MEN ARRESTED FOR RAPING 5 OTHERS AND INJECTING HIV+ BLOOD INTO VICTIMS

In what sounds like a sex-party gone bad, Dutch police arrested 4 men following an incident where 5 victims allege they were drugged, raped, and injected with HIV infected blood.

According to Towleroad:

At least five men who claim they were raped at a Dutch gay sex party led authorities to arrest four others, two of whom have confessed to intentionally injecting men with HIV-infected blood. Police also arrested two others, one for his alleged involvement in the rapes, and another for selling a "considerable amount of drugs" including ecstasy and GHB.

District police chief Ronald Zwarter talked to the Associated Press about the incidents, which took place in the northern city of Groningen. Said Zwarter: "The suspicion is that, at these parties, they had unsafe sex with people they had drugged, and also that these people were injected with infected blood. The motive to do this was the 'kick,' and the feeling that unsafe sex is 'pure'."

According to the AP, "Prosecution spokesman Paul Heidanus said Thursday that the two who confessed would face charges of rape and "premeditated severe assault, which carries a maximum sentence of 16 years in prison. He said they would not be charged with attempted murder 'because of a Supreme Court ruling that found AIDS should no longer be seen as an inevitably fatal disease, but rather a chronic illness,' Heidanus said."

Routers reports: "Police began investigating the gay parties after receiving tips, some from AIDS groups. The police confiscated several liters of GHB, sometimes known as a 'rape drug' used to make people unconscious, as well as thousands of ecstasy pills, photographs and other evidence. A court in Groningen on Wednesday ordered the suspects to be held in prison for at least 90 days."

According to a police statement, all the victims said they thought they had been infected with HIV: "The victims said they had had been made helpless or unconscious and then abused. They had ... involuntary and unsafe sex with one or more of the suspects."

Authorities said there may be both further arrests, and more victims out there.

"FRASIER" STAR DAVID HYDE PIERCE COMES OUT OF CLOSET

David Hyde Piece, star of the top-rated and long-running TV comedy Frasier, has finally come out of the closet.

After Elton reports:

A publicist for David Hyde Pierce yesterday confirmed for AfterElton.com that Pierce is gay and in a long term relationship with Brian Hargrove, a writer/producer/director in Hollywood. Speculation had long swirled around the actor who found fame playing Niles Crane for twelve years on the long running sitcom Frasier.

Pierce had frequently been asked about his private life, but always declined to discuss it. In an interview in the fall of 1993, a reporter for Emmy Magazine asked Pierce about the issue and was told, "Basically, I don't talk about my personal life." That was the stance he continued to adhere to over the years.

However, in a recent interview with the Associated Press about his newfound success on Broadway, Hyde did briefly address the topic as he explained that he had first come to Los Angeles in the early 1990's "when his partner, actor-writer-producer Brian Hargrove, wanted to write for television."

The mention of Hargrove didn't appear until sixteen paragraphs into the interview. No other details of the men's relationship was given.

Given that Pierce had long been so reluctant to discuss his private life, we wanted to confirm that Hargrove was in fact Pierce's life partner and that the two men didn't simply have a business relationship. That led to the phone conversation with the star's publicist for Curtains, in which Pierce is currently starring. The publicist did confirm that Pierce and Hargrove are a couple.

For many in the New York and Los Angeles acting communities, the news was not a surprise as Pierce had reportedly long lived an openly gay life, including hosting parties in their L.A. home. The Houston Chronicle reported in August of 2006 that the two men held a benefit piano recital for Stephen Hough in their Spanish revival manse. No mention was made of their relationship.

The situation is reminiscent of that surrounding recently out actor Neil Patrick Harris, also widely rumored to be gay by those in the industry before he chose to come out.

In fact, Pierce was so open in certain circles that the actor was recently mentioned in Out Magazine's controversial article, "The Glass Closet: Why Stars Won't Come Out and Play". Michael Musto, who authored the article, quoted Pierce as having once said, “My life is an open book, but don’t expect me to read it to you."

Pierce had, however, apparently made fleeting references to his personal life having reportedly once referred to his partner during a radio interview. But whenever doing large, mainstream press, he continued to decline to publicly out himself.

Shortly after the Out article, Pierce appeared on The View and made no mention of his relationship with Hargrove. Nor did he do so in a recent interview with Broadway.com.

Since Pierce has been so reticent about his private life (until today, both Wikipedia and IMDB report Pierce as living in "Los Angeles with his two Wheaton terriers, Emma and Mable"), little is known about his partner Brian Hargrove. What is known is that Hargrove is a writer, producer, and composer, having worked on shows including Caroline in the City, Dave's World, and as executive producer on Titus.

While Pierce was not out publicly, he did donate time and money to a variety of AIDS organizations as well as other causes including Habitat for Humanity, the National Mental Health Association, and various Alzheimer's organizations, a disease from which both his father and grandfather suffered.

HASSELBECK WANTS RECONCILIATION WITH ROSIE O'DONNELL

Rosie O'Donnell's current nemesis Elisabeth Hasselbeck went on the air Tuesday to proclaim she wants to bury the hatchet with her former "The View" co-host.

E! Online reports:

While Rosie O'Donnell, now a former cohost of The View, said in a video posting on her blog that she didn't envision speaking with Elisabeth Hasselbeck any time soon in light of last week's politically charged dustup, Hasselbeck was back on the air Tuesday suggesting that a reconciliation was still in the cards.
Hasselbeck said that she and O'Donnell were "in communication a lot," although she didn't specify just how she and her left-leaning ex-colleague were keeping the lines open.
"This weekend gave us the opportunity to tackle our most important hot topic yet, and that was the power of forgiveness," Hasselbeck told the audience today. "And so now that enables us to move on in a very positive way...I'm very happy about that."
(Translation: Rosie is out, so let's get on with the show.)
Meanwhile, O'Donnell said on her Website Saturday that she wrote Hasselbeck an email, who in turn wrote back—and that was it.
"I haven't spoken to her, and I probably won't," O'Donnell said, "and I think it's just as well."
The View's elder stateswoman, Barbara Walters, who wasn't there for the on-air shenanigans that Joy Behar so desperately tried to moderate, then reassured the audience that she had emailed O'Donnell over the weekend and that they remain "close friends."
O'Donnell, whose persistent outspokenness and opinionated banter had been very good for the ratings this past year (especially after she and Donald Trump got into it), will always be welcome as a panelist on the show any time, Walters added.
The chattiest of the four chat mavens had been set to leave The View when her year-long contract ran out at the end of June, but instead expedited her departure after her latest war of words with her conservative counterpart, in which each accused the other of acting cowardly when it came to their political allegiances.
First, O'Donnell got on Hasselbeck's case last Wednesday for not defending her earlier in the week when some conservative critics accused her of comparing U.S. troops in Iraq to terrorists, calling her cohost "cowardly" for saying nothing in her defense.
Hasselbeck then fired back by saying that she was not on the show to fight O'Donnell's battles for her and that she did what she felt was right by asking O'Donnell to take the time to further explain her remarks.
"I'll tell you what's cowardly," Hasselbeck said. "Asking a rhetorical question—that's cowardly."
The total exchange lasted about 10 minutes before producers finally cut to commercial.
O'Donnell then had a scheduled day off on Thursday; however, she ended up calling it quits for good and never came back.

OFFICIALS INVESTIGATE ALLEGED GANG-RAPE OF GAY BRITISH PARATROOPER BY FELLOW SOLDIERS

A group of elite para-recruits is being investigated for the alleged gang-rape of a fellow gay paratrooper.

The Sun reports:

Shocking mobile phone footage obtained by The Sun shows one of the gang pinning down the victim in their barracks as another attempts to rape him.

Amid laughter and cheering, others egg the attackers on to commit horrific sex assaults — and are heard taunting the screaming private for being “gay”.

At one point, one of the mob laughs straight into the camera lens before walking away (pictured above).

A major inquiry began after a horrified mother was shown the footage by her soldier son and alerted military police.

One soldier told how the booze-fuelled late-night incident in a Catterick Garrison dormitory was so loud it woke squaddies in neighbouring rooms.

He said: “If this doesn’t horrify top brass, I don’t know what will. The victim is clearly in agony, crying out with pain.

“Those involved seemed to think it was hilarious, but most in the platoon who’ve seen the footage are sickened and appalled.”

The scandal will send shockwaves through the Army after a ten-month inquiry into alleged bullying cases at the North Yorks camp ended last year with no charges.

And it will shame those among our finest soldiers in the elite Parachute Regiment — motto “Ready For Anything”.

The platoon, which is divided into four sections, is due to be sent to Afghanistan in April after completing combat training.

The graphic two-minute video shows one trainee paratrooper violently assaulting his semi-naked victim, who is bent over a table and held down.

It ends with the private, who The Sun is not naming, curled on a bed groaning in agony and crying, “Help me” while the laughing soldiers goad him.

It has been sent between soldiers’ phones at the base.

