Talking Back

Below are some of the listener survey comments I read on the show this week, edited for space. If you are a listener to the show and haven't taken the survey please do so by scrolling down and clicking on the right. Thanks!

Casper, WY ( Sirius)
Michaelangelo, because of you my house is always clean, my dinners are always great, and my tv is hardly ever on. I pipe your show through my entire house and spend the day being productive. So my family thanks you! Unlike any other pundit, you are the perfect amalgam of political savvy and common sense. Out here in Wyoming we have NO access to current gay politics. Wyoming is the frontier of LGBT rights, and you are our pony express. Keep it up! PS: IN response to your earlier topic today, I always pictured you looking like Anderson Cooper, ten years younger with a pack of cigarettes, probably hundreds. If I had boobs I'd ask you to sign them!

Tampa, FL (XM)
Heard the show for the first time in a rental with Sirius about 7 months ago. I'm very happy it's now on XM too. I miss Randi Rhodes from Air Left but your show filled that void quite well, otherwise I would have cancelled my subscription. Thank you for being a much needed voice in radio that has been missing in these past years.

Red Hook, NY (Sirius)
I've always loved the idea of talk radio, but have until recently found it frustrating & one dimensional. As someone who was outraged with the Iraq War from the start, I was looking for an radio outlet that at least showed 2 sides of the debate. One night I was scanning the radio dial, & happened to hear that snide cackling bitch, Laura Ingraham on 4 different channels at once! That was the catalyst to try Sirius. I started listening to Sirius Left, & enjoyed the variety of voices. But once I heard your show, I knew I found my favorite progressive voice! You're informed, fair, passionate & entertaining. You've also educated me on GLBT issues, so I can win debates with my family in an informed way. Thanks for such a great show!

Banner Elk, NC (Sirius)
I count on Mr Signorile to provide in depth, unbiased news coverage--I always find that he is on top of the current events and provides the whole story. His questions of the audience are pointed and, as a result, I suffer with many "driveway" moments. Fortunately, I now have a household antenna that brings in the Sirius signal!

Irvine, CA (XM)
My car was equipped with an XM radio and I just added the subscription when I heard OUTQ was added to the XM Line up. I thoroughly enjoy Mike's show and find it very informative.

Boyertown, PA (Sirius)
I was listening a few weeks ago when you were criticizing Republicans for dragging their feet on the stimulus bill. You mentioned that we needed this now, yesterday, and did not seem to think or care about what kind of pork this bill was laden down with. Important bills that get rammed through Congress with little or no debate often come back and bite us, like the Patriot Act. When we're considering just how much more of a burden we're going to place on the shoulders of future Americans, perhaps proceeding with caution and prudence is the wisest course.

Milwaulkee, WI (Sirius)
I think you are doing a much better job of letting those who disagree with you speak with dignity.

Red Lion, PA (Sirius)
Please find a new opening. It sounds idiotic for a serious news and comment show.

Oklahoma City, OK (Sirius)
Thank you for your interesting commentaries and the news we all want to hear. I get most of my information about gay news from you and your show.

Blakeslee, PA (Sirius)
I am a new listener to your show and I really enjoy it. I am 47 years old and have learned more about politics and what's going on in the world in the past few months listening to your show than I have in my life! You do a great job of informing, challenging beliefs and presenting current events and I just want to say thank you! I will continue to listen and perhaps call sometime!!

Sun Prairie, WI (XM)
I like to hear what is going on in the GLBT community but there is so little said in the mass media it depresses me but I'm glad to have found your show.

Upper Darbey, PA (Sirius)
Truth be told, it took me about a month or so to tune in regularly to the show, only because I felt it was inundated with so much political talk. my statement is a double-edged sword though, because as much as I don't care for that aspect of the show, You're the only person on radio that I know of that takes a stance against the self-righteous, "Right-wing", and I respect that. I like when you invite callers, such as myself, to touch on the issues of the moment. I would say that's "The Signorile Show's" most redeeming quality. It makes us 'average joes' feel important, it's also intellectually stimulating, and I certainly enjoy that the most!

Bloomfield, MI (Sirius)
I like the talk, opinions, call in portions. I sometimes think things get petty, and you are preaching to the "choir." But, overall, you are doing a fine job. Who is the person you are talking to on the air - I hear a voice in the background occasionally.

Punxsutawney, PA (Sirius)
I live in a very small town and listening to your show is my connection to the community at large. When I got my satellite radio, I was absolutely thrilled to find your show. Your commentary is thoughtful and I enjoy the way you sometimes think out loud when discussing topics that are not a clear as others. I also love your blog and I find it a great place to exchange ideas and even have a lively debate once in awhile. Your show has become a very important part of my life and I make a point of checking in every weekday. I hope that you realize how vital you are to those of us who live beyond the city streets.

Clips of the Week: "We Are Not Quitters"

Our Friday feature on the show, Clips of the Week: the dumb, sometimes smart -- mostly not -- things they said all week, all put to music by our producer, David Guggenheim. This week: "We Are Not Quitters"

Today's Show: Transitions of All Kinds

3:30 ET, Transgender activist Donna Rose will talk with me about what the media has called "retransitioning" or "detransitioning," focusing on the case of LA Times sportswriter Mike Penner. In 2007 he came out as transgender, transitioned to become Christine Penner, but recently has gone back to being a man.

4:30: ET Reza Aslan: Contributor to the Daily Beast and the author of the bestseller No God but God, will join me to talk about the current state of U.S./Israeli reliations, and Israeli/Palestinian relations with new Prime Minitner Netenyahu.

C-PAC Madness: Gay Marriage Leads to Criminality

Antigay activist Matt Staver told the assembled at the Conservative Political Action Conference that allowing gays and lesbians to marry will lead to a generation of criminals. We'll get into this more from CPAC on the show today.

Wingnut: Let Babies Get AIDS

That's what yet another wingnut conservative out of Colorado says, wanted to teach women a lesson about sex in voting against a bill that would test pregnant women for HIV in hopes of preventing their babies from getting the virus:

"What I'm hoping is that yes, that person may have AIDS, have it seriously as a baby and when they grow up, but the mother will begin to feel guilt as a result of that. The family will see the negative consequences of that promiscuity and it may make a number of people over the coming years ... begin to realize that there are negative consequences and maybe they should adjust their behavior

.

Palin Filmmaker Calls Maddow a "Dyke"

On her Sirius XM radio show Judith Regan got into a heated discussion yesterday with wingnut commentator and filmmaker John Ziegler, who interviewed Sarah Palin for his hilariously-titled film "Media Malpractice: How Obama Was Elected and Palin was Targeted." He's been making the rounds from the "Today" show to CNN in recent days with his film, which includes lots of new idiotic sound bites from Palin (which we've played in recent days on the show).

