‘By the time ‘Avengers’ is done kicking box-office butt, it will easily be the #3 film of all time,’ one box-office expert tells MTV News.
By Fallon Prinzivalli

Mark Ruffalo as The Incredible Hulk in “The Avengers”

Photo: Marvel

“The Avengers” sure did assemble! Marvel’s superhero film is still the reigning champion of movie theaters after it smashed box-office records in its first two weeks. Now, it’s rising to the top of the worldwide charts, recently staking claim to the ninth spot, passing George Lucas’ “Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace.” It’s currently the highest earning film of 2012 domestically, stealing the title from “The Hunger Games,” which opened in March.

At present, the Joss Whedon-directed summer flick has raked in more than $1 billion across the globe, and the numbers keep rising. The popularity of the movie is overwhelming, but a few questions still remain. For starters, how high will the film go?

Gitesh Pandya, the editor of Box Office Guru, told MTV News, “I see Avengers climbing up to #4 on the all-time worldwide blockbusters list by the end of this weekend. That would put it at roughly $1.2 billion, which is astounding. It should pass the final ‘Harry Potter’ to finish its run as #3 all time, which alone is just incredible.”

Jeff Bock of Exhibitor Relations agrees: “By the time ‘Avengers’ is done kicking box-office butt, it will easily be the #3 film of all time. Only ‘Avatar’ and ‘Titanic’ will be left untouched, as James Cameron is a superhero unto himself. Both [films] made history by debuting over the holiday season, where popcorn flicks are few and far between. [And] unfortunately for ‘Avengers,’ summer blockbusters invade every weekend, and theaters will soon be flooded with competition.”

The competition Bock is referring to is obviously Christopher Nolan’s final Batman installment. “You know what happens when you leave Batman for dead? He gets angry, rises from the dead and pops you right in the kisser,” he said. ” ‘The Avengers’ versus ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ has all the trappings of a big-time Hollywood drama. Let’s face it, ‘TDKR’ is probably the most anticipated threequel since ‘Return of the Jedi.’ All bets are off!”

Boxoffice.com‘s Phil Contrino agrees that Nolan’s film could beat out “The Avengers” in the battle for overall domestic earnings, but ultimately won’t top the opening weekend or worldwide sales for two reasons. It just doesn’t have the widespread family appeal that Captain America and Iron Man brought with them, or the 3-D prices to give it a boost.

With “Battleship” sailing into theaters this weekend, Pandya expects “Avengers” to drop by around 40 percent. “[That will put it in] the neighborhood of $60 million,” he said. “That’s a great hold for a movie this big.”

But as far as Earth’s mightiest heroes becoming the highest — or even second-highest — film of all time globally, Contrino doesn’t believe it will happen. “When you burn so bright for one weekend, the only place to go is down,” he said.

Check out everything we’ve got on “Marvel’s The Avengers.”

For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com.

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Phillip Phillips, Jessica Sanchez and Joshua Ledet make their final cases to America that they should be in the final two.
By Adam Graham

Phillip Phillips on “American Idol”

Photo: Michael Becker/ FOX

With “We’ve Got Tonight,” Phillip Phillips may have punched his ticket to next week’s “American Idol” finale.

Phillips’ performance at the close of Wednesday’s (May 16) episode stole the show and earned a standing ovation from the judges. All night, Randy Jackson spoke of having big “moments,” and Phillips’ gentle take on the Bob Seger classic definitely qualified as one of those performances.

“That was the perfect song at the perfect time and your best performance on the show ever!” Jackson told Phillips after the song. Jennifer Lopez said it was like a “lullaby,” and Steven Tyler said he “nailed it” and praised him for his passion during the song.

Phillips’ “We’ve Got Tonight” came at the end of a two-hour show that saw the contestants visiting their hometowns and being treated like returning heroes. The episode also saw Joshua Ledet retain his momentum, while Jessica Sanchez slipped a bit, proving it may be tough for her to make it to the final two.

Contestants sang three songs each: One chosen by the judges, one of their own choosing and one picked by Jimmy Iovine.

