AfterElton Briefs: "Glee" Previews, Aiden James Goes National, "Torchwood" Begins Casting

This is a perfect Sunday.

• Harry Shum, Jr. has a huge spread for Yellow Magazine, a fashion and arts magazine for "young English-speaking and bilingual Asians in Houston." The full spread isn't online yet, but Gleehab has a preview.

• As long as we're on the subject of Glee, don't forget to tweet your reactions with the #kurtrules for our recap tomorrow. As to what you'll be tweeting about, here's Puck (Mark Salling) from tonight's episode explaining why he hasn't been in school recently.

• Backstage at Glee, there are many spoilers about Gwyneth Paltrow's appearance in the Christmas episode, as well as Javier Bardeem's upcoming appearance. There are so many spoilers laced throughout the piece I'm afraid to say anything, except that with all these injuries, I hope they have a great health plan. And did you know they quit using the Long Beach school theater for performances and built a 500-seat replica? Oh, and here's a preview of Kurt's (Chris Colfer) story tonight.

• In this NSFW link, BUTT Magazine interviews Michael R., who was the 17-year-old star of East Germany's first gay movie, Coming Out, that got overtaken by events on November 9, 1989 when the wall fell.

• The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's 39th Anniversary Gala & Auction has some great TV prizes up for bid. There's a walk on part for Glee, and another one for True Blood. Or you can have a drink at MacLaren's for How I Met Your Mother, or hang out with the boys on the set of Supernatural.

• Songster and hot otter Aiden James is appearing on Sirius XM Radio Live at 9 AM this Thursday, and then doing a concert at The Living Room New York City Friday at 9 PM. 

How can you pass up this face?

• Voting is open for the People's Choice Awards. Beyond Twilight dominating the movie side, Modern Family, Glee, and Neil Patrick Harris all picked up multiple nominations.

• Rep. Barney Frank says that once the Republicans assume control of the House next year, there is "zero chance" of passing any GLBT legislation. Goodbye DOMA repeal, Uniting America's Families, ENDA, and probably Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal. We'll just keep fighting President Obama in the courts, one appeal after another. I hope the president doesn't mind the hecklers at every single speech.

• Since we're going to have to sue our way to equality, two new lawsuits have been filed against the Defense of Marriage Act, one by GLAD and one by the ACLU. The true rub of these suits is that not only are we paying our lawyers, we're also paying taxes to pay the government lawyers to fight against us.

• A lesbian student has been banned from bringing her girlfriend to a school dance in Australia. The private all girls school says the dance is a chance for the students to socialize with boys, so they should, even if they don't socialize with boys on a romantic basis.

• Anti-gay bullying is cited in the suicide death of 14-year-old Brandon Bitner in Pennsylvania late last week. The teen wrote a suicide note, walked several miles from his home and jumped in front of a car.

• Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon have recorded a PSA as part of the ongoing New Yorkers for Marriage Equality program.

• Croatian Football Federation president Vlatko Markovic has said there is no place for gay players on the national team. He's been condemned by activists as well as by Gareth Thomas.

• HBO will premiere Bette Midler: The Showgirl Must Go On New Year's Eve. Sadly, it was taped at Caesar's Palace and not a gay bath house. She just has no respect for the classics any more.

• I was mostly unaware that it was Movember, which is a men's health thing in parts of the world, and to a lesser extent the United States. It's all about promoting men's health, prostate cancer awareness and the like, and it seems to be marked by the growing of mustaches. For some reason, in Indonesia, they showed what several celebrities would have looked like without their mustaches.

Freddie Mercury

• As long as we're talking about Indonesia, it turns out that while President Obama lived there as a child, he had an openly gay manny who dated the town butcher.

• Here's Madonna's satellite interview with Ellen DeGeneres. She talked about bullying, how she talks to her teenagedaughter about the subject, and makes the rather true and wonderful statement "The gay community has been incredibly supportive of me. I wouldn't have a career if it wasn't for the gay community. So I have to say something."

• Out British television presenter Kristian Digby, who was found dead several months ago, died as the result of a sex game. The death has been ruled "death by misadventure."

• Crash actress Arlene Tur is joining Torchwood as recurring character Vera Juarez, a surgeon. No word yet on the casting of the male and female CIA agents. Enver Gjokai and Chad Michael Murray were both rejected, and Lone Star's James Wolk passed on the role of Rex.

• We had mentioned the sad death of AfterElton.com member Logan and the forums dedicated to his passing in the Morning Meme. Addison DeWitt wanted me to bring his Ta Da! It's Me! entry, for those who may not have known Logan as well.

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