We wanted to touch on folk icon Kate McGarrigle's passing yesterday, but perhaps a poignant eulogy penned by her son Rufus Wainwright today might be the most appropriate way to remember the incredible artist.

Posting earlier today on his blog, Rufus wrote:

When inevitably I read today in the papers that my mother lost her battle with cancer last night, I am filled with an immense desire to add that this battle, though lost, was tremendously fruitful during these last three and a half years of her life. She witnessed her daughter’s marriage, the creation of my first opera, the birth of her first grandchild Arcangelo, and gave the greatest performance of her life to a packed crowd at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Not to mention traveling...

A piece of musical theater history is coming to Hollywood for a strict two week run. Cats, which became the longest running musical in theater history after eight years on the West End in the 80s, lands at the Pantages on March 9. Tickets for the family favorite (family as in GLBT!) go on sale this Sunday, January 24! Head here for tickets or more info.

Update:

Throughout cross-examination, Cooper worked on trying to discredit Badgett’s numbers: be it financial estimates, benefits lost between domestic partnership and marriage or otherwise. Badgett continually stood behind her research. Cooper used data found in the Netherlands, which reportedly showed heterosexual marriages dropped after same-sex marriage became legal there—as if to show a correlation. (Note: The actual data and charts shown in trial can be found at www.prop8trialtracker.com)

In pointing to California stats in 2004, Cooper tried to make the argument that gay people don’t really want “permanent” relationships, as domestic partnership dissolutions went up, even as rights were being increased, and at the same...

We are fans of walk-in closets, unless closeted anti-gay politicians take up valuable real estate within them. There's something not so fashionable about bigots wielding their power to steal away our rights, only to find out they've been “one of us” all along. Well, if you're a fan of exhilirating exposure (who isn't) and jaw-dropping film, you need to see Outrage, out on DVD today.

GLAAD may have snubbed Outrage out of the org's highly-publicized 2010 awards, but we don't have the heart to do the same. Last year's controversial and revealing documentary garnered headlines with its premise: call out the closeted politicians who cast votes that harm the GLBT community. The film took some balls, and filmmaker Kirby Dick provided...

The annual trek to the desert for a weekend of amazing music continues this year, with some huge and some not-so-huge (but good!) names on the bill, just announced this morning.

The headliners: Jay-Z, Muse, the Gorillaz.

Other notables, gays and queer faves: Tiesto, David Guetta, Kaskade, Sia, Little Boots, Matt & Kim,  Benny Benassi, La Roux, Hot Chip, MGMT, Corinne Bailey Rae and the one and only...Grace Jones!

Coachella 2010 happens April 16-18 in Indio, California. Get more info and the full lineup at www.coachella.com

What do you think of this year's sets?

Nepal is poised to outpace the U.S. on matters of equality as it redrafts its constitution to include equality for sexual minorities. While states in America are redrafting constitutions to enshrine inequality, the mountainous nation will become the first country in Asia to grant full equality to its GLBT community.

Though the new charter doesn't become law of the land for another five months, companies seeking to profit off of equality are kicking into high gear. Towleroad reports that a Nepalese Communist legislator has launched a gay travel company promoting weddings for GLBT couples on Mt. Everest.

From The Telegraph:

The country's new constitution will legalise homosexual marriage in May this year, when "Pink Mountain" will...

...

The lovely Dolly!

Ms. Parton is 64 today. Holla!

April showers bring fall boyfriends. Or something. While we wait for season 1 pt. 2 of Glee to kick off in spring, a morsel of news just fell out of the sky regarding season 2 pt. 1 of the hit Fox show: Kurt's getting a boyfriend. Producer Ryan Murphy revealed the storyline on the red carpet of the Golden Globes over the weekend.

“We just announced we’re doing a nationwide search for the season 2 cast, and [a boyfriend for Kurt is] one of the three roles that we’re adding. And we’re going to make them a power couple. We’re not going to do the whole hiding in the shadows thing. We’re going to make them popular, and out and proud and glamorous. Like prom king and king. We’re doing the opposite of what’s been done.”

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This clip has made it around the Interwebs almost as much in the past day as Megan Fox did in 2009, but at least this one has substance.

One of our favorite blog talking points, Anderson Cooper, is seen in this video pulling an injured boy out of a violent crowd of rioting looters. We found it pretty remarkable, and worth giving some blog love by sharing it with you here.

There's some non-Prop 8 trial marriage equality news today coming out of Indiana and Hawaii.

First up, Indiana:

A constitutional amendment that would ban marriage equality in Indiana has been introduced into the state senate. The measure has been introduced in Indiana's House of Representatives before, where it passed one chamber before failing in the next. Though experts believe the discriminatory amendment will pass the senate, it is unlikely it'll make it out of the state house again, where democrats haven't allowed it to survive in the past.

And in Hawaii:

The civil union bill that went nowhere last year in Hawaii might be up for vote again this week in the state. The possibility drew thousands of protestors to rally against...

One of Instinct's 2009 Leading Men, Adam Bouska, continues to add names and portraits to his viral battle for civil rights, the NOH8 Campaign. This tima around, the photog snapped sexy shirtless shots of Real World D.C.'s bisexual houseguest, Mike Manning, as well as Bravo head-honcho-hottie, Andy Cohen. Enjoy!