I will be playing clips on my show today from Regan's interview in which the bilious Ziegler says that MSNBC has a "dyke" host, referring of course to Rachel Maddow, and calls Regan the "biggest whore on the face of the planet." Regan calls him on his misogyny but this nasty character isn't fazed in the slightest. A radio talk show host who was fired from seven jobs, Ziegler also defends Palin throughout the interview, including her "Russia" remarks. I'll play the clips in the third hour (4 ET) of the show today. Below a transcript of the offensive remark about Maddow, when Regan says there is a lack of women in the media:

Judith Regan: How about the Fox New Channel, the most misogynistic news organization...?

John Ziegler: There's plenty of women on Fox...MSNBC has one who's a dyke.

Today's Show

We spent much of the first two hours talking about President Obama's speech, and more so, the delusional and disastrous response by Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. Lots of fun!

At 4:30 ET, I'll speak with Dr. Eliza Byard, the executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network about their new report, "Shared Difference," a report on LGBT minority youth in schools and their experiences.

Obama's Speech

I'm watching Obama's speech tonite to the joint session of Congress. Let me know your thoughts. I'll be jumping in the comments.

Homosexuality = Murder?

That's what a Colorado Republican crackpot claims in the latest outburst from the mini-ayatollahs on the right. Really, there is quite a pattern developing here, with Oklahoma's Sally Kern having called homosexuality more dangerous than terrorism, state senator Chris Buttars in Utah having concurred last week and Charlice Byrd, a Georgia Republican legislator trying to stop professors from teaching about human sexuality -- including of course homosexuality -- in to full-grown adults at universities in that state. Not sure if it's their last gasp or not, but we're seeing these eruptions all over the place. The Colorado guy, State Senator Scott Renfroe, also thinks women should be serving men:

Renfroe called homosexuality an "abomination" and an "offense to God" and argued that God created men and women so they would procreate.

He compared the nuclear family structure to the Holy Trinity and, quoting the book of Genesis, said women had been created to be "helpers" for men.

Gay Bloggers Rise

This is a really good Washington Post piece on rise of the LGBT blogs, and it is largely focused on Pam Spaulding, who we had on the show just yesterday. Many listeners know I have long been a fan of Pam and her razor-sharp analysis and witty style, and I'm glad to count her as a friend. We have to take a moment sometimes and just laugh at the sheer lunacy of our enemies -- which often disempowers them further -- and Pam knows exactly how to do that.

The Wash Post piece rightly notes Pam's influence. She often does the work that LGBT organizations and gay media should be doing but works out of her home and actually has a day job. It's a testament to what really could be done:

In the past, someone like Spaulding would have been relegated to the sidelines. She doesn't work for national gay rights organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign or the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. She lives with her partner, Kate, an audiologist, in Durham, far from San Francisco, New York or Washington, where gay activism has been historically based. But now she's helping shape the agenda, one voice in a chorus of sometimes dissonant, sometimes harmonious, often in-your-face voices that is pushing established gay groups and redefining the meaning of grass-roots action in this new media age.

Today's Show: Are We Cowards on Race?

3:30 ET, Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services, a group that has operated in Los Angeles as a lifeline for LGBT youth, is shutting its doors today, having filed for bankruptcy. And its executive director may lose her home to creditors. The economic crisis is now digging deep into LGBT service groups and taking down gay leaders. Teresa DeCrescenzo, Executive Director of the GLASS, will join me to talk about her and GLASS's horrific situation, one that is likely to play out across the country.

4:30 ET Pam Spaulding of PamsHouseBlend will join me again to continue our discussion on race in the Obama era, focusing in particular on Attorney General Holder's speech last week in which he stated that we are all "cowards" when it comes to race.

Those Fab Gay Oscar Speeches

Both Dunstin Lance Black, whom we had on the show back when "Milk" first opened, and Sean Penn gave great speeches last night. Black, winning Best Original Screenplay for "Milk," spoke from heart as a young man who grew up in a Mormon household and he gave hope to so many gay and lesbian youth. Sean Penn was funny and powerful, taking a nice swipe at the right and he Prop 8 supporters.

Watching the Oscars

Yeah, no Oscar party for me this year: Hanging out, watching the awards. Thrilled to see Dustin Lance Black take the award for Best Screenplay for "Milk," was really touched by his remarks about marriage equality and growing up gay. Still waiting to see if this is the last of the wins for "Milk" or just the beginning. Your thoughts?

Talking Back

These are some of the listener survey responses I read on the show this week, posted on Saturday as usual. If you have not taken the survey and are a listener to the show, please do so by scrolling down and clicking through on the right. Thanks!


Weatherford, TX
Thank you guys for doing a great job. Please don't get too distracted by the debate over soft issues vs. hard politics. The problem is there are just as many uninformed people on our side of the fence. And they have to be forced into caring sometimes. The hard issues matter, they take time to put into perspective and they are hard to market and take time to follow. Your team here and yourself do this well and I hope you keep it up because you are "fair and balanced". (I hate that cliche!!!)

Coconut Creek, FL
It amazes me that there are people who believe that every person who is now in trouble with their mortgage deserves to drown in their debt. So many people were offered the opportunity to own property at a cost less then their rent. Rentals became even more expensive in the area I live in because every rental complex went condo. The few thay remained became so expense they made buying look even better. Most of these borrowers would have been turned down prior 2001 for poor credit or income level. It was very generous of Bush to want everyone to own a home to bad he made it impossible to keep it. It all comes down to greed and everyone is now going to pay for it.

Arlington, TX
I wish your show was on more hours, replay at different times so I could hear more of it, you have the best show, you are on top

Rochester Hills, MI
I love the show and appreciate Michelangelo's insight and the attention he pays to the facts. I feel he gives nay-sayers more than their fair chance on the show and allows them to expose the folly of their own flawed thoughts. Keep up the great work!

Crystal River, FL
Really wish the Gay Community was more uncounditionally loving as hetero-hippies were during the 1960s. I hate being cautious of any signs of snobby or conceded attitude. Wont go to Gay, Jewish synogoge because of Class distinction there as it is in West Hollywood. I have been over 35 for 15 years and am experiencing 'agism'. But I know I don't like Gays who are carelessly fat and smoke and drink alchohol excessively. So what about my undconditional love? Know I am not objective so can't demonstrate unconditional love myself. Would still like to see that vibe out there so i could catch it.

Indianapolis, IN
I like that there is a news talk show put on by a gay host that isn't just fluff celebrity news. I love that you cover real issues, even if some times you annoy me when you don't seem to be listening to the callers. There are times that I think I understand what the callers are saying and you completely don't get what they are saying. However, that being said, you provide intelligent talk, great news, good interviews, and I appreciate your work outside of your show in TV debate, books, etc. Thanks a bunch Michelangelo.

Boulder,CO
michaelingo rocks great mind and dedication

Eufaula, AL
I still can't get over you and the majority of your audience thinking that outlawing sodas in school is preferable to taxing them 18%. In other words, you and your listeners would rather have rights taken away then be given a choice. That was very surprising to me. Don't change anything; I love your show.

