What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Stealing America: Vote by Vote This documentary takes a look at how electronic votes are tallied and how susceptible voting machines are to tampering. You can tell by the title that it doesn't come to any happy conclusions. Critical opinions on this film are split right down the middle, so we're not sure what to tell you. It could leave you better informed about what to......

Imagine a world where Catholic schoolboys just becoming aware of their sexuality and sexual identity choose to spend their off-hours reading and privately performing Shakespeare rather than playing sports or locking themselves in the bathroom with pornography. Improbable? Absolutely. But it's the world in which Shakespeare's R+J, playwright Joe Calarco's adaptation of what is possibly the world's most famous love story, is set. And produced by Mauckingbird Theatre Company under the direction of Peter......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Hard Core Barbie: Project Runway viewing party every Wednesday, with Barbie design challenge for all in attendance, at National Mechanics (22 S 3rd), 11PM. $7 Gay Catholic Erotica Author: Scott D. Pomfret reads from his new book Since My Last Confession: A Gay Catholic Memoir at Giovanni’s Room (345 S 12th), 5:30PM. Free PW Concerts in the Park: XPN welcomes Adam Arcuragi and The Capitol Years in Rittenhouse......

Philly has a new Mr. Gay Philadelphia. He was crowned—well, bannered—Friday night at the Mr. Gay Philadelphia 2008 contest held at the Gershman Y on the Avenue of the Arts. At the end of an evening that included star-studded celebrity judges, amazing entertainment, contestants in evening wear and swimwear, and a Q&A, John Caputo beat out all the others to take the title. He was then mugged on stage by family and friends. (Text and......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Chris and Don. A Love Story A documentary examining the romantic relationship between writer Christopher Isherwood and painter Don Bachardy. Interviews with Don himself are included, as are personal documents belonging to Isherwood. Critics are giving the film great reviews; they say it's touching and fascinating. Trailer - Freshness Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse CSNY Déjà Vu This documentary takes a look at Crosby, Stills,......

Films: black./womyn, The Secrets, Finding Me, Pansy Division: Life in a Gay Rock Band Future Screenings: None The house lights are dark, the last ticket's torn, the festival's over. Here's a wrap-up of some of the last films I checked out. (All of them Netflix-queue-worthy.) black./womyn Local director Tiona M. won the "Best Documentary Feature" audience award this year for her film black./womyn, and it was well-deserved. She interviewed approximately fifty African-American women of all......

If you haven't checked out the film festival yet, you still have one last chance tonight. Hosts Robert Drake and Michaela Majoun present the 14th Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival’s Audience and Jury Awards, and a showing of the lush, gender-bending festival closer Were the World Mine follows. See you there!......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. Cracked presents The 7 Most Bizarre Fast Food Industry Lawsuits. (Via Sarah) At the Movies with Ebert & Roeper will soon no longer have Ebert or Roeper. Ebert is leaving over a dispute with Disney (which owns the show); he and Siskel's widow own the trademark for the thumbs-up/ thumbs-down film verdict, and they could not come to......

Film: Otto; or, Up with Dead People Future Screening: None Again, life got in the way and I ended up seeing only one other festival movie this weekend. And I'm afraid it may be my last this year. But hey, there's always next year! Otto; or, Up with Dead People Hey, it's another movie with two titles and an "or" between them! And actually, I could give the film yet another title: That Gay Zombie......

Film: The Polymath, or the Life and Opinions of Samuel R. Delany, Gentleman Future Screening: None I'll come right out and admit it: I've done a bad job of attending the Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival this year. But, I have done better this year than any previous year, because this year I've actually made it out to a film, and I have definite plans to see at least one or two more.......

Films: Affinity, Out Late Future Screening: None Every year, when PIGLFF rolls around, I have the best of intentions. Then life gets in the way, and I never see quite as many as I'd like. I've managed to squeeze in a few so far this year, and hey, the weekend's coming. (Next on my list: tonight's Pansy Division: Life in a Gay Rock Band and Polymath, and Sunday's black./womyn). What's on yours?) Affinity Sarah Waters......

We already put up a pretty extensive preview of the Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival a couple of weeks ago, but we wanted to give the film fest another brief mention today, since it starts tonight! The opening night film is filmmaker Todd Stephens' follow-up to his PIGLFF 2006 hit Another Gay Movie—Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!. The screening tonight at the Prince Music Theater is sold out. Of course, if......

The 2008 Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival... is quite a mouthful. So we'll be calling it PIGLFF from now on. Anyway, the festival's official website went online yesterday, and tickets went on sale, too, so it's past time to put your schedule together! You can check out a pdf of the festival program right here (the only difference between it and the Philadelphia Film Festival program is that this one spends a lot......

Photo by anitakhart/Flickr SFist asked, since it was National Pigeon Day this past week, one simple question about the urban winged creature: love 'em or hate 'em?California prepared for legal gay marriage, which begins Monday evening, and also watched as Los Angeles celebrated equality during last week's Pride celebration.Torontoist featured photos from Woofstock, the city's festival for all things pooch—and the largest and most adorable event of its kind on the continent. The event......

Philadelphia public and parochial schools plan to maintain regular hours today, but some schools in the surrounding area are closing or having early dismissals due to the excessive heat. Click through for the full list. A bunch of insane people actually had a bike race in Manayunk this past weekend, and other insane people actually went outside to watch it. Uh, whatever. We were inside keeping cool. The Inquirer discusses Mayor Street's already fading legacy.......

