(l-r) Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Bruce Cohen, Gabriel Catone

It's been a sweet couple of months for Academy Award-winning producer Bruce Cohen. Back in June he married his longtime boyfriend Gabriel Catone (with none other then the mayor of L.A. officiating), and he also put the finishing touches on one of the hottest prospects of the upcoming winter movie schedule, Milk.

And later this month, Cohen will be honored at Outfest's 2008 Legacy Awards:

"As a producer, philanthropist and activist, Bruce Cohen has been one of the singular most influential supporters of Outfest and LGBT filmmakers," said executive director Kirsten Schaeffer.

In addition to sure-to-be-award-friendly Milk, Bruce took the home the Oscar for producing American Beauty, and has been behind such gay-themed projects as To Wong Foo and The Nines (which was written and directed by gay filmmaker John August ... and starred the hunktastic Ryan Reynolds), and gay faves like Pushing Daisies.

Ewan McGregor/Ryan Reynolds

And to top it off, his award will be presented to him by Ewan McGregor, who starred in another of his films, Big Fish (which was also written by August).

An Oscar, a cute husband, working with the likes of Ewan and Ryan, and now he's being honored with this award? It's a good thing I'm not a jealous person, or I'd also point out that he produced The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas ... but I'm not, so I won't.

Gay-faves Cristian de la Fuente (The Class) and Eva Longoria Parker announced the noms for the 2008 ALMA Awards today live from Wisteria Lane

In a continued effort to bring you all that is important in the world of gay entertainment and ensure that you are being spoon-fed images of gorgeous, commoditized manflesh, we present the newly-minted AfterElton Briefs. Following the usual 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.

• The big movie news today was of course The Dark Knight's record-smashing opening midnight/day/weekend/three-day total. But did you hear that gay-friendly Mamma Mia! also managed to scare up the biggest opening weekend in history for a movie musical, during that same Bat weekend? That's pretty incredible.

• According to Miss Kathy Griffin, oodles of fun stuff hasn't made it to the airwaves this season, including some interesting musings from "billionaire bear" Steve Wozniak, whom she claims commented in San Francisco, "You know, if I fall in love with a man, I fall in love with a man. There's nothing wrong with that." I didn't know it was possible, but The Woz just got even cooler.

• Pierce Brosnan won the top spot in a British poll of "Gay Icons" (over 50 category). I have no problem with that, as long as he doesn't sing his acceptance speech.

• Any excuse to post a pic of Chris Diamantopoulos (who plays Debra Messing's gay BFF on The Starter Wife and in real life is married to Ugly Betty's Becki Newton) is a good one.

• And finally, Outfest (the Los Angeles LGBT film fest) wrapped up this weekend, with the top prize going to Were the World Mine. For the full list of prizewinners, head on over here.

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

Gaywheels.com’s Joe LaMuraglia took part in the “Drive to Outfest” put on by General Motors. GM’s Saturn brand was the official automotive sponsor of the largest LGBT film festival in the country, Outfest, held in Los Angeles July 9 -21, 2008. In conjunction with that sponsorship, GM’s diversity communication group hosted 9 reporters from GLBT media around the country and put on a ride and drive event from West Hollywood to Malibu.

The event featured Saturn cars as well as some of the Hybrid vehicles currently offered by GM. Watch and listen to GM’s diversity group share why they think the LGBT community is important in their outreach.

Check it out after the break!

Hollyoaks actors James Sutton and Jake Hendricks pal it up at the Inside Soap Awards launch

In a continued effort to bring you all that is important in the world of gay entertainment and ensure that you are being spoon-fed images of gorgeous, commoditized manflesh, we present the newly-minted AfterElton Briefs. Following the usual 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.

• We didn't make it to Outfest this year, but GLAAD's got some great coverage of not only a bunch of the features, but also the filmmaker panels and events.

• We missed this one a little while back, but the BBC movie Being Human, which starred out British actor Russell Tovey (The History Boys), has been picked up for series. No word on casting yet, but here's hoping that Tovey returns as the resident angsty twentysomething werewolf. (Yes, you read that right.)

• Never content to let a chance to utter the magical words "Cheyenne Jackson" slip by, allow us to direct you to this charming feature that Time Out NY recently did of the Broadway multiple-threat (I stopped counting, really).

Sean Penn as Harvey Milk made the cover of Vanity Fair's Fanfair (courtesy of boy culture)

• Here's a rather charming interview with John Barrowman in which he discusses in depth his decision to participate in an investigation into the causes of sexuality (the Making of Me documentary) that also includes some great audio of John doing his Scottish accent.