White Plains, NY
Just wanted to say that I truly enjoy your show. You are very down to earth and a joy to listen to as well as easy to talk with when calling in. Keep a smile on your face and love in your heart!

Carlsbad, CA
The show is well formatted and an excellent source of information for gay listeners. Keep up the great work and don't forget us out here on the West Coast. We have some important decisions being made in CA during the next few months which will impact the future of gay rights throughout the country. We depend on you as our only reliable source for this type of news. We certainly cannot depend on the mainstream media. You are extremely intelligent and I admire you for your guts!

Peterborough, NH
I love Michangelo. I'd like to hear more of you and hope you will expand your show to other media.

Esterhazy, SK, Canada
Love your show. Being a Canadian sometimes the topics aren't always as relevant to me, but I did listen to many of the programs during the Democratic race with interest. I like your straight forward style of presenting.

West Hollywood, CA
I love the show. Since you are generally lined up with my beliefs, I don't have a lot of criticism. The only "negative" I have of recent was your seemingly un-ending coverage of the Ted Haggard thing. I get it but maybe it was a bit much? I'm bored by it all frankly.

Johnson City, TN
You have a great show and you are always challenging upward. You have a sExY voice as well. :-)

Marquette, MI
Mike, every now and then you make me crack a smile or laugh. I think you have found the perfect balance between our heavy issues and a lighter angle to our life. Take care, go go go buddy.

Clips of the Week: "Can’t Afford to Leave, Can’t Afford to Stay"

Our Friday feature on the show, Clips of the Week: the dumb, sometimes smart -- mostly not -- things they said all week, all put to music by our producer, David Guggenheim. This week: "Can’t Afford to Leave, Can’t Afford to Stay"

Today's Show: Georgia's College Sex Purge

3:30 ET. I'll speak with Dr. Mindy Stombler, one of the professors at Georgia State University who has been targeted by Rep Charlice Byrd , who wants to take away state funding because Stombler teaches about human sexuality as a sociologist.

At 4:40 ET I'll speak with Scott Brison, openly gay member of the Canadian Parliament, about Obama's trip to Canada, NAFTA and conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper's (non) relationship with the LGBT community in Canada.

Losing Gay Youth Centers

And forcing LGBT leaders out of their homes! That's what this economy -- and this government -- appears to be doing now. The pioneering organization Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Services (GLASS) in LA was forced to file for bankruptcy. Terri DeCrecenzo, who I have known for many years and who founded that place and fought for LGBT youth, may now lose her home to the IRS and American Express. This is a horrible injustice, and may be just the beginning of what will happen to LGBT service organizations as things get worse:

On Tuesday, the board of Glass Youth and Family Services in Los Angeles voted to file for bankruptcy protection, unable to overcome falling state reimbursements, rising costs and dwindling donations.

“We did everything we could to keep going,” said Teresa DeCrescenzo, executive director of the organization, which offers social services to gay, lesbian and transgender youth...

...“We have held out for more than a decade against moving to a group home model with 12 beds or more because we thought smaller homes create a family environment that was better for the kids,” Ms. DeCrescenzo said. “That was a mistake.”

American Express has been calling her repeatedly, she said, seeking payment of $100,000 that has been charged to the corporate credit card for hotel rooms for teenagers who had aged out of group homes; the company is also threatening to seek a lien against Ms. DeCrescenzo’s house.

The I.R.S. also wants her house because Glass has failed to pay its payroll taxes.

“The one thing I have is my home,” Ms. DeCrescenzo said, “and now I lay awake at night thinking someone is going to take it away from me.”

Hoover Probed Jack Valenti

Fascinating piece in the Washington Post today about how the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover investigated the sexual orientation of Jack Valenti, who led the Motion Picture Association of America for many years. It was all part of the smears and witchhunts of the era by Hoover (who of course has been described in the gossipy book by British author Anthony Summers -- though it was never really proven -- to have been a gay crossdresser.) According to the Post the Republican Party too was conducting its own such "investigation" of Valenti:

Previously confidential FBI files show that Hoover's deputies set out to determine whether Valenti, who had married two years earlier, maintained a relationship with a male commercial photographer. Republican Party operatives reportedly were pursuing a parallel investigation with the help of a retired FBI agent, bureau files show. No proof was ever found, but the files, obtained by The Washington Post under the federal Freedom of Information Act, provide further insight into the conduct of the FBI under Hoover, for whom damaging personal information on the powerful was a useful tool in his interactions with presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Richard M. Nixon.

Today's Show: False Arrest of Gay Men in NYC

At 3:30 ET automotive journalist John Voelcker will join me to talk about the car companies' restructuring and now asking for money.

At: 4:30 ET Gay City News' Duncan Osborne will fill us in on the latest in the charges against NYC's police department of false arrest of men on prostitution charges in bookstores, which activists have protested over the weekend. He'll be joined by one of the victims of this police abuse, Robert Pinter.

NY Post Cartoon Compares Obama to Shot Chimp

Cartoonist Sean Delonas, who has a long history of offensive and homophobic cartoons in the The New York Post, created this racist cartoon, published in the post today, taking off on the Connecticut chimpanzee that was shot by police when it turned on its owner's friend. We'll get into it on the show today. The AP notes:

The cartoon in Wednesday's Post by Sean Delonas shows two police officers standing over the body of a bullet-riddled chimp. One of the officers says the other, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."

Civil rights activist Al Sharpton called the cartoon "troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys."

Using Your Head

The economy is bad enough that people -- precisely, 30 Californians, whose state, I don't need to add, is quickly sinking into economic turmoil -- are now shaving their heads and renting out the space. Air New Zealand calls them "cranial billboards." Would you do this? We'll get into it on the show.

Today's Show: Darwin and Slavery

Sorry I didn't post this earlier. Hard getting back into the swing of things after a day off .AT 3:30 ET I spoke with James Moore, co-author of a new book about Darwin that many of you sent me notes wanting a link on. Darwin was 200 years old last week and, unfortunately, we are still arguing about evolution. In a Gallup poll only 39% of Americans said they believes in evolution. Anyway, the book, Darwin's Sacred Cause: How a Hatred of Slavery Shaped Darwin's View of Evolution, is an important book that exposes a lot of myths.

We had good show today, lots of topics, and I want to thank everyone who called in -- very energetic -- including those who said they had guns under their pillows. What is the world coming to?

Bill Clinton's "Regrets"

We had activist Cleve Jones on the show on Friday to talk about activists' anger over Bill Clinton giving a speech over the weekend at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. The hotel has been boycotted by LGBT activists and union organizers for months because owner Doug Manchester gave $125,000 in seed money for Prop 8 and also has been involved in ongoing labor disputes.

Hundreds of activists protested on Sunday after Clinton refused to pull out, and Clinton sent his "regrets." Andy Towle has the all of the the details.

