A Jihad for Love, an award-winning film about the lives of gay Muslims, opens in NYC this week

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.

• American Idol roundup: Here's out pop star George Michael's performance of "Praying for Time". Defamer asks what exactly it was that Robert Downey, Jr. did to Jack Black aboard that Midnight Train to Georgia ...

• And this video of Freak Show author James St. James riling up the fans waiting outside last night's American Idol finale is the last thing we'll say about the show today. Because really, someone telling a teenaged girl that she's a "child molester" for having a crush on David Archuleta is pretty much the last word on the matter.

• The UK Fire Minister is launching a program to recruit more gays and lesbians for the fire bridage. One, this is fabulous and not anything I can even imagine happening here in the States. And two, I have your solution: hire Michael Biserta.

• "I've come to wish you an unhappy birthday ..." (Morrissey turns 49 today)

• The NewNowNext boys sat down with Jason Preston (Marc Jacobs's on-again, off-again boyfriend) to set the record straight. (They're off-again.)

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

Tony winners David Hyde Pierce are and Sara Ramirez are all smiles at this morning's announcement

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 other day we mentioned that Neil Patrick Harris and Rosie O'Donnell would be among the celebrity guests on the upcoming primetime Million Dollar Password. Here's a rather hilarious interview with NPH behind-the-scenes, compete with another excellent Regis impression.

• Hiding in Hip Hop author Terrance Dean will be reading from the tell-most book this week in NYC, and taking Q&A. Check out AfterElton.com contributor Clay Cane's site for details.

• Hey Freak Show fans: Check out this kinda hilarious video of author James St. James reading from his brilliant young adult novel along with several other Lambda Literary Award nominees at A Different Light bookstore, hosted by Christopher Rice.

• In case you missed it, Neil Patrick Harris wound up in bed with Britney last night ... so that we don't have to. Thanks for taking one for the team, NPH!

• Apparently actor Mike Epps is famous enough to be stalked and harassed into a verbal and physical altercation by the bottom-feeders at TMZ. Epps regrettably stoops the their level by calling one of the paps "a fag, homosexual". 

• RADAR takes Joel Derfner, the author of Swish, to the Hello Kitty store and out for ice cream. Given that the rest of the book's title is "My Quest to Become the Gayest Person Ever", I'm guessing "Swish" isn't a basketball reference?

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

The Washington Post issued its list for the Best Books for Young People, and what do you know, James St. James's wonderful Freak Show (which tells the story of a budding drag legend adapting to life in a conservative new town) was mentioned as one of the three best books for teens. The piece also referred to the novel as the "funniest young-adult novel of the year -- and a profile in out-of-the-mainstream courage."

Agreed on both counts! Hats (or bonnets, or Pucci scarves) off to St. James for the mention, and if you haven't picked up Freak Show yet, definitely check it out, as well as our interview with the author. 

World of Wonder is reporting that James St. James' hilarious young adult novel, Freak Show, will be honored by the School Library Journal as the Best Young Adult Book of the Year. (SLJ hasn't added the announcement to their website yet so it's not official, but we're inclined to believe the word is good.) Freak Show tells the story of a teenage drag queen trying not only to survive high school in a conservative small town, but also to nab the crown as homecoming queen.

James St. James talked with AfterElton last May, where he described Freak Show as a very autobiographical story, reflecting the isolation he experienced in high school. St. James also observed that things have definitely improved for gay students since his youth. The idea of a book like Freak Show being honored by an influential publication like the School Library Journal certainly supports the idea, and sends a huge message to both teens and educators about understanding and acceptance.

Congratulations to James St. James for a well-earned award, and we can't wait for the official announcement!

• Great news: Freak Show, the unapologetically queer and inarguably fabulous teen novel by James St. James, has been nominated for an ALA Best Book for Young Adults award.
  

• Star Trek: Odyssey, a fan-created spinoff from the Hidden Frontier folks centering around gay Starfleet officer Ro Nevin, is sneak-peeking its pilot episode, "Iliad", today. Set phasers to "intrigued"...
  

• Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange to be terrorized by fame-hungry raccoons in the feature film adaptation of Grey Gardens, not to be mistaken for the musical adaptation or the original documentary. And who says they don't write good roles for women anymore?

• Is Queen Latifah the new Jodie Foster?

• Not Without My Gays: Katie Heigl (we're on a nickname basis now, right?) reportedly would not walk down the aisle unless T.R. could be there. Related: People like their friends to be at their weddings.

• Barrowmania! continues, with these naughty outtakes from his Out Magazine interview. Yeah, like the interview itself wasn't naughty enough!
• In discussing his upcoming book, Stephen Colbert lays down his thoughts on gayness: "I'm 100% heterosexual because I'm only attracted to women, and when I am attracted to gay men, I get very angry. That's how I know I'm not gay."
• Out Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson (remember how we fawned over him before Barrowmania! took hold? How fickle we are!) is among the fabulous talent who will be participating in the Celeb Autobiography: In Their Own Words comedy benefit (for The Actor's Fund) in NYC. Fellow gay actor Jack Plotnick, Kristen Johnston, Jackie Hoffman, Mary Testa and more join him.

• Gay former footballer Dave Kopay (who came out after he retired) just gifted a million smackers to the University of Washington's LGBT center.
• Remember club kids? Remember BEFORE club kids? I know, it's like "pre-Velcro" or something. But here's an awesome clip of a 1988 NYC downtown scene recording session of an AIDS benefit track spearheaded by a baby-faced Michael Musto and featuring some of the greats of the scene, including my own personal hero James St. James. I'm getting nostalgic for a time I was never around for in the first place ... ain't the Internet grand?
• For you Greek fans: Michael Ausiello has some spoilers for next week's finale, including a little on what happens with Calvin, the show's gay character.