At least six men are seen, either joining the assault or jeering, with the “cameraman”.

Paras in the 50-strong elite Tamera platoon at the centre of the investigation have already been quizzed.

Those involved in the alleged attack are trainees in their early 20s and had been hand-picked for the Paras due to their promise as elite soldiers.

One man in the platoon said the attack took place in the early hours after recruits had been out drinking in nearby Darlington late last month.

He said: “People heard the screaming but ignored it, assuming it was just horseplay.

“But what happened stepped way over the boundary. It began as a joke but by the end you can hear the lad is in agony.

“After a while, officers were alerted and military police called in. The main soldier seen in the film is terrified he’ll be charged."

The whistleblower, who is in Section Three of the platoon, said: “These are people going to war zones in our name.

“They are supposed to be the best of the best and show self-discipline. If they cannot show restraint here, God alone knows what they might do when there is less supervision.

“Top brass need to come down like a ton of bricks.”

An Army spokesman said: “An alleged incident recorded on a mobile phone is being investigated by the RMP. We are not prepared to comment on the allegations.”

UPDATE: ROSIE O'DONNELL SPEAKS OUT-WILL NEVER TALK WITH HASSELBECK AGAIN

Comedian and TV-hostess Rosie O'Donnell now says she will likely never talk with former co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck following an acrimonious on-air shouting match last week, that led O'Donnell to announce she would not be returning to finish out the last 3 weeks on her contract.

According to CNN:

The former host of the ABC daytime chatfest says in a video blog posted on her Web site that she has never tried harder to be friends with someone, but she doesn't think she succeeded with Hasselbeck.

"I haven't spoken to her, and I probably won't, and I think it's just as well," she said. "I wrote her an e-mail, and she wrote me back, and there you have it."

The fight ended a colorful eight-month tenure for O'Donnell that lifted the show's ratings but no doubt caused heartburn for show creator Barbara Walters. O'Donnell feuded with Donald Trump and frequently had snippy exchanges with the more conservative Hasselbeck.

On Friday, ABC said O'Donnell asked for, and received, an early exit from her contract. O'Donnell said last month she would be leaving because she could not agree to a new contract with ABC executives. In the video blog, she said she never really fit in.

"I was really just like a foster kid for a year," she said. "I came, you know, we considered adoption, but I didn't really fit into the family and now it's time for the foster kid to go back home."

O'Donnell fessed up that chief writer Janette Barber drew a mustache on a photo of Hasselbeck at the show's studio before they left. "It was a joke on the way out," she said.

Calls to ABC and Walters were not immediately returned Monday.

The argument with Hasselbeck began Wednesday over O'Donnell's statement last week about the war: "655,000 Iraqi civilians have died. Who are the terrorists?"

Talk show critics accused O'Donnell of calling U.S. troops terrorists. She called Hasselbeck "cowardly" for not saying anything in response to the critics, which set off their lengthy argument.

QUEER-ICON CHARLES NELSON REILLY DIES-76

Television and Tony Award-Winning actor and out-and-proud gay man Charles Nelson Reilly has passed away at the age of 76.

According to Yahoo News:

Reilly died Friday in Los Angeles of complications from pneumonia, his partner, Patrick Hughes, told the New York Times.

Reilly began his career in New York City, taking acting classes at a studio with Steve McQueen, Geraldine Page and Hal Holbrook. In 1962, he appeared on Broadway as Bud Frump in the original Broadway production of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." The role won Reilly a Tony Award.

He was nominated for a Tony again for playing Cornelius in "Hello, Dolly!" In 1997 he received another nomination for directing Julie Harris and Charles Durning in a revival of "The Gin Game."

After moving to Hollywood in 1960s he appeared as the nervous Claymore Gregg on TV's "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" and as a featured guest on "The Dean Martin Show."

He gained fame by becoming what he described as a "game show fixture" in the 1970s and 80s. He was a regular on programs like "Match Game" and "Hollywood Squares," often wearing giant glasses and colorful suits with ascots.

His larger-than-life persona and affinity for double-entendres also landed him on the "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson more than 95 times.

Reilly ruefully admitted his wild game show appearances adversely affected his acting career. "You can't do anything else once you do game shows," he told The Advocate, the national gay magazine, in 2001. "You have no career."

His final work was an autobiographical one-man show, "Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly," about his family life growing up in the Bronx. The title grew out of the fact that when he would act out as a child, his mother would often admonish him to "save it for the stage."

The stage show was made into the 2006 feature film called "The Life of Reilly."

