Page 1 Roundup (09/23)

On Gay Priests, Pope Francis Asks, ‘Who Am I to Judge?’

Via NYT: 

Striking a breathtakingly conciliatory approach to a hot-button issue that has divided Catholics, Pope Francis on Monday said that he would not judge priests for their sexual orientation. “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis said, according to media reports. 

Bill Maher is convinced Pope Francis is an atheist. I'm not sure about that. But he's certainly the "best" pope I've lived to see. Read on HERE.

Welcome to the Miss Understanding Pageant

UPDATE: Paris Match also picked up the "story" HERE!

My friend Scooter LaForge (second from right) and his pals are in Rio de Janeiro, where they were invited to partake in the art project Sobre Saltos (On Heels). 

As FreakChic explains, Sobre Saltos was conceived by artists Stélio Constantino Barbosa and Nizael Flores de Almeida, where male participants wear high heels while they walk naturally and silently in public spaces, often creating strange reactions by those who are watching them. Stelio and Nizael believe that seeing men on the streets walking in heels can awaken society to rethink the diversity and sexuality in its own contexts. 

The guys were looking fierce, so Reuters photographer Sergio Moraes approached them for some photos Unbeknowst to the guys, though, Moraes ended up sending his pics over the wire describing them as men in heels "protesting Pope Francis's visit to Brazil," which actually had nothing to do with the project. I'm not even sure if Scooter even knew the pope was in Brazil this week, but now that I think about it, it's probably not a bad tie-in!

The Reuters "story" is HERE.

Reuters: Men were photographed wearing high heels in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil during what they said was 'an artistic' protest ahead of Pope Francis' visit to the beach. Pope Francis is on his first trip abroad as pontiff, spending a week in Brazil where over a million people are expected to see him. Brazil is home to the world's largest Catholic population.

Hail, Mary!

 Seen on Facebook.

Separated at Birth: Joseph Ratzinger and James Franco?

With thanks to my friend Mark Allen for pointing out the similarity. James Franco is probably already working on a film -- we know how much he loves playing controversial gay characters ...