Ledet opened the show with Etta James’ “I’d Rather Go Blind,” which also earned a standing ovation from the judges. (Not surprising, they picked the song.) “Out of 70,000, there’s only one American Idol. And you sang like that one tonight,” Tyler told Ledet after the song. He followed it with John Lennon’s “Imagine,” dubbed “brilliant” (by Jackson) and “controlled” (by Lopez) and finished with Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama,” his suggestion from Iovine. It was another hit.

“You have this perfect marriage of knowing exactly what you’re doing and letting completely go at the same time,” Lopez told him after his unkempt performance, which saw him dramatically remove his jacket, as well as his in-ear monitors. “There’s spontaneity, you don’t know what’s going to happen, but you know it’s going to be out of this world.”

Sanchez’s up-and-down night was typified by Jackson’s critiques: He called her version of Mariah Carey’s “My All” “one of the best times a Mariah song has ever been performed on TV,” but later said her version of Jackson Five’s “I’ll Be There” — also once memorably performed by Mariah — was only “OK.” “There was never a moment-moment. It’s like, you know, I mean, it needed like a moment-moment-moment.” (In Jackson-speak, that means she didn’t quite deliver.)

Sandwiched between the two, she took on Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” which is more than a little familiar to one of the three judges. Tyler rose to his feet afterwards, telling her she “took a great song and made it greater,” while Lopez called it “crazy” (in a good way). And Jackson? “Dude, you delivered, man, yo, whoa, I’m like yo, all right, all right.” Our thoughts exactly, Randy.

Phillips closed so strong it hardly mattered what came before. (Voters have short attention spans, you see.) After his first song, Madcon’s “Beggin’,” Tyler said Phillips “could be a new Springsteen,” while Jackson commented he felt he was at a Phil Phillips concert. All three judges agreed his middle performance of Matchbox Twenty’s “Disease” was underwhelming, but by his home-run song was a performance all but forgotten.

One of the performers is headed home — this time not in a good way — on Thursday’s episode, which is also set to feature a performance by Adam Lambert.

What did you think of “Idol” on Wednesday? Let us know in the comments!

Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page, where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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‘Climax’ singer sits down for an intimate chat with fans during ‘MTV First’ tomorrow at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV!
By Jocelyn Vena

Usher’s “Fuerza Bruta” performance

Photo: MTV News

Don’t get it twisted: Just because Usher is known for smooth dance moves and rock-hard abs, it doesn’t mean he didn’t have to push himself for his short run in the trippy, off-Broadway show “Fuerza Bruta.”

For one night last month, Ush played the show’s lead, Running Man, and offered lucky attendees an advance listen to his June 12 album release, Looking 4 Myself.

As fans will see in the exclusive clip — and on Wednesday night’s “MTV First: Usher” at 7:54 p.m. ET — “Fuerza” required Usher to use every muscle of his body as he danced, ran, jumped and tumbled his way through the show, where no one speaks, instead telling the story through bright lights, music and dance. MTV News had a front seat as Usher rehearsed for his onstage appearance in April, and when we chatted with him on set, he opened up about using the physicality of the show to tell the story of his album.

“It’s not often that you’re able to give somewhat of a visual or an emotional kind of basis of what your songs mean,” he said. “A lot of times we’re running through life and we’re trying to find ourselves, and I feel like that was somewhat of what the messaging was with the show, but it was really artistic.

“This is more artistic an album than I’ve had in history and I felt like, yeah, it would be a physical challenge, yeah it would be a lot for me, but [I want to] at least try it,” he added. “There are many times I’d seen the show and I’d only hoped that I would make it happen. It looked it really hard, they made it look easy, but it was obviously hard. But, of course, I’ve been training and it came at a perfect time.”

Watching Usher do all those acrobatics may have had fans wondering whether it was all that difficult for him since he makes it look so easy. He joked, “I work hard, baby.”

Usher will dish on the show, his album and more during “MTV First: Usher,” all set to take place on Wednesday at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV and MTV.com. He will introduce exclusive footage and his new single, the Pharrell-produced “Twisted,” and will stick around for a meaty interview with MTV News’ Sway Calloway to discuss his new album and more on MTV.com.

The performances featured in “MTV First: Usher” were shot exclusively by MTV News during a special album-listening experience with the off-Broadway show “Fuerza Bruta” in New York City.