Reilly's openly gay television persona was ahead of its time, and sometimes stood in his way. He recalled a network executive telling him "they don't let queers on television."

Hughes, his only immediate survivor, said Reilly had been ill for more than a year.

No memorial plans had been announced.

ROSIE O'DONNELL DEPARTS "THE VIEW" PREMATURELY FOLLOWING SHOUTING MATCH

Three days following an on-air shouting match with co-star Elisabeth Hasselbeck, out-and-proud lesbian TV-hostess Rosie O'Donnell has departed her top-rated show "The View" 3 weeks early.

According to E Online:



The official statement portrayed the parting as amicable.
"We had hoped that Rosie would be with us until the end of her contract," said Brian Frons, president of ABC Daytime Television, "but Rosie has informed us that she would like an early leave. Therefore, we part ways, thank her for her tremendous contribution to The View and wish her well."
Show creator Barbara Walters chimed in: "Rosie contributed to one of our most exciting and successful years at The View. I am most appreciative. Our close and affectionate relationship will not change."
And O'Donnell was equally pleasant: "It's been an amazing year and I love all three women."
Even, apparently, Hasselbeck, O'Donnell's regular on-air sparring partner during the past year.
The political polar opposites routinely debated issues, but things boiled over on Wednesday when talk turned toward the war in Iraq and O'Donnell and Hasselbeck took personal swipes at each other.
As the bitter split-screen smackdown, in which O'Donnell referred to Hasselbeck as "cowardly" and "poor little Elisabeth," was quickly disseminated online, Hasselbeck moved to downplay the drama.
"I honestly think, I believe that we are mature women who can resolve this," she told Extra. "I hope we can. I would hope that a disagreement or a heated debate wouldn't be the end of a relationship."
But O'Donnell signaled she was not ready to return to work via a series of blog posts:
Following the Wednesday tête-à-tête, she wrote: "it may be time/ to be done/ endings r hard 4 all/ emotions r high/ talking is tough."
Then in response to a fan query Thursday about whether she would be back on The View, O'Donnell wrote: "when painting/ there is a point/ u must step away from the canvas/ as the work/ is done/ anymore would take away."
By Friday, O'Donnell's site featured a video montage of her View greatest hits accompanied by Cyndi Lauper's "Sisters of Babylon."
While the principals attempted to remain publicly civil, things got nasty behind the scenes.
According to the New York Post, O'Donnell's longtime chief writer, Janette Barber, was escorted from The View's studios Thursday after being caught drawing mustaches and generally vandalizing posters of Hasselbeck adorning the walls of the show's offices.
ABC confirmed to E! News that "photographs at The View's offices were defaced." While the network did not identify the alleged perpetrator, it did say that "Rosie O'Donnell was not in the building."
O'Donnell was off Thursday to celebrate partner Kelli Carpenter's 40th birthday. Friday's show was pretaped.
O'Donnell took over as the View moderator in September, replacing Meredith Vieira. She instantly became a lightning rod for criticism, sparking feuds with the likes of Kelly Ripa, Bill O'Reilly and, most notably, Donald Trump.
(Predictably, Trump took glee in O'Donnell's departure. "I'm glad," he told MSNBC. "A great service was done by getting her off the airwaves. She was a disaster...She goes out like a total loser.")
But all the controversy worked magic on the ratings. The View is averaging 3.5 million this season, a gain of more than 17 percent since O'Donnell joined the team. The show is also vying for Outstanding Talk Show and Outstanding Talk Show Hosts at the Daytime Emmys on June 5, but O'Donnell previously said she wouldn't attend.
O'Donnell announced in April that she wouldn't return full-time for another season.
"This has been an amazing experience and one I wouldn't have traded for the world," O'Donnell said. "Working with Barbara, Joy and Elisabeth has been one of the highlights of my careers, but my needs for the future just didn't dovetail with what ABC was able to offer me."
The network was reportedly trying to lock up O'Donnell with a three-year deal, something she was unwilling to commit to. She earned more than $3 million under her current contract, a far cry from the $30 million she pocketed as solo host of The Rosie O'Donnell Show, which ended its run in 2002. No replacement has been named.
It is not immediately clear if O'Donnell will make good on her promise to come back next season as a frequent guest cohost, as well as produce a series of one-hour specials for The View.
Even though she's gone from The View, O'Donnell isn't completely disappearing. She has suggested that she has a new TV project in the works and would announce the details "when the time was right."

TWO LESBIANS DIE IN SENIOR SUICIDE-PACT

In what appears to be a double-suicide, long-time life partners Barbara Friancisco and Pauline Putnam took their own lives at the retirement home at which they resided.

