On October 30, 26-year-old Burke Burnett was attacked by three men at a private Halloween party in Reno, Texas. The undeniably vicious attack appears to have been motivated by anti-gay bigotry.Late last week Burnett was informed by the Lamar County District Attorney’s Office that his attackers will face hate crime charges. more ›

On Tuesday, a house panel considered bills that would decriminalize homosexual sex in Texas. Supporters testified on HB 604 and HB 2156, both of which would remove so-called homosexual conduct from Texas' penal code. Currently, homosexual sex is consider a Class C misdemeanor, though it's not usually prosecuted due to its lack of Constitutional merit. According to the Tribune, Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, and author of HB 2156, said the U.S. Supreme Court had nullified similar state laws because of the equal protection clause in the Constitution. Coleman's bill would also amend part of the Health and Safety Code that says homosexual conduct is not an 'acceptable lifestyle,' in sexual education materials." Coleman reported: “The idea of someone saying something is a lifestyle is offensive to most people because it's an orientation, not a lifestyle,” Coleman said. “If you ask people from the GLBT community, they will tell you it is not a lifestyle, it's who they are.” Congrats to the house for considering basic, consensual sexual privacy as a legal practice, shame on us for still debating whether or not that's ok. more ›

• Dude in North Dallas can’t be homecoming queen, because the high school won't let him run for the office.
• Head found in suitcase. Sadly, this is real life on the border, not a horror movie.
• Houston kids have Radio frequency identification tags in their school badges! It’s the same technology used to track cattle.

Bear Nation, a SXSW Emerging Visions documentary, explores the big, hairy, and oh-so-happy (read: real, laid back) gay subculture of Bears. The film features a slew of candid takes on body image, acceptance, and ultimately finding a way to go easier on yourself to take full advantage of this life. Yes, the documentary about the burliest of men is surprisingly touching and we still get to hear about what gets them off -- the best of both worlds! We sat down with Director Malcolm Ingram (Small Town Gay Bar) and music icon/documentary interviewee Bob Mould (formerly of Hüsker Dü and Sugar) mere hours before their world premiere to discuss the draw of niche groups, the fur of foreign lands, and why you shouldn't use the phrase "pick up on" in questions about gay communities. more ›

• This seems safe: child at the FAA directs pilots on runway.
• DC becomes 6th jurisdiction to allow same sex unions.
• Another major earthquake. This time, Taiwan.

• Report cites violations in the raid of Ft. Worth's Rainbow Lounge.
• APD fusion center has many worried about privacy.
• Arrest made after South Austin home invasion.

Some may recall the incident that occurred in El Paso in late June, where five gay men were ordered to leave a Chico's Tacos restaurant by security guards because two of the men kissed each other. When they refused to leave, the police were called. A rookie officer arrived on the scene and cited a Texas sodomy law that had been struck down in 2003 by the United States Supreme Court. more ›

Contributing to a worthy cause can be fun when there's a drink special and a party soundtrack. That's why Project Transitions brings their summer party Red Hot XVIII to Oilcan Harry's this Friday night. The 18th annual party benefits people living with HIV/AIDS through the foundation's various programs. more ›

On the heels of arguably the most successful Austin Pride yet, the festival's organizing body has found itself entangled in an ugly conflict between its now-former president and the board of directors. more ›

Photos of this year's Pride festival, which took place last weekend. more ›

One Community, One Pride is a fitting theme for this year’s Austin Pride, which takes place this weekend. In previous years, Equality Texas handled the Pride Festival while the Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce handled the Pride Parade. But in 2008 the two groups worked together to host the events on the same day. Further proving the efficiency of the gay community, this year’s combined event was organized by the community via the Pride Coalition, an AGLCC program that includes seven representative LGBT organizations. more ›

Freakshow-A-Go-Go began in Portland last May and is intended to reclaim freakshows as an empowering art form where performers can express their freakiness without being objectified ... freakily. The show will feature an extensive list of gender-bending talent from around the country performing live music, puppetry, burlesque, acrobatics, dance, and comedy. Fourteen performers have been confirmed, including a pre-show featuring the 1920s musical stylings of WinoVino and the professional clowning of Schave & Reilly. PJ Chavez of “Live! From PantsuitLand” fame will take on hosting duties in her usual retro pantsuit and visor. more ›

The California Supreme Court today ruled in favor of upholding Prop 8, the gay marriage ban whose campaign was financed largely by religious zealots (including several here in Travis County) and fueled by public misconceptions and outright lies. Understandably, the internet's become a shitstorm of outrage and general disbelief, with many on Twitter echoing the previously silly but increasingly logical declaration that Iowa has somehow become more progressive than the Golden State (no offense meant to Iowans). more ›

What began in 2006 as an equal parts homecoming for the new season and fashionable fundraiser has grown into something of a tradition for the festival, the largest of its kind in the southwest. Like in past years, this year's BLOOM culminates in a raffle where one lucky boy or girl will drive away in a brand new Subaru of his or her choice (valued up to $24k)—as only up to 2,000 of their $20 raffle tickets are to be sold, the chances of winning are significantly better than, say, winning American Idol. Guests at BLOOM also get to enjoy an open bar while checking out a sampling from some of the films to be screened at this year's festival. more ›

