Anne Hathaway, Ellen Degeneres and Martin Sheen are just three of over two dozen Hollywood stars pushing President Obama to allow gay couples to legally marry.
The celebrities signed an open letter to the President on Tuesday, urging him to make good on what they said was his movement toward legalizing same-sex marriage.
“Dancing with the Stars” revealed its 2011 season lineup. The celebrities include professional dieter, Kristie Alley, supermodel Petra Nemcova, talk-show host Wendy Williams, the original karate kid Ralph Macchio, Disney star Chelsea Kane, hip-hop singer Romeo, “Loveline” co-host Mike Catherwood, Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriend Kendra Wilkinson, Pittsburg Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard and WWE wrestler Chris Jericho reports E! Online.
Baby Names With Momentum: According to a study published in Topics of Cognitive Science, U.S. parents gravitate toward baby names that are on the rise, as opposed to those that are treading water or losing steam. Based on data from the Social Security Administration, we predict that the following names, whose popularity grew significantly between 2007 and 2008, will emerge as front-runners in 2011.
2011 Baby Boy Names: Aiden, Alijah, Brady, Braylon, Caleb, Hugo, Lucas, Mason
2011 Baby Girl Names: Ainsley, Amari, Brooke, Fiona, Gabriella, Hailey, Jayla, Kendall, Mia, Mila, Paige, Valentina
Retro Baby Names: Since baby names tend to follow boom-and-bust cycles, many monikers that haven’t been popular for generations are now becoming modern mainstays. (For example, before its recent resurgence, the name “Sophie” hadn’t cracked the top 100 list since 1915.) In 2011, we expect the following vintage baby names to make a contemporary comeback.
2011 Baby Boy Names: Gavin, Isaac, Jacoby, Liam, Nathan, Sebastian, Wyatt
2011 Baby Girl Names: Audrey, Charlotte, Claire, Hazel, Madelyn, Silas, Sophie
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation released the nominations for its 22nd annual GLAAD Media Awards on Thursday (January 20). Television shows such as “Glee” and “True Blood” are in the running to win honors, as are films like “Burlesque” and “Easy A.” The GLAAD awards, which honor “outstanding images of the LGBT community” in the world of media, will be celebrated at three ceremonies — in New York on March 19, in Los Angeles on April 16 and in San Francisco on May 14.
“This year’s nominees represent some of the images and stories at the root of the growing acceptance of our community and support for our equality,” GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios said in a statement. “They also have created a benchmark for inclusion of our community that other media outlets should look to. As GLAAD celebrates 25 years of working with the media, we are proud to recognize this year’s nominees and we challenge the industry to share more stories that reflect the diversity of our community and the challenges that gay and transgender people face.”
A gay couple who were refused a double room at a hotel run by a Christian couple have won damages after a judge ruled they were treated unlawfully. Martyn Hall and his civil partner, Steven Preddy, were turned away from Peter and Hazelmary Bull’s hotel in Cornwall in September 2008. The pair, who are from Bristol, sought up to £5,000 in damages after claiming they had been the victims of sexual discrimination. At a hearing last month, the Bulls denied the claim, arguing that they had a long-standing policy of banning all unmarried couples, both heterosexual and gay, from sharing a bed at the Chymorvah hotel in Marazion, near Penzance.