According to the Marin Independant Journal:

Two longtime partners and roommates at a Terra Linda residential retirement complex were found dead in their condominium Monday, apparent victims of a double suicide, police said.

Barbara Francisco, 80, and Pauline Putnam, 89, life partners and 10-year residents of the retirement complex, were found dead shortly before noon Monday in their condominium at Villa Marin, near the Northgate mall.

"They were quiet, independent people and it was just their choice," said resident Helen Andrewsen, 86, who expressed surprise over Monday's incident.

"They were loved by the people here and contributed to Villa Marin's working," she said. She remembered her friends as "well-educated, intelligent, lovely women who have been friends forever."

A San Rafael police investigator said it appeared the roommates planned the incident for some time.

"It was a planned event to the point where they had laid out their wishes," said Detective Phillip Melodia. "They had left notes behind or letters which I assumed to be for family and friends."

Melodia would not say how the women died, noting only that firearms were not involved. He said the roommates were dead when officers arrived after receiving a call at 12:22 p.m. Monday. Police estimated

the deaths occurred between 10 a.m. Sunday and late morning Monday.

Tom Bucci, chief executive officer of the complex of 224 individually owned retirement condominiums, said the dual suicide was the first such incident of its kind during his six years at the facility.

"The two women were life partners," he said, noting the women resided in Villa Marin's non-medical section in their own home. "They lived their whole life together. It's always been a very important part of them to control their destiny."

Bucci said Francisco and Putnam had no family that he was aware of and neither was suffering from any illness.

OUTFRONT MINNESOTA DISMAYED OVER GLBT LEGISLATIVE LOCKOUT

GLBT Advocate Organization OutFront Minnesota expressed outrage over the GLBT lockout of the 2007 Legislative session.

According to their press release:

Governor Pawlenty’s vetoes and threat of vetoes resulted in no positive legislation becoming law this year for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. “We’re being told that we’re second class citizens,” said Executive Director Ann DeGroot. “In the very state where we live, work, invest in our communities, and pay taxes we’re slapped in the face with open hostility to who we are.”

We lost the opportunity for common sense, humane bills that would have provided domestic partner benefits to state employees, allowed local governments to offer such benefits, and expand sick leave allowance to include domestic partners. The hospital visitation bill that we had pursued has been significantly altered away from its original intent, due to the threat of a veto.

We can thank the political pandering of Governor Pawlenty to the social conservatives who got him elected for this state of affairs. “The governor rejected legislation that was fair-minded, easy to implement, and inexpensive,” said DeGroot. “He showed his stripes –politics over good public policy.”

FUTURE IN DOUBT FOR SCANDAL-PLAGUED GREY'S ANATOMY STAR

Despite his damage-control Public Service Announcement airing tonight, speculation has been rampant regarding Isaiah Washington's full-time return to Grey's Anatomy following his homophobic slur-rant towards his subsequently outed co-star T.R Knight.

According to the New York Post:

ISAIAH Washington is expected to return to "Grey's Anatomy" next season - but not as a regular, a published report now claims.

"He will not be back as a series regular," a source tells Us Weekly, adding that Washington "could possibly show up for a few episodes" next season.

Washington's status on ABC's hit hospital drama has been in question since last fall, when he used a gay slur against co-star T.R. Knight during an on-set fight with another "Grey's" co-star, Patrick Dempsey.

"The cast - especially the women - just don't like him," a source told Us Weekly.

U.S MILITARY DISCHARGES MORE LINGUISTS UNDER "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" POLICY

The U.S Military has come under fire again for discharging valuable members of it's military under it's current "Don't ask, don't tell" policy.

According to the International Herald Tribune:

WASHINGTON: Lawmakers who say the military has kicked out 58 Arabic linguists because they were gay want the Pentagon to explain how it can afford to let the valuable language specialists go.

Seizing on the latest discharges, involving three specialists, members of the House of Representatives wrote the House Armed Services Committee chairman that the continued loss of such "capable, highly skilled Arabic linguists continues to compromise our national security during time of war."

One sailor discharged in the latest incident, former Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephen Benjamin, said his supervisor tried to keep him on the job, urging him to sign a statement denying that he was gay. He said his lawyer advised him not to sign it, because it could be used against him later if other evidence ever surfaced.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Benjamin said he was caught improperly using the military's secret level computer system to send messages to his roommate, who was serving in Iraq. In those messages, he said, he may have referred to being gay or going on a date.