Be sure to catch “MTV First: Usher” tomorrow at 7:54 p.m. ET on MTV and MTV.com!

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‘I just wanna enjoy those moments for a bit and I’m sure that feeling of music will come back to me,’ Jay-Z tells MTV News of his daughter.
By Rob Markman

Jay-Z in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Photo: Gilbert Carrasquillo/ Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA — These days, Jay-Z would rather rock the cradle than rock the mic. After the birth of he and Beyoncé‘s daughter Blue Ivy, Hov figured that he’d be so inspired by fatherhood that he’d be locked in the studio pouring his heart out. But fate has more immediate plans for the God MC, at least for the time being.

“I thought that I would after my daughter was born. I thought I would be more inspired with all the new feelings and everything that I’d have to write about, but it really happened the other way,” Big Poppa Hov told MTV News told in Philadelphia following a press conference where he announced his two-day Made in America music festival. “I just really wanna hang out with her. I just wanna enjoy those moments for a bit and I’m sure that feeling of music will come back to me.”

Jigga fans shouldn’t worry though, when he does return to the booth, Jay will have a ton to rap about. Just days after baby Blue was born, Hov released “Glory,” a track dedicated to his daughter. Not only did he rhyme of his innermost feelings, Jay also featured a sampling of Blue Ivy’s first cries on the Pharrell Williams-produced track.

“A younger, smarter, faster me/ Saw a pinch of Hov, a whole glass of B,” the one-time hustler rapped about his first born.

Long-time Jay fans shouldn’t be too surprised by the rapper’s intimate soul-bearing, he’s been doing it since his 1996 debut album Reasonable Doubt.

“My music has always been like that, if you listen to ‘Glory’ and you listen to ‘Regrets,’ which was on my first album, side by side, it’s exploring the same sort of emotions,” he insists. “It’s just one deals with my mom, one deals with my daughter.”

On “Regrets,” a younger, much darker Jay addressed the ills of his former street life, but he framed his feelings within the confines of his mother’s teachings. “You used to hold me, told me that I was the best/ Anything in this world I want, I could possess/ All that made me want is all that I could get/ In order to survive gotta learn to live with regrets,” he spit on the song’s heartfelt hook.

“My music has always been filled with those sort of emotions,” he reasoned.

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Plus Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake and others make special cameos in the show’s 100th Digital Short segment.
By James Dinh

Usher on “Saturday Night Live”

Photo: NBC

Exactly one month before his new album, Looking 4 Myself, hits shelves, the wheels of Usher‘s promotional wagon gained momentum when the entertainer provided America with a set of contrasting performances and chuckles during this weekend’s “Saturday Night Live” episode, which was hosted by “SNL” alum Will Ferrell.

Rocking simple black jeans, a jacket and tee, and a faux hawk, Ursh looked vibrant and energetic as he performed his brand-new single “Scream.” Unlike previous expertly choreographed numbers for his dance tunes, the sunglass-donning singer showed off minimal, but nonetheless slick, moves, while his band and two backup singers filled his Studio 8 back stage.

“We at it again, ‘SNL,’ and this time we going to make you scream,” he told the crowd at the start of the energetic cut.

His second performance was for the Diplo-produced cut “Climax,” during which the singer showed off his sensual and smooth side. Clearing the area of his accompanying singers, Usher made his smooth falsetto the forefront of the number. It was a simple, authentic rendition of the hit song that was essential proof of his multi-faceted vocal talents.

In addition to his set of performances, the ATL singer appeared alongside Ferrell in the “2012 Funkytown Debate” skit, in which he played a character named Galactic Fantastic. Dressed in some sparkling duds and an oversized afro, the R&B entertainer played a wacky sidekick who brought in his singing voice to support Farrell’s side of the grooving song debate.

Usher got even more airtime when he was joined by Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, Michael Bolton, Will Ferrell and Natalie Portman, who all made cameos in the episode’s special 100th Digital Short. Paying tribute to some of the most popular Shorts like “Di– in a Box” and “Shy Ronnie,” Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and the Biebs most fittingly put on a big-time celebration with accompanying jingle. It was an all-star affair and brought back some major giggles — especially when JT and Portman reprised their original Short roles.

