Haggard Faces New Gay Sex Accusations

Glenn Beck calls on 1,000 religious leaders to break law

(NEWSER) - Hundreds of pastors are trying to goad the IRS into a political battle over free speech from the pulpit, the New York Times reports. Organizers of tomorrow's Pulpit Freedom Sunday are urging pastors to flout a law that prohibits tax-exempt churches and other charities from political campaigning. Sponsored by the conservative Alliance Defense Fund, the event has been promoted by Glenn Beck, who is calling on 1,000 pastors to partake. “There should be no government intrusion in the pulpit,” says one. More»

Sean Hayes certainly isn't the first gay actor to play straight

(NEWSER) - Inspired by the controversy Newsweek stirred up when it ran a review slamming Sean Hayes’ portrayal of a straight man in Promises, Promises, CNN offers up a list of 13 actors who have played roles counter to their actual sexual orientation:

• Portia de Rossi: Played it straight on Ally McBeal before anyone knew she was gay, and has continued to play straight roles since coming out—including the flirtatious Bluth sister on Arrested Development.
• TR Knight: His Grey’s Anatomy costar Isaiah Washington famously made a homophobic slur against openly gay Knight, who played a straight doctor on the show.

Bloodsuckers of today just want to fit in

(NEWSER) - A cultural obsession with vampires usually coincides with changing sexuality, writes Stephen Marche. The vampire is a realized sexual other—whether an aristocratic libertine or an AIDS victim—with the human characters representing the mainstream. Usually, the normals have killed the other, but our current vampire moment is different: Whether in Twilight or True Blood, the vampires are often the most normal characters. More»

(NEWSER) - The hallelujahs are strained in US churches these days as donations plunge at the same time demand for aid is skyrocketing, reports the Wall Street Journal. Congregations across the nation are slashing budgets and even laying off staff, including pastors. Churches and synagogues usually weather downturns well, but not this time. "There has been significant tightening of budgets," said Rabbi Elliott Kleinman, spokesman for the Union for Reform Judaism, which represents some 900 congregations. "People have less money to give." More»

(NEWSER) - Claims that sexual orientation can be changed through therapy have no scientific credibility, finds a new report by the American Psychological Association. The group reviewed 83 journal articles published over several decades and found that many studies purporting to show successful changed sexuality "contain serious design flaws." The APA tells mental health professionals to instruct their patients that they cannot change their sexual orientation—already the widely held consensus. More»