"I'd always been out since the day I started working there," Benjamin said. "We had conversations about being gay in the military and what it was like. There were no issues with unit cohesion. I never caused divisiveness or ever experienced slurs."

He was discharged under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law passed in 1994. The law allows gays to serve if they keep their sexual orientation private and do not engage in homosexual acts. It prohibits commanders from asking about a person's sex life and requires discharge of those who acknowledge they are gay.

UPDATE: SIR. IAN MCKELLEN TO PERFORM IN MINNEAPOLIS-PERFORMANCE DATES

The lovely and talented (and out-and-proud gay-man) Sir. Ian McKellen will be coming to Minneapolis this Autumn to perform both Shakespeare’s King Lear and Chekhov’s The Seagull.

According to the Windy City Times:

Sir Ian McKellen is known for much more than his bravura appearances in the Lord of the Rings and X-Men series, which made him a nerd icon. He’s universally acknowledged as one of the greatest living interpreters of Shakespeare, and American audiences soon will get the opportunity to see him tackle two extraordinary pieces of theater, including one of the Bard’s greatest roles. This fall, following a tour of the United Kingdom, McKellen will travel to New York, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis performing both Shakespeare’s King Lear and Chekhov’s The Seagull in repertory. Romeo does not exaggerate when he suggests that those not lucky enough to live in a city where McKellen is coming should consider traveling there for the occasion.

UPDATE: I now have Sir Ian's Minneapolis, as well as international peroformance dates (courtesy of theater.com)

They are as follows:

The productions will tour first to Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s Theatre Royal (from 29 June to 7 July), then travel to Singapore’s The Esplanade (19-22 July), the State Theatre in Melbourne, Australia (28 July to 5 August), the St. James Theatre in Wellington, New Zealand (11-14 August) and the AB Theatre in Auckland (18-26 August). They will then travel to the U.S., where they will play at Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey Theatre in New York City from 6-30 September, the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis (5-14 October), and UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles (19-28 October)

GREY'S ANATOMY'S QUEER-STAR MAY NOT BE RETURNING

According to a recent interview, T.R Knight is unsure as to whether he will be returning to the top-rated drama Grey's Anatomy.

According to People Magazine:

"I literally don't know," he tells Access Hollywood of his future on the show. "It would be nice to know if I'm supposed to report back soon."

Knight says he's received many phone calls from friends and fans who were concerned about his character's fate after the hit ABC show's finale, in which his unassuming Dr. George O'Malley failed his intern test. He says the producers have not told the actors what will happen next season.

Knight spent much of last season in the middle of a firestorm after costar Isaiah Washington used an anti-gay slur during an on-set argument with Patrick Dempsey. Shortly afterwards, Knight confirmed to PEOPLE that he is gay.

Speculation has also swirled around whether Washington will return next season. Washington's rep, Howard Bragman, tells PEOPLE: "A contract has not yet been signed, but we have no reason not to expect it to be signed before the season begins."

In June, while the show is on hiatus, Washington will film the independent movie, The Least of These.

ABC has declined to comment.

SUSPECTED KILLER OF 3 (INCLUDING 2 GAYS) DEEMED PSYCHOTIC

What seems like a queer-related crime-wave continues with the murder of two gay men, and one straight; a suspect recently diagnosed as schizophrenic is being held.

According to the Truro Daily News:

NEW GLASGOW – A Nova Scotia man arrested in the United States who may be connected to the killings of two gay men in Dartmouth recently was charged with a crime in Pictou County in 2005.

Glen Douglas Race, 26, of Dartmouth, was arrested Tuesday in Brownsville, Texas, in connection with the killing of caretaker Darcy Manor last week in Moores, New York. It's thought that he was trying to cross into Mexico when he was caught at the border.

A gun stolen from the murder scene was recovered in Texas.

New York State Police had issued an alert a few days before saying Race was wanted in connection with the murders of Nova Scotians Trevor Brewster, 45, and Michael Knott, 44.

Knott was found dead May 5 in the woods near Mill Cove, N.S.

Brewster's body was found three days earlier in a Dartmouth park frequently used by men cruising for gay sex.

Race was previously arrested and charged on April 14, 2005, with breaking into a Loganville home with the intent to commit an indictable offence. Four days later, he was remanded to the East Coast Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Dartmouth for an assessment to determine his fitness to stand trial and whether he could be considered criminally responsible for the alleged offences. The assessment said he had a serious psychiatric disorder, schizophrenia. He was deemed psychotic, but none of this affected his rationale with regard to specific actions.

