Already blooming in the front yard.

We have five different tomatoe plants already started in the garden.

Brazilian priest suspended for advocating condoms to prevent AIDS

A Catholic priest serving in the Brazilian congress has been temporarily suspended from his priestly duties for supporting the free distribution of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS.

The Rev. Luiz Couto has been suspended from his work in the northeastern state of Paraiba.
Archdiocese spokesman Eisenhower de Albuquerque says the church took the action because of Couto’s public stance “in favor of the use of condoms, his support of gay marriage and his opposition to priestly celibacy.”

Couto spokesman Jose Moreira says the priest is not a gay-marriage advocate but is an opponent of discrimination “including discrimination against homosexuals.”

Oped: How you can bring gay marriage to California

On Thursday, the California Supreme Court will hear arguments in our legal challenge to Proposition 8.

As we seek to overturn Prop 8, we have the broadest array of support ever seen on an LGBT issue before any California Court. This support speaks directly to the relationships and coalition work that many in the LGBT, religious, business, and civil rights communities have been doing for years.

However, there is another truth motivating the breadth of voices calling on the court to invalidate Prop 8. Prop 8 is an assault on the California Constitution and the most fundamental principal of any functioning democracy: all people will be treated equally under the law.

As a white lesbian leading a national LGBT legal organization and a straight, African-American Christian leading a national civil rights legal organization, we stand side-by-side in common cause. Racism and homophobia undermine and diminish any dream of a just and fair nation. If allowed to stand, Prop 8 would eviscerate equal protection of the law and leave every minority in California vulnerable to majority sentiment and whim. Today it may be same-sex couples and that is unacceptable under any circumstance, but tomorrow any unpopular minority could be next.

In this fight for justice we are sisters, and we ask that every fair-minded Californian join our family in standing against Prop 8. We ask you to join us and engage in conversations about the harms Prop 8 poses to all Californians.

Please, talk to your friends and family, attend rallies and marches, post and comment on blogs, and write letters to the editor. Please visit our GET INVOLVED section of our website: http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issue_caseDocket_prop8legalchallenge_GetInvolved for tips on how to have these important conversations.

As you talk about the harms of Prop 8, please remember to acknowledge the essential role of the Court in protecting minority rights and remind your audience of the threat that Prop 8 poses to freedom and equality for all Californians. If a bare majority of voters can change our state Constitution to take away rights from a historically targeted minority group, what is the point of having a California Constitution?

It is crucial that our community and allies stand up against this harmful proposition and be visible. It is our chance to show the world that we will not stand for discrimination and intolerance. So make your voice heard today. Click here for some sample letters and blog posts that you can use to draft your own personalized letter: http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issue_caseDocket_prop8legalchallenge_GetInvolved

Our nation is on a new path. A path that makes us all feel a renewed sense of shared values, hope, and humanity. Prop 8 demeans us all and stains our collective vision of a new day. Such a law should not be permitted to stand.

Kate Kendell is the executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Eva Jefferson Paterson is the president of the Equal Justice Society.

Hawaii Civil Union Bill Sees Massive Hearing, Deadlock in Committee

House Bill 444, Hawaii's civil union bill, began early yesterday as more than one thousand signed up to testify, and as of the writing of this post was still underway

KGMB reports: "The controversial issue packed the capitol auditorium. Tuesday morning, it was standing room only; every seat was taken. Tuesday night, after hours of discussion, the auditorium was emptier, but the debate went on as the 6-member Senate Judiciary committee heard testimony to pass or kill the civil unions bill. The bill would give same-sex couples the same rights as opposite-sex couples. 1400 people signed up to speak before the committee. 'Children of same sex couples are currently without the same family protection and benefit provided to children of opposite sex couples,' said a woman in support of the legislation. One man also talked about children as reason to stop the bill from going forward. 'If this bill goes forward the children in the next generation will not know what a a family resembles and their psychological state would be slanted and totally out of place,' he testified."

The Star Bullletin reports that "12 hours of passionate testimony failed to break the 3-3 deadlock in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and a civil-unions bill for gay couples remain stuck in committee."

Senate leaders have said that if the debate continues to result in this deadlock they will yank the bill from committee for a vote in the full senate, where they say it has the votes to pass.

