We’re closing in on one of the LGBT community’s High Holy days — Halloween — but that hasn’t stopped us from watching the news feeds. Here are a couple of auto-related stories that caught our eye over the weekend. Have a look while you’re laying out plans for your sexy zombie/Big Bird/Wonder Woman-in-a-binder costume:

• Animal rights advocates have long complained about the horse-drawn buggies in New York’s Central Park. Last year, after three horses collapsed on city streets within six weeks, activists ramped up efforts to outlaw the buggies and replace them with something equally attractive but far less cruel: classic cars.

The lobbying efforts have gone well so far: activists have persuaded 23 out of 51 council members to support the switch. Tomorrow, the activists’ organization, NYClass, is holding a gala fundraiser for their cause, and PETA spokesmodel Pam Anderson asked council member/out-and-proud lesbian Christine Quinn to be her date to the affair in hopes of wooing her vote.

Alas, Anderson’s womanly wiles weren’t enough to turn the head of Quinn, who recently married her partner, Kim Catullo. Quinn sent a polite message saying that she’s already booked for the night. That’s bad news for animal rights advocates, since Quinn is a key council vote and a front-runner to take Michael Bloomberg’s office in the next mayoral election. (Quinn’s snub isn’t especially surprising, though, since she’s apparently a fan of the carriages.)

Personally, I hope that Quinn comes around to support the measure. I love the idea of hopping into a waiting Caddy convertible with my husband and yelling, “Once around the park, Mack!” And even with today’s high gas prices, it’d be cheaper than those carriages are.

• On a lighter note, Lexus has upped its LGBT cred once again. As you probably recall, the luxury automaker was recently feted by GLAAD for its support of The Advocate‘s 45th anniversary issue and was in the process of doing something similar for OUT‘s 20th anniversary.

Now, Lexus has debuted a new ad for its ES and ES Hybrid, and it’s the company’s first commercial aimed specifically at LGBT consumers. There’s no word on exactly where it’ll run, and frankly, it’s subtle enough that some viewers might miss the references. But there’s no mistaking those HRC cufflinks: