Federal governments in the UK and US are marking Pride this month with parties and policy promises, but there's only silence from Canada's Conservative government.

The White House is planning a reception next week to mark Pride, the Advocate reports. US President Barack Obama recently declared June to be "LGBT Pride Month" for the second year in a row.

Is it all just tokenism? Efforts to achieve legal equality have been slow under Obama's administration, but Obama at least deserves some props. When was the last time you heard Stephen Harper even say the word "gay" in public? 

US President Barack Obama, Canadian PM Stephen Harper, UK Deputy PM Nick Clegg and UK PM David Cameron 

Across the Atlantic, the UK's new Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition hosted a pre-Pride party today. The UK government also just launched a queer issues policy plan, which includes:

• allowing gay people to have religious civil partnerships;
• lobbying other countries to repeal homophobic laws and recognize UK civil partnerships;
• removing historical convictions for consensual gay sex from criminal records;
• tackling homophobic bullying;
• better recording of hate crimes;
• ending deportation of LGBT asylum seekers fleeing homophobic countries.

Here in Canada, the Tories won't be hosting a Pride reception, and Stephen Harper won't be making any Pride proclamations.

• erasing queer rights from the Canadian citizenship guide;
• dragging its heels on the trans rights bill;
• changing federal cultural funding rules to deny queers.
  

Just something to think about this Pride season.

Read more:

• New book examines Canada's social conservatives in the age of rights
• The rising clout of Christian nationalism in Canada 

They say truth is stranger than fiction and some days, the newspaper is sillier than any comedian.  Pick your favourite line from the last day's top stories:

-- Former Playgirl editor Jessanne Collins on the magazine's attempt at a comeback:

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired of having Levi Johnston's penis thrust into my consciousness every time I read the news."

-- NY gossip columnist Michael Musto recapping Sir Ian McKellen's hosting of a children's charity fundraiser:

"Sir Ian went on to blow a ping-pong ball out of his mouth..."

"That's what they tell you right before they blow you up."

-- Tampa Police Department spokeswoman Laura McElroy on the surveillance footage of the very, very not-gay marine defending himself:

"You see a very short, small man running, and an enormous, large muscular man chasing after him."

-- Queen's University politics professor Jonathan Rose on Prime Minister Stephen Harper's four-week stint of tours throughout Asia starting today:

"They provide evidence of a leader knowledgeable of and in touch with the concerns of new voters from these countries. We also shouldn't downplay the pageantry and staged choreography."

-- the most ludicrous opening line of any US political story I've seen this year (and that's saying something!):

"A man claiming to have been Barack Obama’s homosexual lover and another claiming to have Obama’s Kenyan birth certificate say Laguna Niguel attorney Orly Taitz asked them to lie in federal court."

-- and finally, the surprising but welcome resignation of conservative CNN anchorman and Mexican border fence enthusiast Lou Dobbs, who's leaving his home network of 19 years to consider "a number of opportunities and directions" -- all of them, we're guessing, at FOX News.  I'm hoping the Dobbs-less 10pm show tonight features this new theme song:

It feels like there's been no shortage of bad news this week.  The death of Chris Skinner.  The Winnipeg bathhouse arson.  The passing of former Whistler, BC mayor Ted Nebbeling.  The thought of losing The Hidden Cameras to Berlin.  And then...this completely appalling baptism footage:

So I'm not going to let another dime-a-dozen religious homophobe get me down.  At times like this, I like to focus on the little things -- a few random bits that made me smile and hopefully you too:

-- Three words, people:  Ecuador transgender makeovers!

-- The over-the-top delight of the Palm Beach Sugar Daddy Ken Doll. My Earring Magic Ken's been so very lonely!

-- Levi Johnson's veiled threats to blab Sarah Palin's secrets.  We joked about wanting to see what's in his pants; who knew we'd now want to see what's in his mind?