North Carolina Lawmaker Proposes Same-Sex Marriage Ban

A North Carolina Republican packed the state's General Assembly with supporters yesterday as he proposed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage:

"At issue is whether a current statute that says marriage is between a man and a woman is enough – or if a constitutional amendment on the matter is needed. 'Moms and dads are not interchangeable,' says state Sen. Jim Forrester, R-Gaston County. Forrester is the lead sponsor of a proposal that would put this issue on the ballot for North Carolina voters. Advocates from many associations support this idea, including the North Carolina Catholic Diocese. 'Throughout the entirety of sacred scripture, marriage is always and only recognized as a union between a man and woman,' Bishop Peter Jugis, of the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, said. Some say this amendment is not protection, but discrimination and that lawmakers should pass over this proposal once again. 'You know that saying what would Jesus do? I think he would be crying right now. I honestly do,' Ana McKee, of Durham, said. McKee's son is gay, and she says she doesn't want his rights limited in North Carolina. Other opponents of the proposal advise lawmakers not to be fooled by Tuesday's turnout – they believe the people of North Carolina don't want this bill."

RNC Chair Michael Steele on Civil Unions: 'What, Are You Crazy?'

So much for RNC Chair Michael Steele's Fox News Sunday statement earlier this month that the GOP has an opportune moment to reach out to people who favor gay rights. In the wake of the Oscar wins for Milk, radio host Mike Gallagher asked Steele if the party should perhaps consider something like civil unions:

GALLAGHER: Is this a time when Republicans ought to consider some sort of alternative to redefining marriage and maybe in the road, down the road to civil unions. Do you favor civil unions?

STEELE: No, no no. What would we do that for? What are you, crazy? No. Why would we backslide on a core, founding value of this country? I mean this isn’t something that you just kind of like, “Oh well, today I feel, you know, loosey-goosey on marriage.” […]

GALLAGHER: So no room even for a conversation about civil unions in your mind?

STEELE: What’s the difference?

Steele is one of the co-founders of the Republican Leadership Council, a centrist organization which supports candidates who favor abortion rights and gay rights.

Masterminds Behind 'Yes on 8' Reveal How They Did It

Frank Schubert, president of Schubert-Flint Public Affairs, and Jeff Flint, a partner in the firm, reveal just how they won the battle to pass Proposition 8, which outlawed gay marriage in California just months after being ruled a "fundamental right" by the California Supreme Court. If you can stifle your seething rage for just a few moments, there's quite a few instructive lessons to be learned from their approach.

Schubert (who, incidentally, has a lesbian sister) and Flint portray the campaign as a plucky upstart facing a difficult battle in their article in Politics Magazine:

"A survey released by the Field Institute in mid-September showed that fully 55 percent of likely voters were opposed to Prop 8, with just 38 percent in favor. The political elite all but wrote off Proposition 8 as being dead once the Field Poll was published. To make matters worse for us, less than a week after the Field Poll came out, the No on 8 campaign began its television advertising in the state’s major media markets."

How did they win?
Rally and engage the base. Schubert-Flint made sure that those who would naturally support a ban on gay marriage were informed and empowered.

"We worked hard during this period to urge our supporters to have faith that Prop 8 could still be enacted despite what they saw on the news. We organized countless meetings and conference calls of pastors and other campaign leaders. And we restructured our online presence and delivered a stream of messages to supporters designed to keep them informed and engaged."

Raise doubts, broaden the implications. It was important to make gay marriage not just an issue about gays getting married, but about religious freedom, an 'activist' Court, and the potential threats to children. The more the water was muddied, the more opportunities voters had to latch onto a rationale for voting for the ban that wasn't purely homophobic.

"We strongly believed that a campaign in favor of traditional marriage would not be enough to prevail. We needed to convince voters that gay marriage was not simply “live and let live”—that there would be consequences if gay marriage were to be permanently legalized. But how to raise consequences when gay marriage was so recently legalized and not yet taken hold? We made one of the key strategic decisions in the campaign, to apply the principles of running a “No” campaign—raising doubts and pointing to potential problems—in seeking a “Yes” vote. As far as we know, this strategic approach has never before been used by a Yes campaign."

Engage and use the grassroots. While grassroots volunteers are not trained campaigners, they have heart and personal messages that they can take to individual voters and by using the Internet to coordinate these efforts, activists had maximum impact. For 'Yes on 8', this was a big advantage.

"Our ability to organize a massive volunteer effort through religious denominations gave us a huge advantage, and we set ambitious goals: to conduct a statewide Voter ID canvass of every voter; to distribute 1.25 million yard signs and an equal number of bumper strips; to have our volunteers re-contact every undecided, soft yes and soft no voter; and to have 100,000 volunteers, per voting precinct, working on Election Day to make sure every identified Yes on 8 voter would vote. All of these goals, and more, were achieved.

We built a campaign volunteer structure around both time-honored campaign grassroots tactics of organizing in churches, with a ground-up structure of church captains, precinct captains, zip code supervisors and area directors; and the latest Internet and web-based grassroots tools. Our campaign website was rebuilt to serve as an incredibly effective organizing tool. Online volunteer sign-ups were immediately sent electronically to the appropriate ZIP code supervisor for follow up. We set up a statewide voter call center with remote access for regional volunteer leaders, which allowed them to input results for canvassing efforts remotely, and then download and print updated voter lists."