It's really pathetic that Clinton didn't just pull out or move the speech to another venue. The organizers of the trade group he spoke to would have accommodated him. He's Bill Clinton. This is just another snub in a long line of them. I'm glad to see activists out in full force. The entire Democratic establishment -- from Obama with Warren to Clinton with Manchester -- just doesn't give a damn about us. And that's because our groups have sucked up and accepted crumbs.

No Live Show Today

Taking the holiday off; a rebroadcast will air today. Back on the show live tomorrow.

Talking Back

As usual on Saturdays, below are some of the listener survey comments that I read on show this week, edited for space. If you haven't taken the survey and are a listener, please do by clicking through on the right. Thanks!

Sandy,PA
So, I tuned into my GAY radio station yesterday to find a discussion about athletes! I guess you can't escape sports anywhere! I understand why this was discussed but with all of the news in the world was it really that important? I saw the A-Rod, or whatever the hell his name is, interview on MSNBC and from what I can tell his biggest problem is intellectual and not chemical. As for Michael Phelps, it turns out he is a vapid, immature, pot smoking, jock-big shocker there. The real scandal is that these two are held up as heros and paid millions of dollars to play games.

Houston, TX
Simply love the way the show is laid out and hope you are around a long time.

Asheboro, NC
Please please please you need to talk a LOT more about the UAFA(Uniting American Families Act). It is an important piece of legislation and there are countless gay americans and their partners living in limbo every day. I'm so dissapointed that the gay community has not really gotten behind this. Marriage is important but please remember, even if equal marriage was made legal tomorrow, immigration is on a federal level and an estimated 40,000 couples would be in the same situation of not being able to sponsor their spouce or partner. It's a cruel and inhumane choice people like me who are in a binational relationship have to make. Your country or your spouse.

Kendall Park, NJ
I love Michelangelo's political mind.

Hartville, MO
Love the show-had to laugh at one of the listener responses that suggest a log cabin republican on the show -- when do these cretins realize that the reason the show is so good is that it is because it is your show and looking at things through your perspective and than opening it up for dialogue. Oh well, some people just don't have a clue.

Bel Air, MD
I LOVED your coverage of the election. I work with conservatives all day, and I turned on OutQ the minute I left work, heaving a sigh of relief that there was sanity somewhere in this world. Post-election, I've been a little less interested. I'm not overly interested in subjects that are more gossipy, like sex scandals. It is good to be reminded how prevalent sexual misconduct is among self-appointed leaders in the clergy and in politics... I just don't need a heavy dose of that. I'm bisexual. The father of my daughter died when she was very young. Years later I married another man. It isn't that I couldn't have a relationship with a woman, but since I'm married now and am monogamous, I look pretty straight. Gay life has returned to my life recently because my 14 year old daughter came out to me. She had no idea of my past. But thank God for that past, because I've been able to be much more supportive of her than straight parents generally would be. She is my heart. So, I'm interested in topics related to parenting gay children. Well, Keep Up the Great Work, Michelangelo!

La Grange, GA
I like hearing you take on the latest "newsmakers." You are the main reason I keep my Sirius radio. Please keep up the good work!

Wharton, NJ
I sometimes feel that you get off on a tangent and it becomes boring. You will repeat the same thing over and over and over. We get it. most of your fans have brains and sometimes you speak as if we are idiots.

West Branch, MI
I think that your show is awesome. You're very diverse in all subjects. And fair on all views. You give people a chance to show their points of views. Not like Rush Limbaugh (radio power freak). Keeo the great work up.

Clips of the Week: "We Need a Stimulus"

Our Friday feature on the show, Clips of the Week: the dumb, sometimes smart -- mostly not -- things they said all week, all put to music by our producer, David Guggenheim. This week: "We Need a Stimulus"

Lesbian Marriage in Arizona?

Via Towleroad: A lesbian couple was able to get a marriage license in Tucson yesterday, applying for a license as part of the national Freedom to Marry events. Unlike other couples, Sherri and Teresa were not turned away.

I will be having the happy couple on the show today at 3:30 ET.

Today's Show: Lincoln, Obama and Gay Equality

At 3:30 ET: We'll be looking back, like many, on Abraham Lincoln's life on the anniversary of his 200th Birthday. What we'll be talking about, however -- what you're not seeing in most of the media -- is his intimate life, the evidence that he was loved men, why it's important and how that would have affected his thinking on equality.

I'll be replaying some clips from my interview with historian Jean Baker, who wrote the introduction to the late C.A. Tripp's The Intimate Life of Abraham Lincoln. We'll also go through some of the points in Evan Wolfson's terrific essay on Huffington Post, which brings Obama into this: What Would Lincoln Do?

At 4:30 ET. Kellog dumped Michael Phelps after the bong photos circulated. Now Kellog seems a bit jarred by the energy of a boycott, let by groups like the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana, or Norml. I'll speak with executive director Allan St. Pierre.

Marriage Protest in New York

Hundreds of couples were turned away from City Hall when they attempted to get a licences, protesting the ban on marriage equality in New York. It's part of Freedom to Marry Day, which includes protests around the country:

Wearing signs that said "Just Not Married," the activists were part of a wave of demonstrations expected throughout the day at marriage bureaus or county clerks' offices from New York City to California, in communities large and small.

Matt Flanders, 37, of Brooklyn, participated with his 29-year-old partner, Will Jennings. Both wore gold engagement rings.

When he was denied a marriage license, Flanders said he told officials: "'I should be able to marry the person I love.' And they said, `We can only offer you a domestic partnership.'"

Mormongate

You may remember when Fred Karger of Californians Against Hate came on the show last week and dubbed the cover-up by the Mormon Church over Prop 8 funds "Mormongate." This was after the LDS church admitted it spent ten times the amount of money on Prop 8 then they'd originally stated, which clearly violated the law. Well, Karger is now filing a second complaint against the church:

“I’m calling this Mormongate,” Fred Karger, founder of Californians Against Hate, told the Associated Press. “I think there’s been a massive coverup.”

Today's Show: Obama and "State Secrets"

At 3:30 ET. The Obama administration's decision to use the Bush administrations "state secrets" privilege to cover up cases of rendition and torture rightly outraged many who believed Barack Obama when he promised a break from such policies on the campaign trail. On Monday the Justice Department stunned even the judges on the court when the administration's attorney stated that its position is "exactly" the same as its predecessor in asking that a case brought by five individuals who allege they were kidnapped in an rendition and then tortured be dismissed because it would divulge state secrets. The suit was brought against Boeing Corp., which allegedly transported the men. I'll speak with Ben Wizner of the ACLU, who represented the five individuals before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel.

At 4:30 ET: We've talked a lot about Nadya Suleman, the woman who gave birth to octuplets and has now been giving some jaw-dropping interviews that all into question her emotional and psychological stability. (And you can go and check out her website now.) Dr. Diane Sanford, President of the Women's Healthcare Partnership, who mentally evaluates women for doctors before a determination on fertility procedures is made, will join me to talk about the woman who has come to be called OctoMom.

