Ellen's Commencement Speech

In her own inimitable style, Ellen Degeneres delivered what will likely go down as one of the best commencement speeches of all time. Not because of it's heady rhetoric or political grandstanding, but for it's humanity. Well, that and the fact that she tells the 2009 graduating class of Tulane that when they grow up, most of them will be gay.

Ellen's speech touches on the small shared truths of all our lives which often get lost in the overly-constructed oratory of commencement speechifying. Her mix of vulnerability and humor enables her to speak of tragedy (losing a girlfriend in a car crash at 19) and failure (losing her career after coming out) in a way relevant not only to 22 year olds, but to anyone who has loved, struggled, or lived with a secret. So basically everyone on this planet, straight or gay.

She tells her audience that at 22 years old, the graduates don't yet know themselves (case in point: she tells them that at her age, she was dating men), reassures them that that's OK, and that of course, life will be full of struggle and surprises. But coming from Ellen, a person with no agenda, political or otherwise, her perspective is relevant, her story is inspirational, and her geniuness is palpable. And the jokes are good too.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Jon Stewart Style...

In case you missed it, take a look at this must-see segment from "The Daily Show" where a correspondent and Jon Stewart discuss "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."  Funny!

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Happy Mother's Day from Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg

Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg are "Motherlovers":

Diego and Gael’s Gay Kiss Revisited

Mexican hotties Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna appeared on The Jimmy Fallon Show to promote their new movie, Rudo y Cursi. If anyone needs reminding, these are the two that locked lips in indie fave Y Tu Mama Tambien.

As big of a hit as that movie was, Bernal and Luna were still relatively unknown, so I guess that's why no one really cared about how it felt to kiss each other. They certainly didn't get the same treatment that Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhall did when they were promoting Brokeback Mountain, or James Franco for Milk, with the press relentlessly hounding them, wanting to know how it felt to film a love scene with another man. The actors found themselves alternately dismissing it as no big deal and mock disgust.

"Twilight" Hunk Goes Gay...For Movie Role

British hottie Robert Pattinson sucked face with a girl in the vampire flick Twilight, delighting teenage girls everywhere. Now, to the delight of gay men everywhere, we get to see him suck face with a guy in Little Ashes, which opens tomorrow.

The period piece set in Madrid finds Pattinson playing Salvador Dali and chronicles the eccentric artist's steamy affair with Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca (played by Javier Beltran).

M*A*S*H Actor Comes Out

It took him awhile, but David Ogden Stiers, the 66-year-old actor best known for his role as the wonderfully aristocratic Major Charles Winchester on the iconic television series M*A*S*H, has come out of the closet. Asked by the Gossip Boy blog if he is gay, Stiers replied, "Yes, I am. Very proud to be so."

Thank you for being a friend

They say that a parent’s worst fear is surviving their child, and in my mind Estelle Getty, best known as Sophia on "The Golden Girls" left this world last summer satisfied that her longtime co-star (and daughter Dorothy on the show) Bea Arthur would be entertaining us for years to come.

But unfortunately only nine months after Getty’s passing, Arthur succumbed to cancer at the age of 86 early this morning, according to reports.

Lindsay Lohan Talks with Ellen - 4/23/09

Lindsay Lohan was a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show" on April 23, 2009. Here's the clip of their chat:

Bishop Gene Robinson Receives Stephen F Kolzak Award from GLAAD

Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and Cleve Jones, creator of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, presented the Stephen F. Kolzak Award to Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Bishop in the history of the Episcopal church. The Stephen F. Kolzak Award is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for the LGBT community in the media.

Kathy Griffin Receives Vanguard Award From GLAAD

The Vanguard Award is presented to individuals who, through their work, have increased the visibility and understanding of the LGBT community in the media. Kathy Griffin was presented with the Award from T.R. Knight for being a strong ally of the LGBT community who regularly includes LGBT people in her Bravo reality program Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List and in her live comedy shows. In media outlets around the world, Griffin is a vocal advocate for marriage equality for same-sex couples, and regularly supports LGBT community organizations.