Money, money, Mormon money. Not that there was any doubt, but the Yes on 8 campaign freely admits that an infusion of Mormon cash did a great deal in helping to bolster the campaign.

"By this time, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had endorsed Prop 8 and joined the campaign executive committee. Even though the LDS were the last major denomination to join the campaign, their members were immensely helpful in early fundraising, providing much-needed contributions while we were busy organizing Catholic and Evangelical fundraising efforts.

Ultimately, we raised $22 million from July through September with upwards of 40 percent coming from members of the LDS Church. Our fundraising operation also relied heavily on small contributions from some 60,000 individual donors via an extensive direct mail operation, and an extraordinarily effective online fundraising campaign. When we filed our report electronically with the secretary of state, it was more than 5,000 pages thick and crashed the system. We ultimately raised more than $5 million online, and $3 million from direct mail."

Having an ineffective opponent helps, too. 'Yes on 8's' own internal polling showed that their ability to define the issues gave them an advantage, but that advantage began to evaporate once No on 8 released an ad calling their tactics "shameful." Up until then, the moral high-ground belonged to Yes on 8, but they had already effectively framed the debate.

"The response to our ads from the No on 8 campaign was slow and ineffectual. They enlisted their allies in the education system to claim that we were lying. They held press conferences with education leaders to dismiss our claims. They got newspaper editorial boards to condemn the ads as false. What they never did do, because they couldn’t do, was contest the accuracy of what had happened in Massachusetts.

Finally, three weeks after the Yes on 8 campaign had introduced education as a message, the No on 8 campaign responded with what would be their best ad of the campaign. It featured State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell claiming that Prop 8 had nothing to do with education and that our use of children in our ads was “shameful.” This in-your-face response, much delayed but very effective, foretold the final period of the campaign—it would be largely about education."
A Google surge. You may remember that even gay websites running Google Ads were running 'Yes on 8' ads in the final days of the campaign. That's the power of internet advertising dollars at work.

"As the campaign headed into the final days, we launched a “Google surge.” We spent more than a half-million dollars to place ads on every single website that had advertising controlled by Google. Whenever anyone in California went online, they saw one of our ads in the final two days of the election."

Schubert-Flint sum up their winning plan like this:
"Prop 8 didn’t win because of the Mormons. It won because we created superior advertising that denied the issues on our terms; because we built a diverse coalition; and, most importantly, because we activated that coalition at the grassroots level in a way that had never before been done.

The Prop 8 victory proves something that readers of Politics magazine know very well: campaigns matter."

Sounds about right. While some 'No on 8' leaders still complain that the only reason they didn't have enough cash, the fact remains that neither did the 'Yes on 8' campaign when it started. Certainly, big donations from churches helped, but by activating and empowering their base, they were able to raise millions of small donations, Obama-style. With that money, they focused on making a reasoned moral argument for banning gay marriage through advertising, one-on-one canvassing across the whole state and employing a massive grassroots get-out-the-vote effort.

We've said it once and we'll say it again: Political campaigns are not about fairness or the inherent righteousness of your cause, they're about winning. Prop 8.'s fate is now in the hands of the California Supreme Court, but with more than half a dozen gay marriage or civil unions bills making their way through state legislatures everywhere from Hawaii to Maine, the gay community needs to work smarter, not harder to win their equal rights. You can look at the opponent's playbook and scorn it, or you can take it and make it your own.

NAACP Calls for Overturning of Proposition 8

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People announced support on Monday for California's supreme court to invalidate Proposition 8, the November ballot initiative that constitutionally banned same-sex marriage in California.

The civil rights group not only wants the court to overturn Prop. 8 -- they want California's legislature to go on record against Prop. 8 as well.

"The NAACP's mission is to help create a society where all Americans have equal protection and opportunity under the law," wrote NAACP CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous in a letter to legislative leaders. "Our mission statement calls for the 'quality of rights of all persons.' Prop. 8 strips same-sex couples of a fundamental freedom, as defined by the California state supreme court. In so doing, it poses a serious threat to all Americans. Prop. 8 is a discriminatory, unprecedented change to the California constitution that, if allowed to stand, would undermine the very purpose of a constitution and courts -- assuring equal protection and opportunity for all and safeguarding minorities from the tyranny of the majority."

The California state conference of the NAACP has already filed briefs with the California supreme court in the legal challenge against the ballot initiative, which squeaked by with 52% of the vote. California's state court will begin hearing oral arguments to Prop. 8 on March 5.

"The NAACP has long opposed any proposal that would alter the federal or state constitutions for the purpose of excluding any groups or individuals from guarantees of equal protections," said NAACP chairman Julian Bond in a press release. "We urge the legislature to declare that Proposition 8 did not follow the proper protective process and should be overturned as an invalid alteration that vitiated crucial constitutional safeguards and fundamental American values, threatening civil rights and all vulnerable minorities."

Alexander Robinson, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, an LGBT rights organization, said that the letter represented forward movement for the NAACP. "It's consistent in that they have always opposed constitutional bans," he observed, "but I think that weighing in so clearly on an action that would have the effect of reinstituting marriage given that they still have not taken a position on gay marriage is a significant step forward." Robinson also anticipated that the national organization might get some pushback on the letter from local NAACP chapters.

Supreme Court Passes Over Kentucky Student's "Let Me Be a Homophobe" Case

"The Supreme Court declined today to get involved in a suit filed by a Kentucky high school student who claimed he should be allowed to sue his school district over a policy that allegedly barred him from expressing opposition to homosexuality. The justices did not comment in denying the appeal of Timothy Morrison, who contended that he was harmed by the policy of the Boyd County Board of Education. Morrison was never punished under the policy, which was later changed."

Hawaii civil union bill moves to Senate

Hawaii, the state that adopted the nation's first "defense of marriage" constitutional amendment a decade ago, has now become the latest battleground in the fight for same-sex civil unions.

NASA's First CO2-Monitoring Satellite Crashes Into the Sea

Sad Day for Climate Science

Knowledge is power. The more we know about a problem, the better we can act to solve it. That's why today is a sad day. From the Times Online: "The centrepiece of Nasa’s $280 million climate-change mission crashed into the sea near Antarctica today, delivering a heavy blow to the agency’s attempts to chart global warming." The launch from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 1:55 am was, but obviously something went terribly wrong...

Sean Penn Wins Oscar for "Milk" Acceptance Speech

I'm Not Gay...and God Should Judge, Not Other People

Dolly Parton sat down with Larry King on Saturday night and spoke to King on a variety topics, including how she handles rumors she is gay.

KING: You -- you're unusual in many respects. You're a great entertainer. And I mean, the Kennedy Center Honors don't happen to many. You also have a lot of gay fans. You've even dealt with gay rumors yourself. What is your appeal, do you think, to the gay community?

PARTON: Well, I think the gay people have always liked me because I have always been myself. I'm not intimidated by how people perceive me. I don't judge nor criticize people. I think that's another reason that they at least know that I'm sympathetic. I think all people have a right to be who they are. We're all God's children and God should be the one to judge, not other people. So I have a lot of gay friends, lesbian friends. I work with a lot of people. I am not gay. I have been accused of that. But I have been happily married for 42 years to the same man. And he's not the least bit threatened, you know, by the fact that I may be gay. And he knows I have a lot of friends. But I love everybody. It doesn't matter to me.

George Mason University Elects Drag Queen "Ms. Mason"

Mr. and Ms. Mason 2009 from Connect Mason on Vimeo.

Reann Ballslee, better known as George Mason University senior Ryan Allen, won the school's annual "Ms. Mason" title last Saturday during the school's halftime show during a basketball game with Northwestern's Huskies. Allen told the school paper, “Personally, it's exciting. But I feel like the win is bigger than me. It says a lot about Mason and the student body. Not only do we go to a very diverse school, but that diversity is celebrated regularly–even at the homecoming game." Allen runs the school's annual drag contest and entered as a representative from GMU's Pride Alliance. If you've ever wanted to see hundreds of basketball fans cheer on a drag queen, here's your chance.

HIV rate among Swazi women now 42%

Some 42 percent of pregnant women in Swaziland are infected with the virus that causes AIDS, a jump of 3 percent since last year, according to a government report released Friday.

The small southern African nation has the highest AIDS rate in the world and average life expectancy is just 37 years as a result. The report said the increase in 2008 was partly because more women were taking life-prolonging antiretroviral medication.

An estimated 185,000 of Swaziland’s 1 million people are HIV positive, and about 30,000 are currently receiving antiretrovirals.

AIDS activists blame King Mswati III for doing too little to spread prevention messages and promote condom usage and HIV testing, and they say he sets a bad example by having 13 wives.

New Bolivian Constitution Bans Gay Discrimination

"Bolivia’s new constitution, approved by 61 percent of voters last month, bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The constitution took effect Feb. 7. According to New York-based Latino activist Andrés Duque, Article 14.II, titled “Fundamental Rights and Guarantees,” reads, “The State prohibits and punishes all forms of discrimination founded on the basis of sex, skin color, gender, age, sexual orientation and gender identity, origin, culture, nationality, citizenship, language, religious beliefs, ideology, political or philosophical affiliation.”