-- Actor Forbes March finally confirming what soap opera fans already knew: gay teen couple Luke and Noah are so tragically bland because they're forced to be

-- The Ooh La La guys are showing off the new Abercrombie & Fitch catalogue.  I may hate the clothes but I love the models who don't wear them:

-- Michael Bublé insisting he's not that "clean-cut" Canadian kid by revealing that he smokes pot and was once pegged as gay.  Ooooh...badass!

-- "A Tragic Video History Of Male Nudity In Science Fiction [NSFW]," the amusing list that reminded me how hot Russell Crowe looked in Virtuosity

-- what, you thought I'd forget to mention Obama finally signing that hate crimes bill into law?  A great day for our American friends!

-- and finally, another hit of silliness from late-night comic Craig Ferguson.  Sure, I posted his last dance number just a couple weeks ago but this one is just as hilarious and really, really, really gay: 

YES!  US President Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize for...doing...um...something.  Even supporters are saying, "Really?" while opponents are saying, "HITLER!!!"

For we gay people, the timing is especially awkward because, on Sunday, tens of thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender activists will arrive in Washington DC for the National Equality March to protest Obama's painfully slow (if non-existant) pace in fulfilling his campaign promises to his gay citizens:

Will Obama simply shrug and say, "Nobel Peace Prize, bitches!" or will he arrive with new hate crime legislation (eleven years too late)? Gay congessman Barney Frank is telling people to stay home but others are more hopeful.

Meanwhile, in California this weekend, word is that governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (am I the only one who still can't friggin' believe I have to call him that?) plans to do a mass veto of hundreds of bills, including one to proclaim a day in honour of Harvey Milk.  Activists are angry, with State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano calling him a liar to his face and ending with a very memorable "Kiss my gay ass!"  Who says politics is dull?

But careful, Tom -- kissing your gay ass might lead to this:

The big story today, of course, was NASA thrusting their rockets into the moon but only finding a "dry hole." There's a sex joke in there somewhere but I just can't find it.

All this moon talk, however, distracts us all from what Xtra's brilliant Ottawa blogger Dale Smith says is the real story:  Stephen Harper's ongoing dishonesty and contempt for government.  If you follow any link on this page, make it that one!  The pictures of Levi Johnson working out for his Playgirl shoot can wait a few minutes!

And finally, this weekend is, of course, Thanksgiving. 

I'm thankful that we live in a country more rational and free than our neighbours to the south, I'm thankful that I've got tickets to see Kylie Minogue in Toronto tonight (you can be thankful I haven't gone on about all week!), I'm thankful that the awesome Bryan Safi listens to homophobic hip-hop so that I don't have to, and I'm thankful for you, the lovely readers who inspire all of us at Xtra to keep our eyes, ears and big mouths open.

Hope your holiday is less crappy than Ellen Page's and we'll see you on the other side!

Normally we're all about the jokes here on the Roundup but even funnyman David Letterman is very, very serious today, following his jawdropping "little story" last night:

Meanwhile, two of our favourite writers have gone deep and dark -- Shawn Syms exhaustively covers the criminalization of HIV while Paul Gallant examines the poor state of gay activism in a recent piece for This magazine.  We're near, we're queer...whatever.

Down south again, the right-wing drive to overthrow the US government is picking up steam, according to this caller on Michaelangelo Signorile's radio show:

While creepy, this whole movement is still ridiculous considering that "socialist" Barack Obama is proving to be George W. Bush's biggest fan.

Good grief, more depressing news:  Lady Gaga and Kanye West were going to tour together but poor sales have cancelled it all (I smell a Taylor Swift plot!): 

This was surprising news:  Lady Gaga and Kanye West were going to tour together?

 And finally, worst of all, CALIFORNIA HAS FALLEN INTO THE SEA:

Yeah, it's just a big clip from the upcoming absolutely-fucking-ridiculous disaster movie 2012.  I couldn't maintain such seriousness forever, you understand.  Have a great weekend!