A day after SF Weekly reported on the strangeness of SF Pride's choices for grand marshal for this year's pride parade, the committee did something even more strange.

On Friday, board president Lisa L. Williams released a statement withdrawing the committee's nomination of Army Private First Class Bradley Manning, calling it a "mistake" and saying that a rogue staff person had contacted Manning prematurely after a few internal conversations.

"That was an error and the person has been disciplined."

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If you were just starting to move on from Michelle Shocked's "God Hates Fags" remark she made here in San Francisco this week, best you take a (Muni) seat to read this story.

Starting next month, Muni will run six bus ads featuring Muslim leaders bagging on gays. The Examiner reported the latest controversy over Muni bus ads, which seem to be a money-saving way to incorporate both phobias (Islam, homosexuals) in one ad campaign.

Here's one of the ads that you will soon see on Muni: The message quotes Yusuf al-Qaradawi of the Muslim Brotherhood saying, "The punishment of homosexuality is the death penalty." The ad ends saying "That's His Jihad. What's Yours?"

See Also: "Islamophobic" Muni Ads Are Back on Buses

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Lottie Kendall via YouTube

Pretty ... pretty closed

Update March 15: Good news from Martin's Beach. Lee Houskeeper, spokesman for the surfers, reports the following:

"Four squad cars from the San Mateo Sheriffs drove up when [former Congressman] Pete McCloskey jumped over the electric gate covered with "private" "no trespassing" signs. They informed McCloskey that they were there to escort the congressman and the dozen surfers he was leading past billionaire Vinod Khosla's private Blackwater type security force of 5 or 6 visible armed guys with radios from Oakland's Golden Gate Security. They sheriff's told over a dozen reporters that they would not arrest anyone for using the only access to martin's beach until the Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy lawsuit on behalf of Surfriders was settled. The surfers and Pete spent over two hours at the beach and then went to Duartes in Pescadero for lunch to celebrate their victory."

Original story March 14: Keeping a surfer away from the water is like trying to keep a hungry shark away from a pool of blood.

That's why a group of activist surfers (yes, there is such thing) this morning is planning to bust through the locked gates at Martin's Beach to access the popular stretch of sand and water which was sold and closed to the public in 2008.

"This is an outrage that the people can be shut out of this beautiful place that I have enjoyed since 1948 just because some billionaire wants to own his own beach," said former Republican Rep. Pete McCloskey, who is planning to lead the surfers in this illegal action.

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Yesterday, Peter Acworth, the founder and CEO of Kink.com, released a response to my story ("Gag Order") about the complexities of model treatment inside his ethical porn business. But the response wasn't initially sent to me; rather, it went to other Bay Area news outlets.

When I eventually obtained a copy of it, I was extremely surprised by its contents. Rather than directly addressing the concerns raised in my story, the response read like a somewhat prevaricating thank-you note. Thanks for not publishing those damaging e-mails about our company. P.S. You're a shoddy journalist.

The response also floated the suggestion that I'd knowingly relied on forged e-mails to write the story. That's absolutely false. Were emails involved in my initial reporting process? Yes. Did any of their contents end up in print? Nope.

Confused? I was, too. Here's the deal: I've been researching, writing, and discussing ethical porn for the last nine months. Over that period of time, I've heard wildly conflicting stories about what it's like to work for Kink. I could tell right away that some were false or biased, and so I didn't write about them. Others seemed legitimate in their original telling, and were verified by screenshots, videos, photos, and bank statements. Some sources opened their e-mail accounts to me. Particularly disturbing e-mails, apparently from Acworth, were revealed.

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Best Fox News Faux Pas Ever

Here's something that should shake any doubts you have about that whole Fox News being a "credible source" thing.

The conservative news station ran a story the other day with its usual babble about how women should stop being so confused, make peace with themselves, and find a man to marry so that conservatives can stop worrying about gay marriage. The story made complete sense -- for a Fox News diatribe -- until, of course, you glance at the accompanying photo, which was of a kissing couple wedded atop the Empire State Building.

Unbeknownst to Fox News, that happy couple were Stephanie and Lela Figarelle -- two lesbians!

Oops.

See Also: Fox News Host Says S.F. Public Nudists Were "Gang Banged" as Kids

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Courtesy of PETA

You be the judge

Update 3:13 p.m.:PETA folks contacted us this afternoon, asking that we run an updated photo of the real PETA nudists so that you can see for yourself that they are in no way "unsightly." So here you go, the updated (NSFW) photo is to your right.

Original story 8 a.m.: It's clear PETA activists aren't appreciative of all the negative attention San Francisco's nudists are taking away from them. So naturally, the always-offended group is attempting to one-up the city's naturists with a let's-get-naked rally of their own.

On Thursday, PETA activists will gather outside City Hall "wearing nothing but the smiles on their faces." Their cause really has nothing to do with nudism, body expression, or the First Amendment, but they are advocating on behalf of animal skin, if you're desperate for a connection.

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Christmas Eve this year is really not a convenient time to fall ill

If you are feeling under the weather, now is a great time to stockpile Vitamin C.

Bay Area nurses are planning to walk off the job at various Sutter Health hospitals come Monday as part of a larger effort to draw attention to the inadequate staffing at regional hospitals.

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Hooray for meat!

If you were planning on a low-key lunch in Mill Valley today, be sure to order the veggie special.

Animal rights activists are gathering at Piatti Restaurant in Mill Valley at noon to trash Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi for capitalizing off veal.

According to the group In Defense of Animals:

Leader Pelosi claims to be "green" and a "sustainable living" supporter, while allowing the sale of veal at four restaurants in which she is an investor. In Defense of Animals' (IDA) members and supporters have sent Leader Pelosi almost 8,000 faxes asking her to adopt a No Veal policy at all of her restaurants.

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