Fort Lauderdale's New Mayor

The dementedly antigay Fort Lauderdale mayor Jim Naugle (you may remember I interviewed him, while he drove his car and talked about all kinds of sexual activities with a child sitting next to him) is thankfully being replaced. There were two openly gay candidates vying for the position, but both lost to a relatively pro-gay straight guy. Joe Jervis has the details:

The long and horrible 18-year reign of Fort Lauderdale's virulently anti-gay Mayor Jim "Robo-Potty" Naugle ended yesterday when he was term-limited out of office. Replacing Naugle will be former Florida state Rep. Jack Seiler (D), 46, (left) who easily beat two openly gay candidates, businessman Earl Rynerson and lawyer Dean Trantalis.

Seilor was opposed by the gay political group Dolphin Democrats, who published ads noting his endorsement by Jim Naugle. The legitimacy of Seiler's candidacy was questioned early in the campaign when he rented a home six blocks from his longtime home in adjacent Wilton Manors, where Seiler was mayor from 1998-2000, in order to establish residency inside Fort Lauderdale's city limits. Seiler's state legislative district included a portion of Fort Lauderdale.

Father Tony caught up with Seiler outside of a polling place and conducted a video interview. His assessment: "The new mayor of Fort Lauderdale does not suck dick, but he is not so bad. I am encouraged."

Talking Up Marriage

Activists have dubbed this Freedom to Marry week and really, it seems so simple and trite but the most important thing people can do to change people's minds is to talk to friends and family about the issue. In that respect efforts like this are a good reminder. Do your talking.

Today's Show: Bailing Out the Bailout

At 3:30 ET. After the Caroline Kennedy roller coaster and attended glamour, what better time to talk about the Kennedys -- historically -- and Hollywood? I'll be joined by Cari Beauchamp, author of Joseph P. Kennedy Presents: His Kennedy Years.

At: 4:30 ET. Is the stimulus package really enough? What to make of the newest bailout plan announced today? I'll speak with economist James K. Galbraith about the real problems with the stimulus package and just what Treasury Secretary Timothy Gaithner's new bailout plan unveiled this morning really is all about.

Learning Lessons

I thought President Obama did a pretty good job last night of laying out the stimulus plan and taking on the Republicans for their obstruction, getting back some traction in this debate. He explained complex ideas in simple terms, ridiculed the critics' attacks and laid the responsibility with Republicans if this doesn't pass, warning of "catastrophe."

It's what he should have been doing all along, but better late than never. He also talked about lessons learned, realizing he perhaps should have started with no tax cuts, knowing what they'd do in the end. Let's hope he takes that lesson to heart. These people don't want "reaching out" and bipartisanship, and we certainly shouldn't be compromising if they aren't going to budge.

Overall, I liked Obama's first press conference in terms of the difference in style from George W. Bush -- he actually knows what he's talking about -- and the way he is very deliberate and thoughtful in his answers. He came off confident, knowledgeable and at ease. He should be doing this a lot more, and I think he will. He covered a range of issues beyond the stimulus and we'll go through it on the show.

"Exactly" the Same Position

Not good. The Obama administration cites the "state secrets" privilege in calling for a rendition case to be thrown out:

Justice Department attorney, Douglas Letter, told the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that the Obama administration was taking "exactly" the same position as the previous White House in calling for dismissal of a lawsuit by five terrorism suspects snatched by U.S. agents in foreign countries and delivered to secret detention sites in other countries.

Glenn Greenwald has a lot more on Obama's 180 degree reversal.

Today's Show: Tearing Down the Reagan Myth

At 3:30 ET, Will Bunch, author of Tear Down This Myth: How the Reagan Legacy Has Distorted Our Politics and Haunts our Future.


At 4:30 ET, What happened to the promise of marriage equality in New York? Everyone thought that once the Senate and Assembly were in control of the Democrats, marriage for gays would follow. But Smith this weekend announced that the votes aren't there. Paul Schindler of Gay City News will join me to explain what happened.

More New Life Church Revelations

A Colorado Springs bail bondsman and sometime bounty hunter who has been investigating New Life Church and Ted Haggard for several years appeared on my show late on Friday and told me that he now has information on ten more cases of sexual misconduct on the part of Ted Haggard and that three of these involve minors. He also said that New Life Church had suppressed from the media an earlier case of a pastor at the church (which has many pastors under the senior pastor) who was convicted of sexual assault against a child under the age of 15 and got off easy with help from the church, only to later have his probation revoked. The convicted pastor then illegally left the country, he said, and he speculates that New Life Church may have helped him do so.

Bobby Brown, reading from what he said was a detective’s affidavit, told me that the pastor, Stephen Evans, was convicted in 1999 of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy and admitted to sexual contact with his own 14-year-old son and his own 15-year-old daughter, in a case that Brown says was somehow kept out of the media and has not been reported until now. Brown says that with the help and backing of New Life Church, Evans served no jail time at all, cutting a plea deal in which he’d agree to a “restoration” at the church – yes, just like the one that Ted Haggard went through to supposedly make him straight! – while serving five years on probation. It is likely that Ted Haggard, as senior pastor at the time, oversaw Evans’ restoration.

In 2001, for reasons that Brown doesn’t yet know, Evans’ probation was revoked. But rather than turn himself in, Evans apparently skipped the country, immediately becoming a wanted man, and apparently he is known to be in London. Brown believes New Life Church may have helped him leave the U.S., fearful that he might talk about the church.

I was able to independently confirm through the State of Colorado Court Database (there is a pdf of the document at the bottom of this post) that indeed a Stephen Michael Evans was arrested and convicted in El Paso County (where Colorado Springs is located) in 1999 of sexual assault against a child under 15 and sentenced to five years probation. In the fall of 2001, the court records show, a warrant was issued for his arrest for “failure to comply” and indeed his probation was revoked.

Brown also talked with me about Christopher Beard, a youth counselor who left New Life Church due to sexual misconduct shortly after Ted Haggard's fall. Beard ran the 24/7 program, which Grant Haas told me was like a bizarre Christian military boot camp for young men which Haggard and Beard appeared to get off on, working out and showering with the 18-23-year-old men every morning. Beard left the church amid sexual allegations, but no details were given about the gender of the person with whom he engaged in sexual misconduct. The church said he’d had sexual contact with a consenting adult, but Brown believes otherwise and explained some discrepancies to me that lead him to believe this.

Brown, now a TV personality who is one of the sidekicks on the hit A & E series Dog the Bounty Hunter, has been conducting the investigation on his own, for no money. Several times he assured me – without my asking -- that he is not doing this as part of any agenda against homosexuality (and is critical of those who are antigay) and that his interest is solely in exposing criminal activity on the part of New Life Church and its leaders: the hush money and where it came from, as well any sexual assault on minors and what knowledge the church had.

