Friday Whitey

Soon-to-retire Martina Navratilova writes in to People magazine this week to urge Lance Bass to use his celebrity to become a pioneer for gay rights. In his own People coming out story, Lance has said he doesn't only want to be connected to gay issues.



Idol can't carry tune, Timberlake says

Justin Timberlake backtracked from criticism of American Idol winner Taylor Hicks after telling Fashion Rocks magazine in New York the soul singer, 29, "can't carry a tune in a bucket."

"I have a strange relationship with that show," Timberlake tells the magazine in an interview. "I despise it, and yet I'm completely fascinated."

"The guy who won -- people think he looks so normal, and he's so sweet, and he's so earnest, but he can't carry a tune in a bucket. Do you realize how much pressure it is to put on somebody all of a sudden?"

Timberlake, 25, a member of boy band 'N Sync who is now pursuing a solo career, also said: "If he has any skeletons whatsoever; if, God forbid, he's gay, and all these people in Mississippi who voted for him are like, `Oh, my God, I voted for a queer!' It's just too much pressure."

Liz Morentin, a representative for Hicks' record label, RCA, declined to comment Thursday.

Ken Sunshine, Timberlake's representative, said the singer's comments "were taken completely out of context."

"He has tremendous affection for Taylor Hicks' success," Sunshine told The Associated Press on Thursday.


Entertaining gay Israeli troops

A gay Jewish porn star is to visit Israel at the end of the month to show solidarity with the country and perform and entertain for the gay community as well as raise awareness of gay issues.

New York-based Michael Lucas who is the owner and star of Lucas Entertainment will be in Israel from August 29 to September 4 where he will be performing a live show with free admission to Israeli soldiers.



Saudis Reportedly Arrest 20 At Gay Wedding

Saudi police are reported to have arrested 20 men at what officials say was a "gay wedding" in the town of Jizan.

The arrests were reported in the Al Watan newspaper. International human rights groups are attempting to confirm the report.

According to Al Watan 400 men were attending the event - some dressed as women .

Police detained 250 people, later releasing all but 20 of them the paper reports. It also says that some of those arrested were using the drug khat.

Getting precise information out of Saudi Arabia is often a difficult procedure and accusations of homosexuality are frequently used to round up opponents of the government.

Shari’a law, as interpreted and enforced in Saudi Arabia, allows sentences ranging from imprisonment and flogging to death for “deviant sexual behavior.”

In the past several years there have been a number of reported mass arrests at "gay weddings" in various parts of the country, but little official information has been released on the outcomes of trials.



Joan Rivers searches NYC for perfect gay sidekick

Entertainment legend Joan Rivers has been scouring New York for the perfect gay man to co-host her new TV series.

The untitled project for Bravo has generated gossip among the better-off gay residents of Manhattan.

One of those who auditioned for the coveted role told the New York Observer: “It was as if they took all the notable gays in the city and brought them in.”

There were three rounds of auditions - the first were held on West 54th Street, famous as the location of legendary 70’s club Studio 54. Aspiring presenters were asked to pose for a picture and fill out a form - questions included ‘what three things could you not live without?’

Rivers is in fact looking for three gay co-hosts, but the format of the show is a secret. Famous faces to audition are rumoured to include Jim McGreevey, who resigned as governor of New Jersey after admitting an affair with a male employee.

Weathermen, MTV presenter Johnny Hardesty and prominent bloggers are also among the hopefuls. Final auditions were held last week and a pilot will now be made.

The series, tentatively titled ‘Can We Dish?’ is just the latest in River’s long television career. She has been a fixture of American entertainment since the early 1960’s and is renowned for her humorous bitching.

Her fashion reports from the red carpet of Hollywood events have cemented her icon status among American gay men, which might explain the levels of interest the Bravo series has created among New York’s A-list gays.

“What I thought about when I was there was how my parents would react,” commented a hopeful who didn’t make it to the finals.

“What would they say to their friends: ‘Of all the gays in the world, our son is the gayest’? I can literally imagine my mother saying that.”