He returned to court on April 25, 2005, where he agreed to enter into a 12-month peace bond to have no contact with the owner of the home and the Crown withdrew the charges.

Police didn’t have a motive for the killings, but Halifax authorities took the unusual step recently of warning the gay community to be watchful in gay sex cruising areas like the ones where the Nova Scotia victims were found.

UPDATE: GAY-PORN MURDER PLOT REVEALED

In a shocking new twist in the 'Gay-Porn Murder" case, a third person is now being questioned in connection to the killing: porn actor Sean Lockhart, A.K.A Brent Corrigan (pictured above-sans orange jumpsuit). A new sworn affidavit reveals the murder plot.

According to Hamptonroads.com:

At first, Sean Lockhart didn't get it.

Here he was, at the luxurious Le Cirque restaurant in Las Vegas, sitting with three fellow gay-porn stars, one of whom would eventually tell State Police about the meeting.

They were on the verge of a deal - a big deal. If it worked, it might make them rich. Might even make them $1 million. Or so they imagined.

But there was a catch: Lockhart was caught in a messy contract dispute with a porn producer in Pennsylvania named Bryan Kocis.

Across the table, fellow porn star Harlow Cuadra offered a solution. "What if Bryan left the country?" Cuadra said. "What if he went to Canada?"

Lockhart was drunk and didn't get the hint. "Then he'd only come back," Lockhart replied.

Another porn star at the table - Cuadra's romantic partner and business partner, Joseph Kerekes - hinted again. "Harlow knows someone who would do anything for him," Kerekes said.

Suddenly, Lockhart got it: Cuadra was offering to kill Kocis.

A few days later, Kocis was dead. His throat was slashed, his body stabbed 28 times and his house set afire to conceal the slaying.

Details of the meeting at Le Cirque, including the dialogue between the participants as well as Lockhart's thoughts, are contained in a 21-page police affidavit released Tuesday - the same day police arrested Cuadra and Kerekes and charged them in Kocis' slaying.

One of the men at the Las Vegas dinner with Cuadra and Kerekes informed police about that meeting after the slaying.

Cuadra and Kerekes were still only bit players in the gay-porn world. Police think they killed Kocis in a misguided effort to strike it big.

Cuadra and Kerekes imagined themselves as major players in the twink market. Their most ambitious project was one that would pair two of the hottest twinks on the Internet: Cuadra and a young man from California who went by the stage name Brent Corrigan.

That was Sean Lockhart, who was already under contract to Bryan Kocis, a porn producer who lived in Dallas, Pa., just outside Wilkes-Barre.

Kocis was "a pariah" in the mainstream gay porn business, Lawrence said, because his videos often featured unsafe "bareback" sex - without condoms - and models who were as young as legally permissible, and sometimes even younger than that.

"He was not a big player," Lawrence said.

Still, when Kocis' house went up in flames on Jan. 24 and his body was found inside, the news spread quickly in the gay porn world. Dozens of bloggers on Internet porn sites offered wild conspiracy theories. Kocis' life became the subject of a long Wikipedia entry.

His death generated a huge police investigation that crossed into several states and drew in three federal agencies.

Eventually, it led police to raid the house off Birdneck Road.

The police affidavit lays out what happened:

The same four men who dined together in Las Vegas were on the beach: Cuadra, Kerekes, Lockhart and Lockhart's partner, Grant Roy.

At some point during their conversations, Cuadra admitted he was present when Kocis was slain.

He talked about how he had done "some recon work" at Kocis' house, describing how the victim's door did not have a peephole, and how it had some square windows at the top but Kocis was not tall enough to see through them.

Police say Cuadra set up a meeting with Kocis using an alias and corresponding by e-mail, posing as a young man who wanted to model for Kocis and make movies. Police tracked the trail of e-mails and phone calls after the fact.

In the San Diego beach conversation, according to the affidavit, Cuadra described himself inside Kocis house, sharing wine with Kocis. Kerekes said he thought Cuadra slipped something into Kocis' drink, after which Kocis was "kind of stumbling" around.

And Cuadra talked about the killing itself. "It was quick," he said. "He never saw it coming."

Cuadra talked about watching Kocis die. "Actually, it's sick, but it made me feel better inside," Cuadra said. "It almost felt like I got revenge."

TWO CHARGED IN GAY-PORN MURDER CASE FIGHT EXTRADITION

Porn producer Joseph Kerekes and alleged "escort" Harlow Cuadra (pictured) are fighting extradition to Pennsylvania.

