songs "Young Blood" and "I Wouldn't Need You" are quickly racing to the top of our iTunes favorites list. Please check these song out and the rest of the albums. The music industry will never die with remarkable artists like these. Norah Jones' The Fall John Mayer's Battle Studies Leona Lewis' Echo

(Via Socialite Life )