Australian Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham comes out

Australian Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham came out to the media for the first time on Saturday, in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald. He’ll be the first openly gay athlete from Australia to compete in the Olympics:

“The gold medal hopeful’s journey has not been easy. Those close to him have seen Mitcham, 20, battle depression, retire in his teenage years after physical and emotional burn-out, then nine months later resume his sport and build himself into the champion he is today. One person who has been by his side for the entire tumultuous journey is his partner, Lachlan. ‘We can’t afford for Lachlan to go at the moment,’ Mitcham said. ‘But Johnson & Johnson offer grants to go to Beijing and I’ve nominated Lachlan as the support person I want to go.’ It’s not only Lachlan who has helped Mitcham to Beijing. His coach, Chava Sobrino, had faith in him when no one else did and resurrected his career. Former athlete Sarina Bratton cares for him like a son and fellow diver Alex Croak is a constant sounding board and his best friend. ‘That little support network has made my dream possible,’ Mitcham said. ‘It would have been impossible and I probably wouldn’t have made it without their help.’”

Written by TechStickle on May 28th, 2008 with 1 comment.
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The Least Shocking Hollywood Hook-Up of the Year

ABC just released pics of Kevin and Scotty’s wedding on the upcoming Very Special Episode of Brothers & Sisters, and we’ve got ‘em for ya. Last time we reported on the upcoming gay wedding finale, Luke MacFarlane hadn’t come forward yet to publicly announce that he is gay. Now it’s all the more wonderful to see these pics … oh damn, we always cry at weddings!

“Prior Commitments” - Kevin and Scotty make a commitment to be life partners, Saul finally deals with his identity in a public way, and the family discovers that William (guest starring Tom Skerritt) kept yet another painful secret from his family, on the season finale of “Brothers & Sisters,”

Written by TechStickle on May 27th, 2008 with no comments.
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Celebrities Speak Out About Same-Sex Ban Overturn!

Here comes the bride, da da da da. And, Oh look! Here comes the other bride! It’s true, Ellen and Portia plan on making it official. Taking advantage of the new CA ruling overturning the ban on gay marriage, Ellen announced to the audience of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that she was engaged.

After a long ovation she joked, “Thank you. I’ll tell you who the lucky guy is soon.”

Celebrities are speaking out on the decision by the California Supreme Court to overturn the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Ellen Degeneres: “I’m thrilled that the California supreme court overturned the ban on gay marriage. I can’t wait to get married. We all deserve the same rights, and I believe that someday we’ll look back on this and not allowing gays to marry will seem as absurd as not allowing women to vote. P.S. I’m registered at Crate & Barrel.”

T.R. Knight: “Our ‘certain inalienable rights’ are protected today. It makes me proud to live in a country that works to correct its sins.”

Melissa Etheridge: “I feel they have made an honest woman of me. What a wonderful blessing for us and the gay community. We’re moving forward. It makes me feel happy for the whole human race that we are finally getting out of our differences and coming together and we are putting this all behind us.”

Chad Allen: “I have to say I was completely shocked at the level of emotion of my own reaction. It’s not that I didn’t care, it’s just that I didn’t know that I cared that much… I’m thinking about getting married. I am in love with my partner, deeply madly in love with him, and though I am not ready to propose yet, it is in there.”

Written by TechStickle on May 23rd, 2008 with no comments.
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Ben Barnes is Prince Caspian in the Chronicles of Narnia

Rising star-to-be Ben Barnes appears in The Chronicles Of Narnia. Ben played the part of Dakin in The History Boys in 2005. Here he is chatting up Orlando Wells’s Irwin (asking for a blow job I recall).

Written by TechStickle on May 23rd, 2008 with 1 comment.
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George Takei To Marry Partner Brad Altman!

Actor George Takei (Mr Sulu in Star Trek, later Heroes) has announced that he would be marrying his longtime lover, Brad Altman, this summer. This comes after California overturned its same-sex marriage ban.

Takei, 71, took to his official blog to announce this good news. Check out what he had to say:

“Our California dream is reality. Brad Altman and I can now marry. We are overjoyed! At long last, the barrier to full marriage rights for same-sex couples has been torn down. We are equal with all citizens of our state!

The California Supreme Court has ruled that all Californians have a fundamental right to marry the person he or she loves. Brad and I have shared our lives together for over 21 years. We’ve worked in partnership; he manages the business side of my career and I do the performing. We’ve traveled the world together from Europe to Asia to Australia. We’ve shared the good times as well as struggled through the bad. He helped me care for my ailing mother who lived with us for the last years of her life. He is my love and I can’t imagine life without him. Now, we can have the dignity, as well as all the responsibilities, of marriage. We embrace it all heartily.

With time, I know the opposition to same sex marriage, too, will be seen as an antique and discreditable part of our history. As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy remarked on same sex marriage, ‘Times can blind us to certain truths and later generations can see that laws once thought necessary and proper, in fact, serve only to oppress.’

