9/11 Widower Ted Olson Supports 'Ground Zero Mosque'

After an extended discussion of the Prop 8 ruling, Andrea Mitchell asks attorneyTed Olson, whose wife Barbara was killed in 9/11, how he feels about the Park51 controversy.

Olson agrees with Obama that it should not be blocked:

"We don't want to turn an act of hate against us by extremists into an act of intolerance for people of religious faith."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP... 

In related news, Howard Dean is saying just the opposite, calling it an "affront to people who lost their lives."

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Watch: Courage Campaign's Rick Jacobs Confronts Anti-Gay Marriage Crusaders Brian Brown, Bishop Barry Jackson

Courage Campaign was the group behind the wonderful work done by NOM Tour Tracker, exposing the National Organization for Marriage's 23-city hate-a-palooza tour. 

Rick Jacobs, the founder and chair of Courage Campaign, showed up at NOM's final stop in D.C. and confronted two of marriage equality's biggest foes, NOM executive director Brian Brown and Stand 4 Marriage D.C.'s Bishop Harry Jackson.

Brown quickly became snippy and frustrated by Jacobs, eventually walking away and snapping that Jacobs was "talking over" him. Jacobs' conversation with Jackson was surprisingly civil, and Jackson left with the impression of Jacobs as "a very kind gentleman."

Watch both clips, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #715

RUPERT MURDOCH: Hypocrisy.

THE ED SHOW: Cenk Uygur and Keith Boykin discuss Barack Obama and Democrats' refusal to lead on gay marriage.

FLIPPING THE BIRD: A BBC weatherman gets caught.

SWEAT: A mini-doc on Finland's sauna championships.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

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News: Casey Spooner, Imperial County, Fred Karger, Uganda

More on Manhattan's rising big gay 42nd street resort.

Obama raises $1 million for Democrats, snarls L.A. traffic.

Some beautiful macro photos of eyes. (via kottke)

Big Brother contestant Lane rubs one out in the house shower.

Gay GOP presidential candidate Fred Karger requests meeting with Republican National Committeeman Steve Scheffler: "In May, Scheffler — who also serves as president of the Iowa Christian Alliance — sent an e-mail to Karger telling him he would 'work overtime to help ensure that your political aspirations are aborted right here in Iowa.' The reason, Scheffler said, is that Karger is part of the 'radical homosexual community.'"

Hayden Christensen discusses his sheep farm on Jimmy Kimmel.

Tim Gunn to play himself on Gossip Girl.

Who knew Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a natural woman?

Google CEO Eric Schmidt on the havoc Facebook is wreaking on privacy: "He predicts, apparently seriously, that every young person one day will be entitled automatically to change his or her name on reaching adulthood in order to disown youthful hijinks stored on their friends' social media sites."

More True Blood Rolling Stone photos.

California's poorest country steps into Prop 8 fight: "Because the county issues marriage licenses, county officials say, it has standing other Proposition 8 proponents might lack. The county tried unsuccessfully to intervene in district court, but is still trying. It is joining Proposition 8's main proponents in appealing Walker's ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals."

Michael Musto: Regent Media is holding my book hostage.

Sink: American Apparel sees heavy losses; Abercrombie shutting 60 stores.

Ted Nugent fined for killing young deer on reality TV: "Rock and hunting icon Ted Nugent has agreed to pay a $1,750 fine after pleading no contest to charges stemming from a reality show appearance where he used illegal methods to kill a young deer. 'They watched him appear to shoot a spiked buck, which is an illegal buck to take, because it's too small. And he had it right there on television, and it wasn't live, it was taped,' Foy said."

Scientists: Male and female ability differences not genetic.

Casey Spooner wants your help to go on tour with the Scissor Sisters.

D.C. gay bar EFN Lounge closes abruptly. Portland, Oregon's Egyptian Club closing.

Flight attendant takes custody of child mid-flight after observing its mother slap it.

Uganda's First Lady speaks out against homosexuality: "In God's word, homosexuality attracts a curse, but now people are engaging in it and saying they are created that way. It is for money The devil is stoking fires to destroy our nation and those taking advantage are doing so because our people are poor."

Edinburgh teen admits to extorting £87,700 from gay chat line users: "Kelz Sutherland threatened to expose the conversations of men using adult and gay chat lines to their friends, families and employers if they failed to hand over substantial sums of cash. Sutherland, 19, pled guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to nine charges of extortion dating from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2009."

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Barry Winchell's Parents: Repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Barry Winchell was murdered 11 years ago at Fort Campbell, Kentucky as a result of harassment that was allowed to escalate to violence after another soldier had heard a rumor Winchell was gay.

Winchell's parents, Wally and Pat Kutteles, have posted an editorial at CNN urging the Senate to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell":

"DADT amounts to an endorsement of harassment and discrimination. It says to other service members that gays in the military are second-class citizens, that they are not worthy of the respect dictated in the Army's values. Those who assert that the law serves to protect gays in the military are wrong -- it corroborates the fears and bigotry of those who are anti-gay. Worse, it encourages those who are prone to violence to act on their rage. Our son could be with these brothers and sisters in arms today, but he was taken from us just as he was beginning to realize his dream. He was a quiet, compassionate and strong young man -- the kind of dedicated soldier our country needs as we fight two wars. Nothing will replace him. Nothing will take away the pain that haunts us to this day."

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Watch: Australian Gay Marriage Parody of the Old Spice Commercial

As you may know, Australia is going through its own marriage equality battle too.

The new election comedy show Yes We Canberra just did this parody of the Isaiah Mustafa Old Spice commercial highlighting the refusal of both major political parties in Oz to support gay marriage.

"You're on a boat, with the man your man can't marry."

Watch it, AFTER THE JUMP...

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