According to Queerty:

The two were arrested and charged in Vriginia Beach, VA, Tuesday for the January murder of business rival, Bryan Kocis. Police allege that Kerekes and Cuadra (pictured) plotted and carried out Kocis' killing - and apparently the devilish duo really wanted Kocis dead: they stabbed him 28 times and then set his house on fire. In addition to the murder and arson charges, the boys are also facing racketeering charges.

As their good fortune wears off and their bank accounts remain frozen, the boys remain resolute in cock-blocking justice: they've refused extradition to Pennsylvania...

Both were asked if they would waive extradition to Pennsylvania and both declined, according to the prosecutor's office in Virginia.

Because they declined, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell will have to sign a warrant asking the Virginia governor to relinquish custody of the two men to Pennsylvania authorities, said a spokeswoman in the Virginia prosecutor's office.

GAY AX-MURDERER FOUND GUILTY OF BRUTAL MURDER: SENTENCED TO LIFE

A South African man has been convicted of brutally hacking up his partner with an ax, and was sentenced to life in prison .

Michael Barend van Zyl, who was arrested after he was found wandering naked and bloodied, went into hysterics after the sentence was read.

According to Queerty.com:

South African homo Michael Barend van Zyl has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his former real estate broker lover, Andre Weitz. Barend van Zyl killed Weitz with an ax in June of 2004, after they had broken up. It seems Weitz went on with his life, taking a new lover and living happily in a Cape Town suburb. Van Zyl didn't take the news too well and appeared on Weitz doorstep to talk things out. Weitz didn't want to talk, however, and drove his ex-boyfriend to a bus stop for a trip to Durban.

Unfortunately, Van Zyl didn't board that bus. Instead, the 29-year old went back to Weitz's house, broke in, attempted to kill himself and once Weitz and his lover went to bed, Van Zyl took it upon himself to take Weitz life.


Barend van Zyl wept as Judge Daniel Dlodlo harangued him for his vengeful act:
You benefited greatly from your relationship with Weitz, who provided you with food and shelter. He treated you as if he had a legal obligation to do so, like a concerned parent. It is possible that you became an unbearable burden to him, but he did not deserve the brutal attack that you inflicted on him.
Dlodlo went on to say that Van Zyl's premeditated murder proves he's a threat to himself and others:
Your vicious ax attack on the deceased tells the court what kind of violence you are capable of, and that you might in the future be inclined to do it again to someone else.
In addition to his life sentence, Van Zyl got an extra 15 years for attempt to escape in Weitz's vehicle. Because, you know, he's really got to learn his lesson: hacking people to death with an ax and stealing their car just ain't right.

UPDATE: MAN ARRESTED IN HATE-CRIME MURDER

Stephen Andrew Moller (above-top) was arrested Friday for the allegedly hate-motivated murder of Sean William Kennedy (above-bottom).

According to WYFF TV:

Deputies said that Kennedy , 20, was walking to his car from Brew's Bar early Wednesday morning when Moller got out of another car and approached Kennedy. Investigators said that Moller made a comment about Kennedy's sexual orientation, and then struck him in the face.

Investigators said that witnesses identified Moller as Kennedy's attacker. He was arrested late Thursday night and is currently in the Greenville County Detention Center under no bond.

Friends of Kennedy told WYYF News 4 that they think the alleged assault was a hate crime because Kennedy was openly gay.

The Greenville County Sheriff's Office has provided information concerning this case to the FBI, which will make a determination as to whether to proceed with a hate crime investigation.

TWO MEN ARRESTED FOR GAY-PORN MURDER

Alleged "escort" Harlow Cuadra (pictured) and Porn Producer Joseph Kerekes have been arrested and charged for porn producer Bryan Kocis' brutal murder and mutilation.

According to Queerty:

Police found Kocis' mutilated, charred body back in January and instantly followed a trail to 25-year old Cuadra, an alleged escort who emailed Kocis hours before his death. Cuadra denied his involvement, of course, but police kept digging.

Their investigation led them to Cuadra and Kerekes' shared home, from which authorities took a gun, computers and DNA samples. Cuadra and Kerekes, however, were no where to be found. They were picked up yesterday morning in Virginia Beach and have now officially been charged with murder, conspiracy, arson, burglary and abuse of a corpse, among other things. Police suspect that Cuardra and Kerekes - who run some naughty websites - attempted to steal Kocis' star actor, but Kocis resisted, which led them to kill him.

POSSIBLE GAY-BASHING TAKES LIFE OF 20 YEAR OLD

In what might be yet another hate-crime towards a GLBT-er, Sean William