New research reveals–not surprisingly–that female writers, directors, producers, etc. fare better in the world of indie films–though still make up only about 24% of the field.

KRS-ONE says hip-hop needs more women. I’m not sure what happened to female rappers. We used to have Queen Latifah, Lil’ Kim, MC Lyte, where’d everyone go?

In its first weekend, the Michael Jackson documentary This Is It grossed over $100 million dollars across the globe, with 21.3% of it coming from the U.S.

A gay man in Karachi, Pakistan was beaten to death after being caught with another man in his home by an angry mob.

Oprah says audiences may not “enjoy” the gritty Lee Daniels film Precious but she says people will appreciate the experience.  The film opens on November 6.

West Hollywood, a gay hotspot in California, is trying really hard to reach out to gay and lesbian tourists in order to boost revenue for the city.

Black comedian Wanda Sykes is being criticized for using white sperm to impregnate her white wife–the couple now have two white babies.

Are the Bonobo apes riot grrls? An article about whether the primates known for living in an unusually matriarchal structure are feminist friendly.

Jack Price, the gay man whose bashing by two thugs in Queens, NYC three weeks ago was captured on surveillance video, left the hospital yesterday following six days in a coma, six days on a respirator, and four surgeries. He lost the vision in one eye.

Here he speaks to local news about his attack, which he says he never wants to see the video of, and comments on the allegations that the men beat him because he was soliciting for sex.

Delibrately spreading misinformation, Christian extremist Pat Robertson discussed the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd, Jr. Hates Crimes Prevention Bill on The 700 Club, saying “The noose has tightened around the necks of Christians to keep them from speaking out on certain moral issues.”

The most hilarious part is that he seems to be blithely unaware of the fact that religion (including Christianity of course) is already covered under the federal hate crimes bill and has been for some time now. Beyond that, there’s language in the bill that already protects religious leaders from speaking out against homosexuality. Just a boat load of ignorance all around.

This is huge, people! The first pro-gay federal legislation in history! Equality, here we come.

As I’m sure many of you know by now, after years of trying to get federal hate crimes legislation passed that includes sexual orientation, Congress has finally passed the bill and now it heads to the President’s desk for him to sign. Here on CNN Corey Johnson and Dan Savage discuss the significance of this bill passing.

A male reporter embarrassed himself and George Clooney at the Venice Film Festival when he removed his shirt and proclaimed he wanted George to “take him now”.

Matt Damon and Steven Soderbergh talk more about “The Informant”, the film where Damon had to gain 30 lbs to play a man who blows the whistle on his company’s price-fixing scheme.

A gay man in Thunder Bay, Canada was brutally beaten by six to eight men with bricks, and will now require reconstructive surgery to deal with the damage done to his face.

Openly gay Representative Barney Frank is eyeing a position in the Obama cabinet.  I doubt it will happen, but if it did he’d be the first gay person ever in the Presidential cabinet.

Ntozake Shange was slated to write and direct the film adaptation of her play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, but now Tyler Perry has stolen the entire film from her.

Female UK prison officer wins case against correctional facility she claims treated her unfairly for being young, female, and pretty.

More tour dates have been canceled for homophobic Jamaican singer Buju Banton.  One of his most popular songs talks about shooting gays and burning their bodies.

Proud, admitted homophobe Tim Hardaway is now working hard to save gay lives.  He says “we don’t have to accept the act, but we have to accept them as people.” How generous of you.

A gay man in Ontario is now needing reconstructive surgery after being attacked by at least 6 men with bricks.

John “Jake” Raynard suffered 15 fractures to his cheekbone, a broken eye socket, a broken jaw and a broken upper palate when six to eight men surrounded him near a North Cumberland Street business. Raynard, 30, and two friends were smoking outside of a bar after last call when a man approached them for a cigarette. The three friends walked away from the man after he became aggressive. Raynard said as they walked toward the Water Street Bus Terminal a group of males followed them shouting derogatory comments about their sexual orientation.

“It was like they were waiting in the woodwork,” said Raynard, who is gay, from his hospital bed. “The crowd just seemed to get bigger.” One of the men grabbed Raynard’s friend and started choking him. Raynard said he struck the man that was assaulting his friend and then began yelling at the group to try and scare them away. “I managed to fend off six to eight people by yelling long enough to get them (Raynard’s two friends) into a cab,” said Raynard. Once his friends were in the cab, Raynard said the group surrounded the taxi, preventing him from getting in.

He decided to run through a nearby alley towards a local restaurant instead, grabbing a brick for self-defense as the men chased him. “I was screaming loud enough to wake up six blocks,” said Raynard. “How did nobody hear me?”

No arrests have been made.  When will this ever stop?

Another tragic ending for a gay youth.  An 11 year old Massachusetts boy has killed himself after having been bullied with anti-gay slurs at school.  The school thought it’d be smart to force him to eat lunch with his bully.  Guess that worked out quite well.

What do you do when you’re an Orthodox Jew and an out homosexual?  Well for some young people, these two things are not at odds with each other.  The Jewish Exponent profiles some intriguing men and women who are as proud of being gay as they are of being Jewish.

Miss Britney Spears reportedly walked off stage during her Vancouver concert and kept the crowd waiting for 30 minutes before returning because too many people were smoking pot in the audience, which caused a “ventilation issue” with some of the crew members.

NPR’s Robert Kulrich has done some research that indicates the sales of men’s underwear is a good thermometer for the state of the economy.  And according to recent figures, there’s been a steep drop in 2008, which obviously tells us what we already knew.  We’re fucked.

Harvard Law student takes Barney Frank to task on his role in the fledgling U.S. economy.  Frank was dismissive of the young man’s supposedly “loaded” question but the student went on FOX News’ Greta von Susternen’s program to continue discussion of the issue.

A gang of men robbed and attacked two gay men on separate but consecutive occasions in Florida.  One of whom is currently in a coma, and the other suffered a head injury but was able to go home from the hospital not long after checking in.  Right now they are being investigated as robberies, not hate crimes.

For the first time the President has invited LGBT families to the White House to take place in the Easter Egg Roll, an event that’s taken place since 1878.  The tickets were distributed to various gay rights organizations, and they decided which families to invite to the event.