Utah State Senator Buttars Removed from Chairmanship of Judiciary Committee Over Anti-Gay Remarks

Utah State Senator Chris Buttars was removed from his chairmanship of the Judicial Standing Committee for his remarks in a recent interview comparing gays to radical Muslims, calling them the "greatest threat to America" that he knows.

Utah Senate President Michael Waddoups announced Buttars' removal in a press conference this morning. The interview was broadcast as the fifth gay rights bill in Equality Utah's Common Ground initiative was defeated.

Said Buttars: "Homosexuality will always be a sexual perversion. And you say that around here now and everybody goes nuts. But I don't care...They're mean. They want to talk about being nice. They're the meanest buggers I have ever seen. It's just like the Muslims. Muslims are good people and their religion is anti-war. But it’s been taken over by the radical side. What is the morals of a gay person? You can't answer that because anything goes. They're probably the greatest threat to America going down I know of."

Expect White Knots on Oscar's Red Carpet

Celebrities have often donned ribbons, a small yet public statement that has helped garner visibility and publicity for various causes -- red ribbons for AIDS awareness, pink for breast cancer. For this Sunday’s Oscars, expect white knots.

The white ribbons symbolize support for marriage equality: As the group behind the ribbons declares on its website, “Everyone should have the right to tie the knot.”

Foo Fighters rocker Dave Grohl already wore a white knot at Sunday's Grammys, as well as Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. Anne Hathaway has said that she will wear one at Sunday's Oscars, as well as cast and crew members of the Oscar-nominated Milk.

Frank Voci spearheaded the WhiteKnot.org campaign and told Variety that all high-profile nominees have been sent a knot in hopes that many will choose to display it. He didn't ask for any star to make a statement, just to wear the knots in a show of personal support.

“They all get the poignant timing and the March 5 court date,” Voci told Variety, referencing the day the California supreme court will begin hearing oral arguments for and against overturning Proposition 8.

Reversing Bush Policy, U.S. Backs UN Condemnation of Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation

"In late December the United Nations General Assembly held a symbolic vote on a statement calling for the universal decriminalization of homosexuality. France spearheaded the resolution, which was a 13 point declaration "to ensure that sexual orientation or gender identity may under no circumstances be the basis for criminal penalties, in particular executions, arrests or detention."

The statement received 60 votes in support, mostly from Europe and South America.

Opposing the resolution, were the United States, the Holy See, and members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. At the time, the Bush administration couched its objection to the measure in legal technicalities.

At the so-called 'Durban Review Conference' on racism and xenophonia underway in Geneva, Europe again put forward language condemning 'all forms of discrimination and all other human rights violations based on sexual orientation.' According to UN Watch, 'The Czech Republic on behalf of the E.U., with the support of New Zealand, the United States, Colombia, Chili (sic) on behalf of the South American states, the Netherlands, Argentina and a few others, took the floor in support.'"

The efforts unfortunately failed due to lack of support from non-European countries (South Africa on behalf of the African Group, China, Egypt, Nigeria,Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Botswana, Iran, Algeria, and Syria), but the U.S. appears to be back on the correct side of the issue now.

Calif. legislature on way to condemning Prop 8

Two weeks before the California Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Proposition 8, the legislature is moving to condemn the voter- approved measure which bans same-sex marriage in the state.The Assembly Judiciary Committee voted 7-3 to put the legislature on record as opposing Prop 8. The resolution goes next to the full Assembly.

The vote came as about 1000 members of the state’s LGBT communities converged on the legislature to lobby lawmakers.

The group ignored heavy rain, but many members of the Senate were unavailable - tied up in meetings trying to resolve California’s financial crisis. Nevertheless, the gay volunteers pressed on, buttonholing lawmakers to press the case that Prop 8 enshrined discrimination in the state Constitution.

AIDS was top killer in China in 2008

The AIDS virus became the top deadly infectious disease in China last year for the first time, killing 6,897 people in the first nine months of 2008, the official news agency Xinhua said on Tuesday.

The number of people infected with the HIV/AIDS virus doubled during that period, Xinhua said, citing a report posted on the Ministry of Health website.

Xinhua said there were a total of 264,302 HIV/AIDS cases by the end of September last year and 34,864 people have died of the disease so far.

United Nations figures estimate that 700,000 people in China were HIV positive by the end of 2007.

Burundi senate rejects gay bill

Homosexuality is banned in many African countries Burundi's senate has rejected a draft law that criminalises homosexuality.

The draft proposed a sentence of three months to two years in prison for homosexual conduct.

It was approved by the lower chamber of parliament, the national assembly, last year - provoking criticism from human rights groups.

US-based Human Rights Watch has warned that the country would be in breach of international human rights treaties if the legislation is passed.