• There's much buzz today about a bill being pushed in Massachusetts that would repeal a 1913 law that currently prohibits gay couples from out-of-state from marrying there. With nearby New York now acknowledging same-sex unions enacted in states where such unions are legal, the change would mean oodles of tourist dollars for Mass. (Currently New Yawkahs have to fly to California.)

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

T.R. Knight & Mark Cornelson at yesterday's LA Outfest opening night.
Photo credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

In a continued effort to bring you all that is important in the world of gay entertainment and ensure that you are being spoon-fed images of gorgeous, commoditized manflesh, we present the newly-minted AfterElton Briefs. Following the usual 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.

• Yesterday some notable celebrities turned out for the premiere of Breakfast with Scot at LA’s Outfest film festival. Is it possible for T.R. Knight and Mark Cornelson to be any cuter together?  Click on thumbnails below to view more pics.

• ...and speaking of T.R. & Mark, actually it is possible for them to be even cuter together. The Socialite’s Life has a number of photos of the couple taking their dogs for a spin in LA. You can check them out here.

• Some juicy tidbits are coming out regarding Christopher Ciccone’s unauthorized Madonna tell-all available this coming Tuesday, July 15th. Apparently, Christopher and his older sister haven’t been close since she married Guy Ritchie. 

”Ciccone describes Ritchie as a man's man undisturbed by homophobic humor, whose emergence in Madonna's life marks 'the death knell' of the Ciccones' brother-sister bond.” 

Uh, what Ciccone says about Guy Ritchie may indeed be true, but I would say the “death knell” of his relationship with his sister has to be the publication of this book. I mean, my sister would kill me. And rightfully so.

Christopher Ciccone's Madonna bio out Tuesday
 

• According to USA Today, a Michigan man is suing two Bible publishers for seventy million dollars. His claim is that their versions of the Bible refer to homosexuality as a sin, and in doing so violate his constitutional rights, causing him emotional pain and mental instability. This case is almost certain to be dismissed before it goes to trial, but still it's a pretty interesting suit, and you gotta admire the guy's chutzpah for bringing it to court. (He's acting as his own attorney in the matter.) Hey, if he wins this case, I say we go after King James next.  

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

• Alice Ghostley, the Tony-winning actress who always seemed to me to be the female Paul Lynde, has died.
• Tom Brady shower footage? We should be so lucky as to live in The Onion's world.
• Xanadu's Kerry Butler on co-star, out himbo triple-threat Cheyenne Jackson: " He brings a completely different presence, partly because he's so big." Droooooolll...
• How does Judith Light find time to act on Ugly Betty? The woman is accepting yet another award. This time it's from Outfest which is honoring the actress as part of its Legacy Awards which is having a fundraiser to help preserve LGBT films. Also snagging an award is Roger Greenblatt, president of Showtime. Frankly, Judith deserves every award she gets.
  

• Santino Rice from Project Runway to be a part of the "Bad Boys of Runway" fashion in film series in San Fran
  
• John Barrowman interviews David Tennant. (It's not new, but it's fun.)
  
• Our pal Greg Hernandez waxes nostalgic about Outfest, even though it just wrapped mere days ago. Hey -- we get nostalgic about breakfast, so we're not ones to judge.
• Ben Affleck to be honored by PFLAG for his participation in their "Stay Close" ad campaign, in which he appears with his gay cousin Jason. I used to see these ads on the subway all the time and I thought they were the cutest things ever.
• Although Anderson Cooper initially declined Tom Ford's offer to create a scent for him, his fabulous mama, Gloria Vanderbilt, is apparently encouraging him to accept the offer. Maybe she'll encourage him to change the name, too -- "Coop"? Yeah, let's name a fragrance after something that smells of chicken poo and stale corn.

Most of the cast of Ugly Betty popped in at Outfest the other day and they spilled a little about what the next season has to offer. We noted a few exciting cast additions the other day, but this is even better!

First, it looks solid that Marc (Michael Urie) will be getting a love interest, which is great, as it means a continuation of one of the most satisfying character arcs on the show. But his boss Wilhelmina is also getting a bodyguard -- could these new fellas be one and the same? Please tell me some Kevin Costner/Whitney Houston homages are in the works. It also looks like Marc's homophobic mama (Patti LuPone) will be returning this season, which is great news.