Below is a partial transcript of the part of my conversation with Bobby Brown about the ten allegations against Ted Haggard that he says he has information about, followed by a lengthier video clip of the conversation:

Bobby Brown: I am currently investigating, it's up to ten [cases of sexual misconduct that have not been reported on the part of Ted Haggard] right now...

MS: But they’ve come to talk to you?

BB: Yes, they’ve come forward --

MS: Will any of them be going public?...Will you be going public with the names, with these people?

BB: As they agree to do so, absolutely.

MS: And are any of them at that point?

BB: We are working on it right now. And I’ll be honest with you, my first move, obviously before I would go public, would be to contact our district attorney’s office and..If they’re willing to talk to the district attorney, if in fact it’s a situation that requires that, that would be the first step---

MS: Are any of these individuals underage?

BB: I am looking at probably three that I know for a fact.

MS: That were underage when this happened?

BB: Right, according to them.

Below is a partial transcript of the the part of my interview with Brown regarding the convicted former New Life pastor he says left the country, Stephen Evans, followed by a lengthier video clip:

MS: You’ve been looking into a former pastor who ended up fleeing the country to London after he was convicted of sexual assault [in 1999] named Steve Evans...

BB: I can tell you everything about that, and it’s a very interesting situation because of the fact that my bail bond company is the company that actually bonded him out of jail…I have a copy of the actual affidavit which is only one page, and if I could just read a real short portion of it, I can tell you exactly what happened.

MS: Sure.

BB: This is prepared by a detective from the police department here. It says, “I interviewed Steve Evans...He was a youth minister for local Christian organization...Steve Evans told me that in January of ‘99 he was under pain medication from a shoulder operation. Steve Evans told me that he had gone into the room of his [14-year-old] son,” -- his natural son, mind you – “laid on the floor with his son and a 14-year-old boy from the church [who had been abandoned by his parents]. Steve Evans told me that he then touched the boy [from the church] on the penis with his hand. Steve Evans stated that this was skin to skin contact. Steve Evans told me that he reported this incident to the president of the Christian organization. In another interview he blurted out that in 1989 while on a mission trip to Taiwan, he had another incident of sexual contact with a young boy. I interviewed the president of the Christian organization, Mr. Gary Black. Mr. Gary Black told me that Stephen Evans had told him of contact with the 14-year-old. Mr. Black said that Stephen stated that he was under medication, that touching did occur in the Evans home. Stephen had initially touched the child on the penis. After the 14-year-old boy had pushed him away he then returned to the boy and touched him on his penis a second time. The case was reviewed by John Newson at the district attorney’s office and found to meet requirements for filing…” They issued a warrant. But he also in a police report admitted to having incestuous contact with his 14-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter.

MS: ...What role did the church play in his parole?

BB: In the plea agreement he was sentenced to, that he would go to “restoration” and he would be treated for this problem...The exact words were “defendant would be placed on five years probation...He was to remain at the family center and participate in all offense-specific treatment for sex perpetrators and cooperate with all ongoing treatment recommendations...”

That was in 1999. On Oct 26 2001, Evans’ probation was revoked. Brown doesn’t know exactly why. Evans did not turn himself in, however, and disappeared, not having finished his requirements, including paying over $2000 in restitution, Brown said. A warrant was issued, and he at that time became a wanted man in El Paso County. He is apparently in London and Brown believes the church helped him to get out of the country.

Brown said that it’s clear that local law enforcement has been intimidated by the New Life Church and by all the megachurches of Colorado Springs, which is like the Vatican of the evangelical movement. He noted that Ted Haggard continually bragged about how he had friends in the district attorney’s office and police department.

"I'm investigating a very, very large theft case that Ted Haggard allegedly had taken care of," Brown said in support of his claim. He noted, however, that a new district attorney was recently elected and is taking a close look at the Stephen Evans case. He’s hopeful that we may well see an investigation and an attempt, perhaps, to bring Evans back from London and bring him to justice. But that would only be scratching the surface of what surely seems like a web of deceit, cover-ups and possible criminal activity at New Life Church that appears to go back many years and perhaps involves many individuals.




UPDATE: Below is a pdf of the court document. Click the image.

Ted Haggard's "Party Formula" and More

In this clip from my interview last week with Grant Haas he tells me that Ted Haggard was using drugs much more than what Haggard has implied, sometimes being high from the pulpit and traveling while doing the "party formula," which he describes as crystal meth, Viagra and poppers. (It should be noted that medical authorities have called the combination of poppers -- amyl nitrate -- and Viagra potentially lethal, as it can drop blood pressure to dangerously low levels, causing stroke, heart attack and death; several such cases have been reported.)

Haggard, according to Haas, would do his formula and connect with men online or masturbate alone for hours to gay porn. Haas describes him going and back and forth from repenting and giving up his "sin" -- including his favorite gay porn film, "Greek Holiday" -- to then going right back to his compulsive, secretive sexual behavior.

During his repenting moments, Haas said, Haggard would also try to to counsel Haas, a young man struggling to come to terms with his own homosexuality. During one such moment Haggard, Haas said, actually urged Haas to date and perhaps eventually marry his own daughter, thus trying to match his daughter up with someone he knew to be confused, like Haggard himself, about his sexual orientation.

Note: There are more clips from the Grant Haas interview here and here.



Note: There are more clips from the Grant Haas interview here and here.

Talking Back

Here are some of the survey comments that I read on the show this week, edited for space. If you haven't taken the listener survey and are a listener to the show, please do so by scrolling down and clicking on the right. Thanks!

Pittsburgh, PA
Well as a straight person i sometimes wish there were not so many "gay" issues or angles on the show - however i realize that is absurd since you are a "gay" oriented channel...i love your show and i love your political discussions.

Ann Arbor, MI
I like being kept up to date on all things political, whether they are gay or straight. I appreciate Michelangelo's interpretation and reporting of current events.

Morongo Valley, CA
I get really tired of hearing the clips of the right wingers talking on your show. I've already heard them and I don't care to hear them over and over. I usually change to Raw Dog or something else.

Simpsonville, SC
Finding the Signorile show on OutQ was like a breath of fresh air. Now I'm hooked on it and listen every day on the way home from work.

Chicago, IL
I enjoy your show, but like so many others, it's way too skewed to the left. You have an obvious agenda to turn everyone into a Democrat. That's fine, but what I'd prefer to hear is a Sirius Political show that has more than one point of view on the show. Can you imagine what kind of ratings your show would have if you included a Log Cabin Republican (or a more conservative person)? If you could control your temper, it would be the most awesome highest rated political show on Sirius. People thrive on unpredictability. Give it a shot!

Matthews, SC
I love mike! It's just great to be able to listen to points of view from my tribe! Keep doing what you do! Thank you!

