AfterElton Briefs: Barbra rules, A Savage birthday, the Making of "ESPN"'s Body Issue, and more!

Happy Birthday to out journalist Dan Savage, who turns 45 today.

Following this assortment of carefully-selected news items, interested readers can find a refreshing pic of a hot man in underwear after the jump. Yes, we're serious.

• Just when you think that appallingly ignorant homophobic statements from politicians can't get any worse, Texas representative Louie Gohmert has has released a tirade that starts with the usual "if we allow same-sex marriage, then why not animals and corpses" schtick, and then somehow progresses to the obligatory mentioning of Hitler.

• ESPN's Body Issue doesn't come out until Friday but here is a "Making of" video that gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. AE editor Michael Jensen got a look at a copy today and was surprised the men got almost as much (naked) face time as the women do. Warning: Slightly NSFW!

• Last week gay faves Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey and Madonna all released albums (yes, I still say albums), and the sales figures are in. In the battle of the divas, Madonna's Celebration Greatest Hits disc entered the chart at #7, Mariah's Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel came in at a disappointing #4, and Barbra's Love is the Answer is the #1 album in the country. Go Babs!

• The awesomely-named William K Wolfrum has penned a piece for Daily Kos titled I'm heterosexual, and it's just freakin' fantastic. And it's a freakin' fantastic read.

• Above you can see eonline.com's Marc Malkin on T.R. Knight's well-received turn in the Los Angeles stage production of Parade.

Lance Bass is a knock out! (Pic: Braden Summers)

• New York photographer Braden Summers is making the rounds with the above pic, which features a hot and buff Lance Bass in a boxing ring.

And today's Briefs are brought to you by...

This guy!