Also great news is that Judith Light, who had one of the greatest TV comebacks of the year with her performance as the matriarch of the Mode-owning clan, is booked as a cast regular next season -- an upgrade from the guest status she had this year.

The folks behind the show also revealed that they're considering doing a musical episode (and while this seldom works, if any cast and creative team could pull it off, it would be Betty's) and chatted about Justin and what his character means in the grand scheme. My favorite quote on the topic came from Urie: "Someone said the show is teaching kids to be gay. I think it's more they are teaching kids HOW to be gay."

Now that Jerry Falwell has met his maker, apparently hell has also frozen over, pigs are flying, and the moon is made of green cheese. That's right, because in its promotional materials for this year's Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the fine folks at Outfest assure us that Jesus is totally down with the gays.

No, really. And here's why.

In the beginning is Save Me, which opens the festival on July 12. Starring Chad Allen (The Donald Strachey Mystery Series), Judith Light (Ugly Betty) and Robert Gant (Queer as Folk), it's the story of two men, played by Allen and Gant -- both out gay actors -- living in an ex-gay ministry run by Light's character.

Then on July 17, they'll screen the documentary For the Bible Tells Me So:

Filmmaker Daniel Karslake explores the way religious conservatives have misled the public into believing the Bible forbids homosexuality through the unfolding of five moving stories of Christian families with gay or lesbian members, including the Gephardts, and the reflections of major Biblical scholars.

Next on the ticket is The Believers:

Hallelujah - the world's first transgender gospel choir has taken the stage! THE BELIEVERS revolutionizes popular conceptions about faith, gender identity and sexuality. Director Todd Holland is granted intimate access as choir members open up about the pain - and joy - that has brought them together. Buoyed by the transcendent force of music, we witness people who are brave enough to be their true selves and we experience the healing power of acceptance in this moving film that quite literally sings.

Then there's Rock Haven, which hits Harlequin-esque heights in the descriptive prose department:

Deeply religious Brady credits his new home on the Sonoma coast with bringing him closer to God. Imagine his surprise when his reinvigorated “walk with Christ” leads right to his hunky neighbor Clifford. The young men feel an immediate magnetism, sending Brady spinning into a liturgical tailspin. Boldly allowing the natural silence of Sonoma to speak volumes for these “closeted romantics,” ROCK HAVEN bridges the chasm between piety and passion.

Then they wrap up the Big Gay Religious Theme Fest with We're All Angels, which the festival program describes thusly:

Jason and deMarco are gay, Christian, and in love. They're also a pop music duo whose sexuality often pits them against evangelicals, while their faith meets resistance within the gay community. They crisscross the country performing in dance clubs, churches and at gay pride events as they prepare to release a new, mainstream album. At once a love story, a tale of religious struggle and a musical journey, this intimate, behind-the-scenes film shines the spotlight on two charismatic rising stars.

You can get the whole schedule and check out the forty million totally irreligious after-parties and special events our queer brothers and sisters in the Southland have planned on the Outfest website.

As we noted earlier, gay classic Parting Glances will be screening as a part of Outfest -- but there's another gay-interest film whose premiere will actually be competing with the event.

The movie boldly diverting the gay mafia crowd from the opening night of the festival's landmark 25th year is none other than I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, a film that one would think might want to take the attentions of gay Hollywood into consideration.

The Advocate notes that Universal has made no attempts to tie the film with the festival, even though that might seem to be an ideal promotional opportunity -- not to mention one designed not to step on the toes of the city's oldest gay film fest. Opening films at films fests is a common practice, even when this kind of obvious synergy doesn't present itself: I've been to premieres of House of Wax and Spiderman 3 at the Tribeca film fest, which otherwise has no affiliation with melting teenagers or radioactive spiders.

The article points out:

Some industry insiders, however, are raising their eyebrows over why Chuck & Larry didn't marry itself to the Outfest schedule or move out of the way to accommodate the gays. Sandler, James, and Dugan all declined to speak to The Advocate for our Summer Movie Preview. Universal also failed to provide anyone who could speak on behalf of the film.

Interesting. The PR efforts thus far with this film have been a bit unsettling (to this point we've also been unable to get interviews or comments from those involved with the film, despite numerous attempts). An in-theatre Regal First Look segment showed an incredibly nervous-looking pair of male leads mumbling their way through some awkward guy-banter, and their appearance on last week's Showbiz Show finale bizarrely did not have either Sandler or James saying a single word about the movie.

Why the skittishness, particularly when GLAAD has spoken up in (qualified) defense of the film?