Fort Lauderdale, FL
I love your political views and interviews. Sometimes I think you over simplify the difficulty of someone who has spent his whole life engulfed in the doctrines of the evangelicals to come to terms with personal sexuality if it is out of the realm of what he has always considered to be his core beliefs. I understand it is not always easy to walk in anothers shoes when you really don't even know how to lace them up.

Sacramento, CA
Love your show. One of the main reasons I kept my Sirius subscription after it came up for renewal. Your insight into things in comparison to the mainstream media is refreshing, and your ability to press the issues during an interview is admirable. Far too often do the people on the news back down from the subject at hand if the person they are interviewing deflects their interview into an irrelevant tangent in order to avoid answering the questions posed to them. Keep up the good work!

Orlando, FL
Ordinarily I enjoy the show. However, today's interview with Grant [Haas] was the worst, most boring waste of time I have ever experienced with this show. He did not sound as though he even knew anything about what he was saying and Michael sounded like he was reading from a script and prompted the kid on everything. Michael was even answering the questions and cutting off the kid. Bad, bad interview. I had to turn it off before it was over as I couldn't stand how contrived the whole thing sounded.

Aurora, ON Canada
Today's interview with Grant Haas was FAB!!!

Virginia Beach, VA
Getting more information out about the so called social conservatives...read bigots...and how to counter and keep them from calling this a christian Nation and trying to remove the Separation of church and State. and trying to make everyone "Run up the Bugle and Blow the Flag....(if you don't do that then you are not an American.....The Show is GREAT...keep up the VERY NEEDED WORK....Thank You...

Dallas, Texas
Keep up with the good work! I enjoy my Sirius radio so much that I can't drive any other way now, am a Sirius OutQ addict.

Edmonton, AB Canada
WOW i just got the news you are on 'xm' 98 WONDERFUL. my sirius is at home and 'xm' in the new '09 peterbilt i drive paid for by my boss. i missed your show but read 'the gist ' faithfully to keep up on things I LOVE YOU AND THE SHOW . if i were religous i wood say 'my prayers have been answered . but i'm not, so just hoped REALLY hard.

Brooklyn, New York
Mike I love the show, I know how incredibly hard it is to make a show flow for 4 hours a day, but you do it and do it well! I don't always see eye to eye with you but you always keep me interested. I find the show thought provoking and enjoyable, however i wish you would talk a little more about the lighter side of the GLBT life experience. You know the good stuff not the hate crimes and shit lol, Anyway keep up the awesome work!

Holt, MI
I look forward every day to the top of the hour on your show at 5:00 (EST). I am just out of work and on my way to pick up my two sons from daycare. So I am driving by myself while I get to try and recite the awesome little promo clip that goes on about "...leading you out of the cold, desolate, frozen forest of deception and into a nice, cozy blanket." Listen, I know some listeners think it's overplayed, but I really like it and consider it a treat when the whole thing is played instead of a shorter version because I am trying to memorize the darn thing. I've have big chunks of it memorized now, but I will probably have to bear a few more weeks of trying before I get it down pat.

Clips of the Week: "They Called it Ted Two"

Our Friday feature on the show, Clips of the Week: the dumb, sometimes smart -- mostly not -- things they said all week, all put to music by our producer David Guggenheim. This week: “They Called it Ted Two”

Today's Show: More New Life Church Revelations?

At 4:30 ET, I'll speak with Bobby Brown, a bail bondsman, investigator and sometime bounty hunter, who has been looking into New Life Church, Ted Haggard and a lot of the goings-on there for several years. Yes, it just gets more out-of-control as you dig deeper, and the cast of characters is interesting to say the least: Brown is one of the bounty hunters on A&E's hit series "Dog and the Bounty Hunter."

Brown has not gone public with his investigation yet -- which he is doing on his own time, and for no money -- but says he has seven more cases of inappropriate relationships between Ted Haggard and young men as well as information on other people and incidents in the church, and has agreed to come on and talk about some of the information he's uncovered.

The fact that Brown has felt compelled to investigate New Life on his own raises a question I've been asking for a while and which I'll ask him: Where is local law enforcement? Are the megachurches of Colorado Springs -- as well as Focus on the Family -- so powerful that they've suppressed the city and the state from investigating? Grant Haas's story, which we revealed much more of this week, certainly underscores that there is a lot more going on, and much of it could be criminal activity. Isn't it time for a federal investigation?

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ. Sirius 109, XM 98. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass.


UPDATE: Will post some audio or video of this interview on Monday.

Obama Expands "Faith-Based" Programs

President Obama has expanded the faith-based office Bush made into the evangelical wing of the White House, even though he criticized Bush's programs while on the campaign trail. He says it's going to be more fair and not discriminatory, and there is an openly gay person on the 25 member panel. But that is all window dressing: This program, which allowed people to discriminate against LGBT people based on their religious beliefs, should have been abolished. By keeping it in place -- and expanding it -- he allows the next president to even further blur the separation between church and state even if he doesn't:

The decision angered Democrats and civil libertarians who thought Obama had agreed with their view that Bush's 2002 executive order went too far.

"Based on what he said, we thought the issue had been resolved," said U.S. Rep. Robert C. Scott (D-Va.).

"You'll have to ask them why they think it's all right to discriminate," Scott said. He added that administration officials are "either offended by the idea of discrimination or they're not."

But Thursday's announcement surprised and pleased some religious leaders, particularly religious conservatives, who had a strong ally in Bush and had been pressing the new Democratic president to revoke his earlier promise.

On Today's Show: First Openly Trans Aide on Capitol Hill

At 3:30 ET: P.W. Singer, author: Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century.

At 4:30 ET: Diego Sanchez, legislative assistant to Congressman Barney Frank, and the first openly transgender person working as an assistant to a member of Congress.

"Ted Two"

These are two clips from my interview with Ted Haggard accuser Grant Haas, whose charges that Haggard masturbated in front of him without his consent (and sent many sexually explicit text messages to him) Haggard admitted to on "Larry King Live" last week.

The first clip is about what Haas said Haggard told him about Gayle Haggard's knowledge of Haggard's drug use and sexual activity. Haas said that Haggard told him that he and Gayle had a dildo molded of his penis -- which they named "Ted Two" -- which Gayle used to penetrate him. Some people have criticized this aspect of the story, asking why it is relevant. Others have said Haas could just as well be making it up, that it's salacious gossip, etc. Yeah, it's pretty hilarious. And yes, I honestly couldn't care less what they do together, and really, I'm happy to see she's actually enjoying herself if it's true!

But Gayle Haggard is complicit in all of this: She went on Larry King and said that "99%" of Ted's sex was with her (something I can't believe she could possibly know) and talked about all of what she described as her and Ted's wonderful sex, as well as the barren times in their marriage. She thus is talking about their sex life publicly, while she is enabling this lying, twisted, closeted freak. She is still moralizing about what is right and wrong. As far as I'm concerned, she and her life are open for discussion. And as far as Grant Haas goes, his track record so far is perfect: He's had his basic story corroborated not only by the taped phone conversations he had with Haggard, but also by Haggard admitting to Larry King that his charges were true. Haggard, meanwhile, has a track record of lying over and over again? So, who would you believe about "Ted 2"?