Oh, Gayborhood... how this Phillyist will miss you when she moves out of her old apartment this weekend!......

Photo by SFist's James Passey SFist reported on this week's California State Supreme Court's ruling that overturned the ban on same-sex marriage.Londonist noted that Boris Johnson – the city's brand-new mayor – continues to polarize opinion, even when announcing obviously good news. Is he a genuine change for the better, or is he just taking credit for his predecessor's ground-work?Philllyist did some celebrity stalking on the set of Owen Wilson's latest, Marley and Me.LAist......

Recent events over the border in New Jersey have brought to light the sad plight of some of the people who appear on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition—they're given a big amazing house and then can't afford to pay the taxes and utilities on it. In its typically overblown and melodramatic fashion, the Daily News takes a closer look at the phenomenon of cop-killers, in the wake of the murder of Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski. The Daily......

The five blasts from a Chinese-made SKS assault rifle that killed Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski on Saturday have reignited the debate on gun control laws. Eric DeShawn Floyd is still being sought in the crime, and a reward of more than $140,000 is being offered for information leading to his capture. A vigil was held yesterday to honor Liczbinski. And finally, Mayor Nutter requested that all flags in the city be lowered to half-staff during a......

While touring Pennsylvania yesterday touting his health care plan, John McCain also got in a dig against Obama for failing to endorse the proposal, supported by himself and Clinton, to suspend the federal gasoline tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day. "City officials yesterday embraced the concept of bicycle sharing as a way to reduce traffic and pollution, but said many questions must be answered before Philadelphia becomes the first U.S. city to institute public......

Equality Forum 2008 kicked off yesterday with a VIP reception at City Hall, marking the beginning of a week of presentations, panel discussions and, of course, parties. Panel topics run the gamut from body image and health issues in the GLBT community to politics and legal concerns. For those seeking culture as well as knowledge, an art exhibit is on display throughout the week at University of the Arts, while Hedwig and the Angry Inch......

Mantua Hall at 35th and Fairmount, one of the original 40 high-rise public housing towers built as part of the city's urban-renewal era, was imploded this weekend. It was the 21st such tower that the Philadelphia Housing Authority has imploded since 1995. The end of the building is considered a new beginning for Mantua. But the scandal involving the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Philadelphia Housing Authority could lead to the flow......

Get your gay on this week at the U Penn campus with a slew of great events that make up QPenn 2008. QPenn is Penn's annual LGBTQ pride and awareness week. The programming kicked off late last week but there are plenty of highlights still to come, including the launch party tonight (6:00 PM at the Penn LGBT Center). We're pretty excited about seeing popular and controversial sex columnist Dan Savage speak on Wednesday night.......

The closure of I-95 has taken a toll on some, but the road did indeed reopen this morning around 6:30AM, and it's expected to remain open during the more permanent repair of the cracked column that will soon follow, and which should take about a month. After that comes the really major work: "Replacing the whole elevated stretch of I-95 between Spring Garden Street and Cottman Avenue." A split three-member panel of the Philadelphia......

Today we have basketball, masturbation, and ancient, unrequited love. What more can we say? YOUNG FRIENDS PROGRAM: GREATEST HEARTBREAKS OF ANCIENT TIMES The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology knows how to kick it old school, especially around Valentine's Day. The most sacred of Hallmark holidays, Valentine's Day is a day which lonely people spend masturbating and couples spend, well, um, doing romantic stuff? Anyway, the Young Friends of Penn Museum are bringing......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Money Folders II: Second installment of series featuring the Philadelphyinz, DJ Gravity, and more at the Arts Garage (1535 Ridge Avenue), 10PM-3AM. $10 (women free before 10:30PM) Sing, Sing a Song: Choral Concert with Organ presented by the Delius Society at St. Mark’s Church (1625 Locust), 7:30. Free Art Is Primary: Opening reception for Red Yellow Blue, a solo show of artist Vincent McLoughlin, at AXD Gallery......

I showed up at Mauckingbird Theatre Company's The Misanthrope with a combination of excitement and trepidation. Excitement because I love Molière and Dito van Reigersberg. Trepidation because an all-male production of a French farce? I expected half the cast to be in outrageous Marie Antoinette-like drag costumes. It's not that I don't love a good drag show – it's just that I didn't see that combining it with Molière would be anything less than......

Phillyist has been known to run with an older crowd, maybe because inexplicably we were/are the youngest by at least 10 years at most of our places of employ. A fun game to play if you have a good decade to work with is “what was different?” This sometimes devolves into discussions of Slinky (yes, we are old enough to remember when they were exclusively made of metal). When working with a more serious bunch,......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Ice Dancing: University City District presents Winterfest!, a night of public skating, at the Class of 1923 Ice Rink (3130 Walnut), 5-8PM. $1, skate rental free (but show up ½ hour early to reserve your pair) Sing Us a Song: Steve Odabashian’s Happy Hour Piano Show, every Friday at the Cascamorto Piano Bar (1939 Arch), 5-8:30PM. Free SATURDAY No Clowns: Transistor Rodeo, Rhondo, and Ledbetter Heights at......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. Here's the fascinating story of how amateur sleuths solved the mystery of the missing remains of Czar Nicholas II's family members. (Via Jill) Just because the Thanksgiving holiday weekend is over doesn't mean we're out of fun Thanksgiving-related links for you. First of all, turns out it's probably not the turkey itself that makes you sleepy after the......