65 million condoms for Carnival

Carnival is condom season in Brazil, where the government has announced it will hand out 65 million free prophylactics to partiers this month. It’s an increase of 20 million from what the government hands out each month the rest of the year in Brazil, which has aggressive anti-HIV and -AIDS efforts praised by the United Nations.

“In addition to the 45 million condoms we already distribute on a monthly basis, we’re increasing that amount this month so there can be enough condoms distributed at all the parties and events that take place during Carnival,” said Mariangela Simao, director of the national HIV-AIDS program in the capital, Brasilia.

All told, the country plans to spend roughly $36 million to purchase 1.2 billion condoms this year - making it the world’s No. 1 government buyer, Simao said. About 560 million free condoms will be available nationwide, or around three for each of Brazil’s 191 million people.

The prophylactics - distributed to state agencies who then hand them out - come in purple wrappers emblazoned with the message “Always use a condom!”

Church officials in Brazil, home to the world’s largest Roman Catholic population, have opposed the condom program.

All 5 LGBT bills die in Utah

A bill that would have offered unmarried couples - straight or gay - inheritance rights and the power to make medical decisions when the other partner is incapacitated, Wednesday in the legislature.

It was the fifth defeat for a group of bills called the Common Ground Initiative that would have expanded LGBT civil rights in Utah.

Tuesday, legislation to include gays in job and housing protections was defeated and bills to allow for joint support and the creation of a domestic partner registry also failed to gain traction.

A fifth bill which would have allowed same-sex couples to sue for wrongful death damages was defeated in a state Senate committee last month.

In addition, legislation that would have repealed a section of Utah’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was killed by its sponsor in a bid to save the other bills.




[Okay, I don't know what's up with the photo... stupid story, stupid photo.]

Utah Right-Wingers

A group called "America Forever" bought a full-page ad in the Salt Lake Tribune against gay rights.

Gay activists hold kiss-in outside Dallas Museum of Art

"The kiss-in is part of a larger effort by activist groups to raise awareness of gay-rights issues. Queer LiberAction and another group, Join the Impact Dallas, plan to hold mini-wedding ceremonies outside the Records Building downtown last Thursday.

Participants plan to request marriage licenses as part of National Freedom to Marry Day. One mother instructed her child to avert his eyes from the kiss-in participants.

'Don't look at them,' she said, grabbing and turning her son's head away. Others simply walked by, avoiding eye contact. One woman murmured, 'It's twisted, very twisted.' But another cited biblical principles, then exchanged hugs with a transgender activist, saying, 'Hate the sin, not the sinner.'"

L.A. Student Sues to Speak Against Marriage Equality

A public speaking assignment has escalated to a lawsuit against Los Angeles City College over First Amendment rights and school codes on offensive speech.

Student Jonathan Lopez claims a professor refused to let him finish a speech opposing same-sex marriage during a public speaking class in November, weeks after the passing of Proposition 8. Lopez alleges that the professor called him a “fascist bastard” and when asking for his grade, replied to Lopez, “Ask God what your grade is.” Lopez also said the teacher threatened to have him expelled when he took his complaints to the dean.

A letter from Dean Allison Jones to Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative Christian legal organization representing Lopez in his suit, says two students in the class were deeply offended by the speech. One student said Lopez “should have to pay some price for preaching hate in the classroom."

Alliance is the same group that had filed a suit, ultimately unsuccessful, to stop the release of the names and addresses of donors to Proposition 8. Alliance staff counsel David J. Hacker told the Los Angeles Times that Lopez was a victim of religious discrimination.

"He was expressing his faith during an open-ended assignment, but when the professor disagreed with some minor things he mentioned, the professor shut him down,” he said in the article, “Basically, colleges and universities should give Christian students the same rights to free expression as other students."

As well as seeking financial damages, the suit, filed in U.S. district court in Los Angeles, seeks to strike down a sexual harassment code barring students from uttering "offensive" statements.

Utah Gov Voices Support for Gay Rights Initiative, Civil Unions

Equality Utah's 'Common Ground' initiative has not seen much success. Two of its bills have failed already. The first failed in committee on the second day of the legislature, and the second, which would have erased the portion of the state's same-sex marriage ban forbidding civil unions, was pulled. But the set of initiatives did receive support yesterday from Utah's Governor:

"Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., a spokeswoman said Monday, backs Equality Utah's Common Ground Initiative, a legislative effort that would provide some rights to gay and transgender Utahns. Even more, the Republican governor favors civil unions. It's a position that runs counter to his political party and against the majority of Utahns -- 70 percent of whom oppose civil unions, according to a recent Salt Lake Tribune poll. 'He's long supported many of the ideas that are presented within the Common Ground Initiative,' said Lisa Roskelley, the governor's spokeswoman, noting her boss waits to endorse specific bills officially until presented to him in final form. 'He supports civil unions.' It's doubtful Huntsman's backing will lead to civil unions getting past the conservative Legislature. And it may not help the rest of this year's gay-rights legislative push, which already has shrunk from four bills to two."