To add to the night’s surprises, Liam Neeson popped up during a “Weekend Update” segment for the Nicolas Cage parody “Get in the Cage.” Neeson’s upcoming summer flick “Battleship” was the main topic of conversation, with Samberg, as Cage, asking his usual “How am I not in that movie?!” Samberg went on to babble jealous nonsense about Neeson’s other flicks in his spot-on Cage impersonation.

Like last week’s musical guest Rihanna, Mr. Raymond’s gig on the late-night sketch show marks his third appearance. And it’s one of the many stops that the singer will make to promote his upcoming project. He’s set to kick off the “Today” show’s summer concert series on Friday, perform at the Billboard Music Awards on May 20 and head overseas for Capital FM’s Summertime Ball 2012 in London in early June.

Mick Jagger will perform double duty as host and musical guest on next week’s “Saturday Night Live” season finale.

What did you think of Usher’s “SNL” performances? Sound off below.

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Plus Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake and others make special cameos in the show’s 100th Digital Short segment.
By James Dinh

Usher on “Saturday Night Live”

Photo: NBC

Exactly one month before his new album, Looking 4 Myself, hits shelves, the wheels of Usher‘s promotional wagon gained momentum when the entertainer provided America with a set of contrasting performances and chuckles during this weekend’s “Saturday Night Live” episode, which was hosted by “SNL” alum Will Ferrell.

Rocking simple black jeans, a jacket and tee, and a faux hawk, Ursh looked vibrant and energetic as he performed his brand-new single “Scream.” Unlike previous expertly choreographed numbers for his dance tunes, the sunglass-donning singer showed off minimal, but nonetheless slick, moves, while his band and two backup singers filled his Studio 8 back stage.

“We at it again, ‘SNL,’ and this time we going to make you scream,” he told the crowd at the start of the energetic cut.

His second performance was for the Diplo-produced cut “Climax,” during which the singer showed off his sensual and smooth side. Clearing the area of his accompanying singers, Usher made his smooth falsetto the forefront of the number. It was a simple, authentic rendition of the hit song that was essential proof of his multi-faceted vocal talents.

In addition to his set of performances, the ATL singer appeared alongside Ferrell in the “2012 Funkytown Debate” skit, in which he played a character named Galactic Fantastic. Dressed in some sparkling duds and an oversized afro, the R&B entertainer played a wacky sidekick who brought in his singing voice to support Farrell’s side of the grooving song debate.

Usher got even more airtime when he was joined by Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, Michael Bolton, Will Ferrell and Natalie Portman, who all made cameos in the episode’s special 100th Digital Short. Paying tribute to some of the most popular Shorts like “Di– in a Box” and “Shy Ronnie,” Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and the Biebs most fittingly put on a big-time celebration with accompanying jingle. It was an all-star affair and brought back some major giggles — especially when JT and Portman reprised their original Short roles.

To add to the night’s surprises, Liam Neeson popped up during a “Weekend Update” segment for the Nicolas Cage parody “Get in the Cage.” Neeson’s upcoming summer flick “Battleship” was the main topic of conversation, with Samberg, as Cage, asking his usual “How am I not in that movie?!” Samberg went on to babble jealous nonsense about Neeson’s other flicks in his spot-on Cage impersonation.

Like last week’s musical guest Rihanna, Mr. Raymond’s gig on the late-night sketch show marks his third appearance. And it’s one of the many stops that the singer will make to promote his upcoming project. He’s set to kick off the “Today” show’s summer concert series on Friday, perform at the Billboard Music Awards on May 20 and head overseas for Capital FM’s Summertime Ball 2012 in London in early June.

Mick Jagger will perform double duty as host and musical guest on next week’s “Saturday Night Live” season finale.

What did you think of Usher’s “SNL” performances? Sound off below.

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Oscar winner was on hand when the jury read verdict convicting Balfour on all counts on Friday afternoon.
By Gil Kaufman

William Balfour in his booking photo

Photo: Cook County Sheriff’s Department/ WireImage

After two-and-a-half days of deliberation, the jury in the murder trial of William Balfour returned a guilty verdict on all counts on Friday afternoon (May 11).