Boys who wish they could have taken a boy to prom and girls who wish they could have taken a girl now have the chance to relive that night. Hell, even girls who took gay boys to prom hoping to at last be disrespected have one more chance to get it right—local nonprofit Out Youth will be hosting an Alternative Adult Prom this Saturday night at Adora Hall. This prom gives GLBT adults (as well as straight supporters) the opportunity to travel back in time for the ultimate high school dance. more ›

Austin’s longest running drag king troupe, Kings N Things, will be returning to Elysium tonight to celebrate their seventh year of professional gender bending. The troupe has taken their female-to-male drag show on the road to events across the country, performing alongside top drag performers while selling out local shows at the Off Center and the Blue Theater. more ›

• Mexican swine flu spreads to U.S., Europe
• ZOMG, we're doomed part 2: Swine flu dampens hopes for economy
• Obama health team hampered as flu hits

• The Barbara Jordan statue at UT was unveiled today.
• Austin as the capital of New Texas?
• Rep. Mark Strama has an anti-bullying bill this session; Equality Texas wants your help to get it passed.

Kiss and Fly, the new gay nightclub in the Warehouse District, was packed to the gills on opening night. Despite the signage inside attesting to the contrary, the lines outside were massive—not surprising, given that legendary drag queen RuPaul was in attendance to kick things off, which she did with her trademark flair. Though not much actual dancing took place in the space where VICCI used to be—save for the nearly-naked hired dancers (boys and girls), whom guests were happy to ogle—we're attributing it to the standing-room-only crowd and resulting long lines at the bars. more ›

Israel hit the UN refugee agency in Gaza earlier today, then said that was a "grave mistake." Roland Burris officially takes Obama's Senate seat today. Bishop Gene Robinson talked to Rachel Maddow last night about Rick Warren and the Inauguration (video). I think the argument that this is a failed presidency is just dead wrong": Dick Cheney, we will miss you not a bit. Apple's Steve Jobs taking medical leave of absence. Oakland transit shooting leads to former cop being charged with murder. Ricardo Montalban has died. more ›

In the case of less-than-stellar Detroit rapper Christian "Trick Trick" Mathis, the shtick his handlers chose was a raging case of homophobia. more ›

From the online version: more ›

The dozen or so speakers at the rally, including representatives from Equality Texas and "straights for gays" alliance Atticus Circle, supplanted vitriol with grace and tact. Instead of an angry backlash against those who supported California's Prop 8, the focus was on family, respect, and the need for our entire community, regardless of sexual orientation, to demonstrate to others that the only "gay agenda" at hand is, simply and genuinely, to be granted the right to love. more ›

In the midst of the impending transformation that most of us celebrated on November 4th, the inhumane passage of Prop 8 saddened a nation already geared up for progress. But on Saturday, we have the chance to participate in a national uprising that could help overturn Prop 8 – thus promoting a generous leap toward real equality for the whole country. Bring your signs, banners, and friends to City Hall at 12:30 p.m. this Saturday, and don’t forget to send out the call to allies across state lines. Demonstrations are scheduled in every state in America on Saturday, so make sure everyone you know is aware that their protest will be heard. [More info] more ›

Visiting Asia, South America and Europe in one night could seem like a rather daunting task to someone without some sweet teleportation skills or a bankrolled time machine. Even if you could make it to all three, you would probably not have the minutes or digestional fortitude to sample the multitude of tastes that each place has to offer. Luckily for us, all of these worries will be whisked away on Sunday, October 25th by Lovexotic, a night of sounds, sights and savoriness, hosted by our fave Indian eatery The Clay Pit. more ›

Another Capital Metro bus rider was severely assaulted last Friday afternoon in North Austin, and this time there's reason to believe that the attack may have been a targeted hate crime. more ›

An Austin institution in itself, the annual Red Hot fundraiser benefits local nonprofit Project Transitions, which provides hospice and housing services for individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS in Central Texas. Seventeen years in the running, tonight's Red Hot returns to Oilcan Harry's with a massive gala that promises to surpass even last year's event, which had the distinction of being named Best Independent AIDS Fundraiser in the Austin Chronicle Best of Austin Critics Picks. more ›

If you're interested, drop us a line (editor at austinist.com) with your basic bio (keep it short!) and a writing/photo samples (keep it short!). We'll get back to you in the next couple of weeks if there's a match! more ›

In an effort to put to rest the debate over whether Austin has an actual gay and lesbian community, eight prominent LGBT organizations today announced the formation of the Pride Coalition. The unifying entity is, in many ways, largely an effort to eliminate some of the petty squabbling over resources and public attention that many of these groups often found themselves caught up in. It also hopes to better promote the various community volunteer efforts that take place throughout the year. more ›

“Then wolves will live in peace with lambs. And leopards will lie down to rest with goats. Calves, lions and young bulls will eat together. And Reverends will profess their love for leather culture.” The above spin on a few verses from the Book of Isaiah pretty much sums up the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival’s stellar opening festivities. As expected, there was a strong sense of community that only increased throughout the... more ›