As far as the remaining half of the gay rights initiative: "Of the remaining Common Ground bills, one would make it illegal to fire or evict someone for being gay or transgender. The other would allow two, unmarried cohabiting adults to file a "declaration of joint support" with their county recorder and gain benefits of inheritance and medical-decision making."

Nationwide protests put human face on gay marriage battle

Same-sex couples seeking to wed showed up at marriage license counters nationwide Thursday to highlight a right they don’t have in 48 states, part of an annual protest that took on renewed urgency given recent election setbacks.

In San Francisco, where same-sex marriage was legal for nearly five months last year before California voters approved a ban, many couples who came to City Hall had already tied the knot but wanted to express their gratitude and to show they’re still part of the fight.

“All of our marriages are under the cloud of Proposition 8,” said Stuart Gaffney, 45, referring to California’s ballot initiative banning gay marriage. “Equality is an unfinished business in California.”

In Las Vegas, couples gathered outside the downtown marriage bureau with signs that read “Don’t hate my love” and “No laws on love.” In New York, activists wore signs that said “Just Not Married.” They were turned away empty-handed in both places when they asked for marriage licenses.

“We could get married in Massachusetts or Connecticut, but we’ll wait a little and see what happens in New York,” Matt Flanders, 37, of Brooklyn, said after he and his partner, Will Jennings, 29, participated in the protest in Manhattan. “It’s a matter of principle. This is our home, and we should be able to get married where we live, where our friends are.”

The protests around Valentine’s Day, part of the 12th annual Freedom to Marry Day, were considered especially important this year because they come after the November passage of Proposition 8. The measure has prompted protests, lawsuits and questions about the direction of the gay rights movement.

“A lot of people feel a sense of determination and regret over having been too complacent or quiet before, so there is a commitment to, `Never again, we have to take action,’” said Evan Wolfson, a civil rights lawyer who conceived Freedom to Marry Day. “In that sense, California was a terrific energizer and wake-up call.”

Son of Homophobic Megachurch Pastor Arrested in Gay Sex Sting

Dallas megachurch pastor T.D. Jakes has said that he would never hire a sexually active gay person, has spoken out against same-sex marriage, and has called homosexuality a "brokenness." Now his son has been arrested in a sex sting after approaching law enforcement officers in a park and exposed himself to them while masturbating, according to the Dallas Voice:

"Jermaine Donnell Jakes, 29, faces a charge of indecent exposure after allegedly exposing himself in front of two undercover vice detectives shortly after 10 p.m. on Jan. 3. Senior Cpl. Janice Crowther, a DPD spokeswoman, confirmed Thursday, Feb. 12 that the detectives were both male. According to an arrest affidavit, the detectives were conducting an investigation into citizen complaints of sexual activity when they observed Jakes and several other unknown males park their vehicles in the lot east of the park at 2106 W. Kiest Blvd. The detectives followed Jakes into a wooded area, where he approached them with his penis exposed through his unzipped pants, the affidavit states. Jakes masturbated for several seconds while making eye contact with one of the detectives. Jakes made no attempt to conceal his penis despite people walking and jogging on a trail nearby, the affidavit states. According to court records, Jermaine Jakes listed his place of employment as T.D. Jakes Ministries.

T.D. Jakes' ministry, Potter House, has a membership of 30,000.

The Dallas Morning News reports: " The son of Potter’s House Bishop T.D. Jakes turned himself in to the Dallas County Jail on Thursday on an indecent exposure charge stemming from an incident at a southern Dallas park last month. Jermaine Jakes, 29, posted $1,000 bail and was released Thursday morning, according to jail records... He was detained at the scene and released, as is often the procedure in such cases. The charge is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $2,000 fine."

Bishop T.D. Jakes Speaks Out About Son's Gay Sex Arrest

Bishop T.D. Jakes, the homophobic Dallas megachurch pastor whose son was arrested last week after exposing himself and masturbating in front of law enforcement officers during a sex sting in a public park, released a statement over the weekend (which he also read to his congregation) distancing himself from his son's actions by pointing out that Jermaine Jakes is an adult. Bishop Jakes also says that his son is being shown a "restorative grace" indicative of his ministry.

According to the Dallas Voice, Jakes has said that he would never hire a sexually active gay person, has spoken out against same-sex marriage, and has called homosexuality a "brokenness."

Jermaine Jakes turned himself in to police last Thursday on an indecent exposure charge.

Hawaii civil unions bill passes house

A bill that would give same-sex couples in Hawaii all of the rights of marriage has passed the state House on a 33-17 vote. It now moves to the Senate.

