Updates: Gay panic, Harvey Milk School, Guillen's hairdresser, Poodle pride

The Diaz Family: We've written about the homophobic New York State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. in the past as well as his not-so-homophobic son, Assemblymember Ruben Diaz, Jr.

Let's start with the better of the two, Junior, who might be embroiled in some of the scandals involving the distribution of discretionary public funding for the not so altruistic benefit of his own parents and his step-mother, but has never expressed, to my knowledge, a homophobic comment or sentiment (unlike his father), and has actually sometimes acted to reign in his dad's attacks on the LGBT community.

Over at the Stonewall Democrats of New York blog, you will see that the group is working with Jr. to pass legislation to ban so-called "gay panic" defense strategies in the courts of New York State in the wake of the attack on Kevin Aviance. On Tuesday, SDNY posted the draft text and is looking to build support for the bill in the next legislative session.

In the meantime, considering how much broo-ha-ha there was over Mayor Mike Bloomberg's decision to allow the City to provide public funds to the Harvey Milk School in 2003 and the follow-up suit against the city claiming that the move discriminated against schools that served minorities in the boroughs (lead plaintiff? Yup! Diaz, Sr.), it's shocking how little play the actual resolution of the suit has received since a Tuesday settlement was reported yesterday in the New York Post.

As recently as March, Diaz, Sr. was foaming at the mouth at the lack of a court desision blaming New York Supreme Court Justice Doris-Ling Cohan for taking her time while ruling in favor of the right to marry for same sex couples in New York State (no big surprise that Diaz, Sr. is also a lead plaintiff against the right to marry for gay couples in the recent New York State Court of Appeals hearing on the issue).

In an agreement that Diaz, Sr. called "beneficial to everyone," the City simply agreed to stop referring to the Harvey Milk High School as a "gay school." Sounds to me like a huge defeat for the Reverend.

Ozzie Guillen: Ozzie, Ozzie, Ozzie! Last week we took Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to task for claiming his Venezuelan cultural background for not knowing that calling someone a "fucking fag" was homophobic. He's already said that the fact that he likes Madonna should give him a pass anyway but, since then, he sorta "quote unquote" apologized (full interview video here), was fined for the slur and ordered to attend sensitivity trainings.

Now, he's threatening to follow through with a visit to the upcoming Gay Games (Chicago, July 15th - July 22nd). The Chicago Sun-Times reports today that one of the organizers of the Games is simply thrilled: "We're glad to hear he'll be attending because it demonstrates how the gay games brings people together -- whether straight or gay -- through competition. There's no hurt feelings. He's apologized . . . he won't do it again" (we are betting that the no hurt feelings policy has nothing, null, zero and absolutely no relationship to the golden public relations bonanza they've been getting from Guillen telling everyone he will use the Games as his 'I'm no homo but I'm not a homophobe either' calling card).

Better yet! Guillen's bestest hairdresser friend Edwin Quiroz, a gay Latino man to boot, told the Sun-Times: "He just wants to do things like that. He's a cool guy. It's what I expect Ozzie to do."

Gwen Knapp at the San Francisco Chronicle suggests he bring along John Rocker to the games. We still say he has not really apologized and that the Gay Games should disinvite him.

Oswaldo Gomez a/k/a Miss Colombia a/k/a La Paisa a/k/a Rosita Oswald: Never say that you didn't hear it first! Back in October (yes! October!) we pointed out that Colombian sensation La Paisa was not only featured in the Queens Tribune first ever gay-themed special issue but on VH1's Best Week Ever! Well, world domination is next: Just this week there were sightings in the New York Press AND the AP as pictured above. Go Oswaldo!

Come on, Guillen, kiss La Paisa and all will be forgiven!