NEWS LITE NAMES IN THE NEWS.

Byline: - Valerie Kuklenski

THE SHIRTS OFF THEIR BACKS

They're pretty average-looking men's shirts, but the fact that they were used by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in best picture nominee ``Brokeback Mountain'' makes them special enough to auction on eBay as a fundraiser for Variety children's charity.

Adding to their cachet is the shirts' dramatic symbolism in the story of two cowboys who fall in love and maintain a secret relationship for decades.

The shirts hit the auction site at 5 p.m. Friday, and bidding was expected to be very competitive.

See www.ebay.com/varietyskids for these and other Hollywood memorabilia whose sale benefits the charity.

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(color) Shirts worn by Heath Ledger, left, and and Jake Gyllenhaal in ``Brokeback Mountain'' are being auctioned for Variety children's charity.