Balfour was on trial for the murders of Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson‘s mother, brother and nephew. The jury returned guilty verdicts on three counts of murder, as well as one count each of home invasion, residential burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle, and aggravated kidnapping.

Because Illinois no longer has a death penalty, Balfour will spend the rest of his life in jail without the possibility of parole. According to the Chicago Tribune, an hour before reading the verdict, the jury sent a note to Judge Charles Burns informing him that they were split, but still working to reach a verdict. Around the same time, Burns received another note asking for all of the evidence about the cell-phone tower coverage in the area of the murder.

The judge sent back a transcript of the testimony of FBI Special Agent Nikki Skovran, who performed a forensic analysis on Balfour’s cell phone on the day of the murders that placed him near the Hudson home around the time the victims were killed. Earlier, the jury of six men and six women had requested copies of two videos in evidence: one from an area high school that showed the time Balfour’s car was parked on the street and another of the police interrogation of Balfour, in which he claimed he left it there around 8:30 a.m. on the morning of the murders.

During the trial, prosecutors had argued that the time stamp on the school surveillance video provided proof that Balfour, 31, was lying about his whereabouts that morning. Balfour is alleged to have shown up at the Hudson home on the morning of the killings appearing agitated, saying he’d been up all night drinking. He spotted balloons that Julia received from a new boyfriend for the holiday Sweetest Day, got angry and punched the balloons, according to police. When Julia left the house to go to work, Balfour remained behind outside.

The jury began their deliberation on Wednesday night and had been sequestered at a hotel for two nights.

As the verdict was read, Hudson, huddled close with her fiancé, David Otunga, and sister Julia, said “yes!” and broke into tears, according to CNN.

Lawyers for Balfour had argued that the state’s case was based largely on circumstantial evidence and lacked any DNA or fingerprints tying Balfour to the crime scene. Furthermore, they insisted that Chicago police had hastily investigated the crime and rushed to apprehend their client because of the media attention on the case due to Hudson’s fame. They proposed the alternate theory that some other unknown assailant in the crime-ridden Southside Chicago neighborhood had targeted the family because of the alleged crack-cocaine dealing activities of Hudson’s brother, Jason.

During 11 days of testimony from 83 witnesses — only two of which were called by the defense for a total of 30 minutes — prosecutors rebutted that claim by presenting witness testimony, firearms evidence and cell-phone records that pointed toward Balfour’s guilt.

Though prosecutors lacked hard physical evidence, they repeatedly alluded to threats Balfour had made in the past on the lives of Julia and her family, as well as the cell-phone records and the gun residue on Balfour’s clothing in the vehicle he stole from the Hudson home.

Hudson took to the witness stand on the first day of the trial and tearfully recounted her family’s disapproval of Balfour’s relationship and marriage to the singer’s sister, Julia. The “Dreamgirls” star choked back tears that morning as she told jurors that no one in her family wanted Balfour to marry her sister.

“We didn’t like the way he treated her, and I didn’t like the way he treated my nephew,” she said of Balfour, who had pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the October 24, 2008 slayings of Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson; brother Jason Hudson; and her 7-year-old nephew, Julian King.

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‘More Than This’ performance is from ‘Up All Night: The Live Tour DVD,’ due May 29.
By Jocelyn Vena

One Direction in their “More Than This” music video

Photo: Columbia

You know what’s better than blasting One Direction‘s “More Than This” over and over again in your room? Popping in their concert DVD, “Up All Night: The Live Tour DVD,” and watching them sing it to you. Obviously.

While it will be a few weeks until the concert special hits shelves, the guys released their “More Than This” performance Thursday (May 10) to get their already-excited fans even more hyped for the DVD’s arrival. After One Direction teased the video one day before, fans can now see it includes everything they could possibly want.

The guys, decked out in gray and maroon prep-school uniforms, circle the stage, taking turns singing the song about unrequited love and watching your crush succumb to the charms of another guy. In between shots of the guys singing the song are ones of their fans singing and screaming along. As the song ends, the guys sit on a lime-green couch and continue to pine for their lady love.

“Up All Night: The Live Tour DVD” hits stores May 29, just days after One Direction launch their North American tour in Fairfax, Virginia. It marks the group’s first-ever Stateside headlining trek; they previously opened for Big Time Rush.

Fans shouldn’t worry if they miss the group this time around: One Direction will also play a special show at Madison Square Garden in December before coming back to the U.S. in 2013 as part of their world tour. The 2013 North American dates will begin June 13 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before continuing around the U.S. and Canada and coming to a close August 7 in Los Angeles.

“Our fans are simply the best in the world,” Niall Horan said in a statement about the tour. “The support they have shown us has been incredible, and we’re all so grateful to each and every one of them. We can’t wait to see everyone this summer at Madison Square Garden and, of course, when we play our world tour in 2013.”

Do you plan to see One Direction when they hit the road? Tell us in the comments!

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Tegan and Sara, fun., Gaslight Anthem, Senses Fail tweet their support to Rise Against! singer.
By Gil Kaufman

Tom Gabel of Against Me!

Photo: Getty Images

Against Me! singer Tom Gabel has received an outpouring of support from his musical peers in light of his announcement on Tuesday that he plans to begin life as a woman. His brave decision decision to go public with his transgender status earn praise from fellow musicians including fun., Tegan and Sara, Senses Fail and Gaslight Anthem.

The news came just hours before a vote on Tuesday in North Carolina to pass a constitutional amendment
 banning gay marriage, but just before President Obama stated publicly in an ABC interview on Wednesday (May 9) that he personally supports gay marriage. During a cycle that brought highs and lows in the ongoing debate over gay marriage, one of the questions that arose in the MTV Newsroom following Gabel’s news was whether it would have an impact on his wife and their marriage?

Though Florida is not one of the six states in the nation that currently recognizes marriages between same-sex partners, Gabel’s declaration won’t change his marital status either way, according to Lisa Mottet, Director of the Transgender Civil Rights Project at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

“Under established law, marriages are evaluated for their validity at the time of marriage, i.e., the date of the wedding/when the marriage license was signed,” she said. “Only divorces, death, and annulments end marriages – gender transition does not end a marriage, nor convert it to a same-sex marriage. [So], if two people were considered different sex at the time of their wedding, they will continue to be considered married until death, divorce, or annulment.”

Gabel came out as transgender and discussed plans to begin living as a woman in the next issue of Rolling Stone magazine. He will now go by the name Laura Jane Grace and remain married to wife Heather, while undergoing electrolysis treatments and take hormones to make the transition from male to female.

“For me, the most terrifying thing about this was how she would accept the news,” Gabel told the magazine about his Heather’s reaction. “But she’s been super-amazing and understanding.”

Gabel has dealt with gender dysphoria for years and decided it was a good time to speak up about the private struggle, telling only a few family members and friends about the upcoming transition before talking with the magazine. “I’m going to have embarrassing moments, and that won’t be fun,” Gabel said of coming out. “But that’s part of what talking to you is about — is hoping people will understand, and hoping they’ll be fairly kind.”

A number of his peers praised his bravery, including the members of fun., who tweeted, “Reading about Tom Gabel coming out as transgender = inspiring. Always been a fan but it’s even more amazing to know how strong & brave she is.”

Openly gay twin sister rockers Tegan & Sara weighed in also with the note, “So incredibly brave. RT Tom Gabel of Against Me! Comes out as Transgender.” Congratulations and support also came from the members of Senses Fail, Broadway Calls, Toxicbreed, I Am the Avalanche, Motel Life and Circa Survive.

One of the most heartfelt notes was posted by Gaslight Anthem singer Brian Fallon, who preemptively struck out at anyone criticizing the decision. “So Tom’s gonna be Laura now… and in 2012 I still find people on the internet commenting on another person’s life how they insult and condemn a person for his choices,” he wrote.

“How about the people who go through this and never find peace and end up committing suicide? Would you rather that? Or maybe he could become a raging drug addict and ruin his life and family? Would you rather that? Or maybe we could have rules from a dictator where everyone gets killed for anything they believe against the government, oh wait, that doesn’t work … How about you leave the guy alone. How about you let another human being make a decision about their lives without your snide prejudices and bigotry? This is one of the hardest decisions a person can make … Whether you agree or don’t, it’s not your life. It’s not your family. It’s not your band, it’s theirs.”

