More than a year after disclosing he is gay, Clay Aiken is speaking before a gay-rights event in his hometown.

Aiken will deliver a speech about gay rights this weekend at the Human Rights Campaign Carolinas gala in Raleigh, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Wednesday. Actress Meredith Baxter, who recently said she is a lesbian, also will deliver a speech.

The 31-year-old Raleigh native, pop singer and 2003 "American Idol" runner-up said he wrote his own speech after remarks provided for him proved too political, including a slam aimed at former President George W. Bush.

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Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) declared Wednesday that Maryland will recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere and that its agencies should immediately begin affording gay married couples the same rights as heterosexual ones.

With Gansler's decision, Maryland in effect joins the District and a handful of states including New York that recognize same-sex marriages performed in four New England states and Iowa. The District also has its own measure legalizing those unions that is expected to take effect next week.

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By Norm Kent & Cliff Dunn

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department Economic Crimes Unit has opened an investigation into the theft of funds from Pride South Florida by one of its former officers and directors.

Mike Cruz, PSF’s former treasurer, who served on the board from 2003 until his removal by acclamation in May of 2009, is the target of the police department inquiry. The alleged theft or misappropriation of funds is potentially in excess of $40,000.

The allegations of purported misconduct were first uncovered last May, after Pridefest 2009. The disclosure of the alleged impropriety came from a former PSF treasurer who worked at the banking institution in Sunrise where PSF housed its account. He contacted then board members Roger Handevidt and Laurie Whittaker, indicating that there were “dubious and suspicious” cash transactions involving Cruz and PSF funds.

Whittaker, a prominent North Miami Beach attorney, who is also a partner in Sidelines Sports Bar, and Handevidt, a hotelier who has served as President of the Rainbow Alliance, became alarmed and immediately contacted City of Sunrise law enforcement authorities.

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A comedy starring Julianne Moore and Annette Bening as a lesbian couple whose kids seek out their sperm donor won the Teddy prize at the Berlin Film Festival.

Awarded ahead of the festival's Golden Bear prize for best picture Saturday night, the Teddy Bear went to The Kids Are All Right, chosen by a jury of eight organisers of gay and lesbian film events around the world.

'The Teddy for the Best Feature Film goes to Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right for being a well-crafted and humorous take on the issues facing contemporary lesbian parents and the complexity of sexuality, relationships and family bonding,' the jury said in a statement.

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Sir Elton John has claimed Jesus was a "super-intelligent gay man".

The openly homosexual musician made the claim in a magazine interview and admits he admires the Christian Messiah because his aim was to spread peace and love in the world.

The Rocket Man singer - who is married to Canadian filmmaker David Furnish - told Parade magazine: "I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems.

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