For now, Brad and I are enjoying the delicious dilemma of deciding where, when, and how we will be married. Marriage equality took a long time, but, like fine wine, its bouquet is simply exquisite.”

Congratulations to the happy couple! Isn’t it just great that everybody can now marry the one that they love in California? California just became even better!

Fantastic Mr Sulu. I hope your gay marriage is as successful as ours.

Written by TechStickle on May 20th, 2008 with 1 comment.
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Australia accepts gay unions not straight symbolism

In Australia marriage is for one man and one woman. It is not for two men or two women, unless one is no longer a man or woman. A woman born a man may marry a man, as long as he remains a man, and she keeps taking her hormones.

The only way gays may marry in Australia is by sex-change, a rather extreme declaration of love, and anything that even “mimics” marriage is likewise banned.

The federal Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, said last week his government would make 100 or so changes to tax, social security and other laws to stop discriminatory treatment of gay couples. The changes are welcome and enjoy bipartisan support. But he has scuppered civil unions.

“We don’t support a measure that mimics marriage,” he told The 7.30 Report, which sounds a lot like: “you’re not welcome in our marriage club, and don’t start one of your own.”

That notable gay-rights activist, George Bush, said in 2004: “I don’t think we should deny people rights to a civil union, a legal arrangement, if that’s what a state chooses to do.”

But the Rudd Government is doing precisely that, forcing the ACT to water down its second attempt at introducing civil partnerships, and making things tricky for its senior minister, Penny Wong.

In 2006, Wong said the Howard Government was more extreme and conservative than Bush for having the Governor-General invalidate the ACT’s first attempt. When asked this week whether her government was too, she concentrated on the 100 changes.

Meanwhile, Labor does “positively encourage” a nationally consistent system of relationship registration, an unfortunate term more often used for dogs, although there’s no proposal to microchip gay couples.

McClelland said such a system might be for more than gay couples. It might be for financially dependent carers, or good friends or two firemen who pretend to be gay to get benefits (as in last year’s Adam Sandler comedy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry).

This wider net is more palatable to the religious right, as the qualification moves from bonking to banking. It also increases the potential cost to taxpayers if it means Chuck and Larry, for example, qualify for the family Medicare Safety Net.

Both registration and civil unions would qualify couples for almost-equal treatment, but civil unions look like weddings. Ergo, they are bad.

The ACT Attorney-General, Simon Corbell, thought the attitude to civil unions would change with the government. In December, Kevin Rudd said this issue was for the states and territories. But Rudd’s government has since decided to mimic its predecessor, and heavied Corbell to water-down his plan. It vowed to again override the legislation if he didn’t.

Written by TechStickle on May 17th, 2008 with 1 comment.
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Gay Weddings in California Finally

Finally, California’s supreme court ruled today that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to wed.

In a 4-3 decision that flies in the face of public opinion in the state, the court found said there was no legally justifiable reason why the state should withhold the institution of marriage because of a couple’s sexual orientation, and that domestic partnerships were not a suitable substitute.

The court rejected arguments that marriage should be preserved for heterosexual couples on the basis of tradition. Citing a 1948 case overturning a ban on interracial marriage, Chief Justice Ron George wrote in his opinion that “history alone is not invariably an appropriate guide for determining the meaning and scope of this fundamental constitutional guarantee”.

“Our state now recognizes that an individual’s capacity to establish a loving and long-term committed relationship with another person and responsibly to care for and raise children does not depend upon the individual’s sexual orientation,” the chief justice wrote.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Republican governor of California, has twice vetoed legislation that would have granted marriage to same-sex couples, but said in a statement he respected today’s decision and “will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn this state supreme court ruling.”

Written by TechStickle on May 15th, 2008 with no comments.
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Benjamin Godfre White Speedos

Tom Cullis certainly knows how to coax out the best in a boy! In this case favourite hunk, Benjamin Godfre in his white speedos!

Go Ben go!

Written by TechStickle on May 11th, 2008 with no comments.
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Boris Johnson is our new Night Mayor

I cant believe Londoners voted for Boris Johnson. He is going to be our worst night mayor.

According to pollsters Ipsos Mori, the congestion charge topped the list of reasons for dissatisfaction with Mr Livingstone. I cant help disagee with most people then. I think the congestion charge is great. The roads are now much freer of through traffic, which was causing not only congestion but the worst air quality in Western Europe.

Also safety and crime and the health service were the top priorities for improving London as a place to live. Right now as I write this there is a shooting on the Kings Road. There is a helicopter above our apartment. I cant get to the Queens Head to play Trivial Pursuit with Jacquie Dee tonight! So much for a great fight on crime Boris. I feel less safe than ever.

Written by TechStickle on May 7th, 2008 with no comments.
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