And it wasn’t just musicians, as WWE wrestling champ CM Punk also weighed in, writing, “@tommygabel courage and bravery. I got your back.”

What do you think of Tom Gabel’s announcement? Let us know in comments below.

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Tegan and Sara, fun., Gaslight Anthem, Senses Fail tweet their support to Rise Against! singer.
By Gil Kaufman

Tom Gabel of Against Me!

Photo: Getty Images

Against Me! singer Tom Gabel has received an outpouring of support from his musical peers in light of his announcement on Tuesday that he plans to begin life as a woman. His brave decision decision to go public with his transgender status earn praise from fellow musicians including fun., Tegan and Sara, Senses Fail and Gaslight Anthem.

The news came just hours before a vote on Tuesday in North Carolina to pass a constitutional amendment
 banning gay marriage, but just before President Obama stated publicly in an ABC interview on Wednesday (May 9) that he personally supports gay marriage. During a cycle that brought highs and lows in the ongoing debate over gay marriage, one of the questions that arose in the MTV Newsroom following Gabel’s news was whether it would have an impact on his wife and their marriage?

Though Florida is not one of the six states in the nation that currently recognizes marriages between same-sex partners, Gabel’s declaration won’t change his marital status either way, according to Lisa Mottet, Director of the Transgender Civil Rights Project at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

“Under established law, marriages are evaluated for their validity at the time of marriage, i.e., the date of the wedding/when the marriage license was signed,” she said. “Only divorces, death, and annulments end marriages – gender transition does not end a marriage, nor convert it to a same-sex marriage. [So], if two people were considered different sex at the time of their wedding, they will continue to be considered married until death, divorce, or annulment.”

Gabel came out as transgender and discussed plans to begin living as a woman in the next issue of Rolling Stone magazine. He will now go by the name Laura Jane Grace and remain married to wife Heather, while undergoing electrolysis treatments and take hormones to make the transition from male to female.

“For me, the most terrifying thing about this was how she would accept the news,” Gabel told the magazine about his Heather’s reaction. “But she’s been super-amazing and understanding.”

Gabel has dealt with gender dysphoria for years and decided it was a good time to speak up about the private struggle, telling only a few family members and friends about the upcoming transition before talking with the magazine. “I’m going to have embarrassing moments, and that won’t be fun,” Gabel said of coming out. “But that’s part of what talking to you is about — is hoping people will understand, and hoping they’ll be fairly kind.”

A number of his peers praised his bravery, including the members of fun., who tweeted, “Reading about Tom Gabel coming out as transgender = inspiring. Always been a fan but it’s even more amazing to know how strong & brave she is.”

Openly gay twin sister rockers Tegan & Sara weighed in also with the note, “So incredibly brave. RT Tom Gabel of Against Me! Comes out as Transgender.” Congratulations and support also came from the members of Senses Fail, Broadway Calls, Toxicbreed, I Am the Avalanche, Motel Life and Circa Survive.

One of the most heartfelt notes was posted by Gaslight Anthem singer Brian Fallon, who preemptively struck out at anyone criticizing the decision. “So Tom’s gonna be Laura now… and in 2012 I still find people on the internet commenting on another person’s life how they insult and condemn a person for his choices,” he wrote.

“How about the people who go through this and never find peace and end up committing suicide? Would you rather that? Or maybe he could become a raging drug addict and ruin his life and family? Would you rather that? Or maybe we could have rules from a dictator where everyone gets killed for anything they believe against the government, oh wait, that doesn’t work … How about you leave the guy alone. How about you let another human being make a decision about their lives without your snide prejudices and bigotry? This is one of the hardest decisions a person can make … Whether you agree or don’t, it’s not your life. It’s not your family. It’s not your band, it’s theirs.”

And it wasn’t just musicians, as WWE wrestling champ CM Punk also weighed in, writing, “@tommygabel courage and bravery. I got your back.”

What do you think of Tom Gabel’s announcement? Let us know in comments below.

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