The second clip is about Haggard's first meetings with Grant Haas and how, according to Haas, Haggard decided he would be Haas's counselor after finding out he was "struggling" with homosexuality. This is the one where he tells Haas that as a "top" Hass can go straight because "an asshole is similar to a vagina."

I'll be posting more on Friday and in coming days.

Note: There are more clips from the Grant Haas interview here and here.






Note: There are more clips from the Grant Haas interview here and here.

On Today's Show: Civil Unions vs. Marriage

At 3:30 Michael Lux, author of The Progressive Revolution: How the Best in America Came to Be.

At 4:30 ET, Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry will join us to talk about what could be shaping up to be the next big debacle since the ENDA battle: Whether to pursue civil unions through the Obama administration -- which has backed them -- or say no, and hold out for marriage on the theory that if you settle for civil unions it will be forever before you get marriage. We'll be getting into the discussion.

Haggard's Pump 'n Go: Serving You 24/7

This is a clip from my interview with Grant Haas, the young man who came forward last week and made sexual allegations against Ted Haggard, which Ted Haggard admitted to and apologized for on "Larry King Live" last week.

But the Colorado Springs TV news station which broke the story reported only a few details -- that Haggard once masturbated in front of Haas and sent Haas sexually explicit messages, and that the New Life Church paid him hush money to stay silent about it -- and did not even remotely present the fuller picture that Grant Haas lays out, which is very much about the abuse and exploitation that has gone on at New Life Church and is likely still going on.

Haas came on my show and spoke about his relationship with Haggard in full detail and about others in the church as well as how the church responded to his allegations. It was a very long interview that stretched over an hour and a half. I've provided a video clip of one part here. I will post more audio/video tomorrow and in coming days.

In this clip we discuss the "Twenty-four/Seven Program" at New Life Church, a sort of Bible boot camp where young men, 18-23, are worked out intensely and get all cut up and muscled while also praying to Jesus, immersed in this 24 hours a day, often being woken up at all hours of the night. Haggard and another man who is described as "struggling with homosexuality" often oversaw the program, including going to the gym with the young men in the morning to work out and shower with them. They often went on training missions -- including simulated counter-terrorism missions, as Christians under attack, and you'll hear about all of that. (Please don't mind the grimaces on my face throughout: I really wasn't that shocked and disgusted about what I was hearing! We had some technical/sound issues in the studio, and I was trying to cope with those problems, on the computer and to my producers, and was pretty frustrated by them, hence some of the looks on my face). As I said, I will post more, and Pam Spaulding pretty much live-blogged the interview with a lot of details.

Note: There are more clips from the Grant Haas interview here and here.



Note: There are more clips from the Grant Haas interview here and here.

Below are some excerpts from the detailed notes of events that Grant Haas wrote in his own words and gave me, and which I used throughout the interview. He pretty much recited these statements back during the interview, as I went through them, and I'll be posting some of our discussions in coming days.

Upon first meeting Ted Haggard, after telling him he was "struggling with homosexuality":

Immediately Pastor Haggard’s eyes light up and he became very concerned. He insisted that I take his personal cell phone number and give him a call Monday morning so he could take me to lunch and discuss my problems....He began to explain that most men struggle with homosexual desires and began to regurgitate information that would be found in Alfred’s Kinsey’s sexual research reports. He described that some of his staff had strong homosexual desires, some had no homosexual desires, but most fell somewhere in the middle (the Kinsey scale of sexuality)..He began asking me questions about my sexual preferences in the bedroom. Questions about what types of sex I like (example: bondage, toys, groups, bathhouses, top, bottom, versatile, drugs). Ted explained to me that since I preferred to be in a “top” position that it would be easy to become straight because “an asshole is similar to a vagina.”

As things progressed Haggard told him about the "party formula:"

Eventually he started asking me what kinds of things I was into (oral, anal, rimming, bondage, porn, etc.). Then he began to explain a “party formula” to me. He explained that the “party formula” usually involved taking crystal-meth, poppers, Viagra, renting pornography and jerking off alone or with others. He told me that he knew a lot of people who were into this type of activity and found it very enjoyable.

Haggard would often text message Haas while Haggard was high, Haas said, which was often, including during sermons but mostly while Haggard was away:

The next weekend I started receiving text messages from him again. This time he was at LAX airport in the VIP-Red Carpet Room. He began sending me messages like “the room is spinning”, “I think I’m gonna throw up”, and “I did way too much”. He began to go into detail on how he had bought porn, poppers, and meth and that he jerked off of over two hours.

I'll have those discussions and much more tomorrow.

Note: There are more clips from the Grant Haas interview here and here.

Pam Live Blogs the Haas Interview

Pam Spaulding pretty much live blogged the interview with Grant Haas today. And she got into many of the most fascinating and twisted details.

I will post some video of it, but it is just too long to post the whole damn thing.

On Today's Show

At 3 ET: Grant Haas went public last week to a Colorado Springs TV news station with new accusations against Ted Haggard and New Life Church. But they only told a fraction of his story, which is quite stunning and scandalous. Today Grant Haas will join me to tell me further revelations and details about Haggard, New Life and others at the church.

Listen to The Michelangelo Signorile Show weekdays live from 2-6 pm ET on Sirius XM's OutQ. Sirius 109, XM 98. Not a subscriber? Not a problem! Listen online any time with a free three-day pass.

On Today's Show

At 3:30 ET, in light of the story about the women with six previous kids who now had octuplets, Naomi Cahn, author of Test Tube Families: Why the Fertility Market Needs Legal Regulation

Iceland's New Leader

You know a country is pretty socially advanced when it turns to a lesbian socialist in a time of turmoil. Two things I love almost as much as the fact that Iceland has made Johanna Sigurdardottir the first gay leader of the "modern world" (as the New York Times puts it) are the name of the gay group and it's spokesman's first name:

“Iceland is a small society, and the public knows what Sigurdardottir stands for as a politician, and that’s the only thing that is important,” said Frosti Jonsson, a spokesman for Iceland’s National Association of Queers. “Nowadays, not only does Iceland have one of the most progressive legal environments for gay people, there have also been changes in public attitudes towards gay people. It simply isn’t an issue anymore.”

Where Mike Jones and Ted Haggard Did It

While in Denver last year covering the Democratic National Convention we met up with Mike Jones, who took us to see the building and the apartment (from the street) where he and Ted Haggard had sex and where Haggard did meth. Since Haggard was back in the news this past week (and we had Mike Jones back on the show) I thought you might like to see the video, which I'd held onto from last August. I think it compliments the video I posted recently which we shot while in St. Paul at the Republican National Convention, inside the Larry Craig bathroom stall. More investigative reporting!