Grapevine’s Ed Stoddard, a religion correspondent for Reuters, reports in this article that although religious conservatives have criticized Republican nominee John McCain for being too liberal on things like gay rights, there’s one issue they can agree on: abortion.

“Polls suggest the issue is becoming even more entrenched in conservative Christian culture,” Stoddard writes. “An analysis of surveys from 2001 to 2007 by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that young white evangelicals between the ages of 18 and 29 were even more conservative on the issue than their elders. It found 70 percent said they were in favor of making it more difficult for a woman to get an abortion compared with 55 percent of older white evangelicals and 39 percent of young Americans overall.”

In related McCain news, Matt Barber of Concerned Women for America is concerned that McCain may have expressed support for civil unions during his appearance on Ellen Degeneres’ TV show last week, according to this story from the American Family Association’s OneNewsNow. Barber notes that McCain wished Ellen, who plans to marry partner Portia de Rossi, “nothing but happiness.”

“I would like to mirror that sentiment,” Barber says. “I wish Ellen nothing but happiness — but not the kind of quasi-happiness that comes in the temporal, or in this world through sinful self-indulgence. I would wish upon her the type of happiness that can only come from a relationship with Jesus Christ.”

I’m about to file my third formal request in as many days for information related to Dallas’ ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. I’ve been forced to take this course of action because after my article about the ordinance in last week’s Voice, the city said it will no longer release any information whatsoever related to the ordinance without written requests under the Texas Public Information Act.

Under the act, the city has 10 days to provide the requested information or refer the matter to the Texas Attorney General’s Office for a decision about whether it can be released.

Previously, representatives from the city’s Fair Housing Office, which investigates complaints under the ordinance, said they’d be willing to provide basic information without written requests. They said they could tell me how many complaints had been filed, the dates they were filed and their dispositions.

But all this changed after the city atttorney’s office — and specifically a guy name Michael Bostic — got wind of my investigation. Bostic told me yesterday that under the Public Information Act, the city has every right to require written requests. I told him while this is clearly true (who do you think you’re dealing with, asshole?), the city routinely releases all sorts of information without written requests. This is primarily because there’s no question the information should be public, and to require written requests would simply make more work for city employees.

But apparently Bostic doesn’t have anything better to do, because he isn’t wavering from his position. And apparently the city thinks it’s a valuable use of taxpayers’ money to pay people like Bostic to do the busy work of reviewing and responding to unnecessary requests for information. Then again, if you’re not going to enforce your own ordinances, you’ve got to find something for your staff to do. Personally, I think they should put Bostic in charge of enforcing the ordinance, instead of having him try to cover up its non-enforcement. Then maybe we wouldn’t have 0 prosecutions in six years despite 22 complaints filed.

Ladies and gents … the June 2nd cover of National Enquirer.

In the May 23 issue of Dallas Voice, we had a story about the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation working to re-energize its Dallas chapter. One of the projects intended to help do this is the new GLAAD-Dallas Leadership Council..

I just wanted to take a minute here to say congratulations to those named to the council, especially to Philomena “Phil” Aceto, who — by the way — did a wonderful job for us back when she was a correspondent with DVtv.

Way to go Phil!

Lindsay Lohan has announced she wants to marry Samantha Ronson.
The ‘Mean Girls’ star was seen sporting a ring at the Dolce and Gabanna party at the Cannes Film Festival, in France, and reportedly told her former lover, British model Calum Best, the pair are engaged.
Lohan, 21, and 30-year-old DJ Ronson — sister of music producer Mark Ronson — were also spotted at one of P. Diddy’s infamous boat parties kissing passionately and draped over each other.
According to Britain’s Daily Star newspaper, the ‘Georgia Rule’ star has apparently told friends she wants to have a partnership ceremony with Ronson at Dolly Parton’s Dollywood theme park in July.
She is also referring to herself as Lindsay Ronson.
Rumours Lohan and Ronson are more than just friends have been circulating for months.
Previously leaked emails from Lohan to Ronson said: “Babe, if I don’t have you in my life then I should just go die. I want to marry you.”
Reports also suggest that since returning from the world famous film festival, Lohan has moved into Ronson’s Los Angeles home.

— Provided by BANG Showbiz 

In today’s print edition, I wrote about how the City Attorney’s Office is refusing to release records related to complaints filed under the city’s ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. This stance is problematic because not one of the 22 complaints filed under the ordinance since 2002 was prosecuted by the city. Who knows, maybe this is because they were all bogus. But ultimately there is no way of knowing that without seeing the complaints themselves.

Anyhow, it would appear as though today, the City Attorney’s Office is digging in its heels. I just received an e-mail saying that in the future any information whatsoever about the complaints, including things like the statistics that were published in today’s Voice, must be formally requested in writing. Previously the city was willing to provide stats related to how many complaints were filed without a a written request.

So what’s going on here? Well, it could be that City Attorney’s Office is pissed, and in retaliation for my story they’ve decided to do whatever they can to make my life more difficult. But I doubt that. A more likely explanation is that the City Attorney’s Office fears other news agencies will soon request the numbers, which frankly don’t look very good on their surface.

In six years, there have been 22 complaints, zero prosecutions and just one “mediated result.” If the City Attorney’s Office is enforcing the ordinance properly, you’d think they would be anxious to release the files themselves so everyone could see that the complaints lacked merit. But that’s obviously not the case. Stay tuned.

Yesterday, I was on the horn with the original Firecrotch herself, Kathy Griffin (she called me from Hawaii). While reseraching, I looked at her tour schedule. She’s playing Nokia on July 26. Tickets go on sale June 6.

The new season of “My Life on the D List” begins airing June 12. My interview will run in the June 6 edition of Dallas Voice — where I asked Kathy, “Who’s gayer, Anderson Cooper or Clay Aiken.”

Those halcyon synth-pop days of ’80s are back. Alison Moet and Vince Clarke are reuniting, and they’re playing the Lakewood on Tuesday, July 22.

Tickets go on sale, May 30 at 10 a.m.

Nathan Castaneda (Photo by Tabitha Russell)

We’re still holding our breath for Wentworth Miller to come out during gay Pride month. But in the meantime, “Prison Break” just added an openly queer actor: Nathan Castaneda, pictured.

Castaneda and his partner, Robert Ille, are part-owners of Veracruz Cafe (LOVE that chicken mole!).

Last season, Castaneda landed the role of “Mariano” in episode 310, “Dirt Nap,” which is available on-demand on the FOX website for free (FYI: you have to install their player).

The new season won’t be filmed in Dallas — they’re moving production to California. But Castaneda was called to revive his role for at least one more episode. He starts filming May 31. All of his scenes are with Robert Knepper, the show’s gloriously wicked “T-Bag.”

In light of the news that American Airlines will now be charging a minimum of $15 per checked bag on all flights, I was intrigued by a press release from Spirit Airlines. They are inaugurating service between Fort Lauderdale and Columbia, S.C. — and since everyone in my family but me lives in South Carolina, it caused me to notice. The introductory fare for these trips? Nine bucks. That’s 90 dimes; 36 quarters. That’s it.

So I wonder: When I visit my parents, if I come from South Florida, can I fly myself on American and have Spirit take my bags so I can save money?