The measure would legalize civil unions with all of the benefits, protections and responsibilities of marriage. It also would recognize domestic partnerships entered into in other states. Marriages from Massachusetts and Connecticut would be regarded as civil unions.

Under the legislation, same-sex couples would have to obtain a license and then have the civil union performed by a judge, a retired judge or a member of the clergy.

“It’s really inspiring for me today,” said state House Majority Leader Blake Oshiro (D) the bill’s sponsor. But its main opponent, State Rep. Gene Ward (R) said it was the beginning of a “slippery slope” and that gays would not be satisfied until they got same-sex marriage. “This is not to condemn individuals, it’s to protect an institution,” he said.

In 1993, the Hawaii Supreme Court was the first in the country to rule that barring same-sex marriage could be a violation of the state constitutional protection of equal rights.

In 1997, the Legislature passed a domestic partner law allowing gay couples to register with the state Department of Health. It allowed couples to have rights as reciprocal beneficiaries in hospital visitations, inheritance and property, and the ability to sue for wrongful death.

But in 1998 as calls for same-sex marriage increased, nearly 70 percent of Hawaii voters passed a constitutional amendment giving the Legislature the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples.

Suze Orman on Marriage Equality: Prop 8 Took Away a Birthright

Financial guru Suze Orman talked to viewers about her Valentine's Day wish:

"In my opinion it is such a travesty that, a few months ago, Proposition 8, in California, passed. Proposition 2, in Florida, passed. What is that about, everybody? We are taking away a birthright, if you ask me, for people to get the most out of the money that they have spent their lives working. Those people are making money. They pay taxes on the money. Every single one of us deserves to have the same financial benefits whether we are gay or whether we are straight. And therefore, we have got to do everything we can to turn that around. Every single one of us deserves to be loved. Every single one of us deserves to love. And every single one of us deserves to make the most of the money that we have. That’s my Valentine’s Day wish for every single one of us."

Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine mull gay marriage bills

Same-sex marriage is inching forward in three more New England states with the introduction of marriage equality bills in Vermont and Maine, and a public hearing on a similar bill in New Hampshire. Gay marriage already is legal in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Vermont was the first state in the country to legalize civil unions in 2000. Since then LGBT groups have criticized the law for creating a “two tiered” system - marriage for opposite-sex couples and civil unions for gays.

An 11-member commission was set up by the leaders of the Vermont House and Senate, both Democrats, to look into Vermont’s civil unions law to see if it is providing equality for gay and lesbian couples.

It submitted its report to the legislature last April, but made no recommendations on revising the law to allow for same-sex marriage.

On Thursday, Reps. Mark Larson (D) and David Zuckerman (P) introduced legislation to convert civil unions to marriage.

“For me personally it makes sense that we would treat all people the same,” said Larson in filing the bill. The bill has 59 sponsors but it is unclear if that will be enough to ensure passage.
No Republicans have signed on as sponsors, but House GOP Leader Patti Komline has said she would vote for it.

Even if the measure does pass the legislature, Gov. Jim Douglas has said he would veto the bill.
In New Hampshire, more than 100 people turned out for a committee hearing on a gay marriage bill.

The state approved civil unions last year. A same-sex marriage bill was filed this year. One of those appearing before the Judiciary committee was a co-sponsor of the bill - state Rep. Edward Butler who came with his partner, Leslie Schoof.

Butler said that civil unions are unequal.

“We knew that this was accepting a back seat in the bus,” Butler told the committee. “But many of us felt it was a step in the right direction.” Butler went on to say that now is the time to take the next step.

Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson - the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican faith - told lawmakers that same-sex marriage is a matter of fairness.

“Ladies and gentleman of the Judiciary Committee, don’t let the religious opponents to marriage equality you will hear from today and in the days to come make you afraid to do what is right,” Robinson said.

But Rep. Daniel Itse (R) told the committee that civil unions already have cheapened marriage and allowing same-sex couples to wed would result in a rise in out-of-wedlock births.

“Young people now see no need to get married,” Itse said. “It just doesn’t mean anything anymore.”

Gov. John Lynch opposes the bill but has not said if he would veto it should it pass.

Republican lawmakers say they will introduce a bill to constitutionally ban same-sex marriage in the state.

A same-sex marriage bill was introduced in the Maine legislature last month.

Cream 'could stop genital herpes'

US scientists say they have developed a cream which could for the first time prevent someone from becoming infected with genital herpes.

The virus is carried by half a billion people worldwide - the disease can be controlled, but it is hard to stop it spreading to others through sex.

This topical treatment, which has so far been tested only on mice, stops the virus from replicating in a new host.

The research appears in the journal Cell Host and Microbe.

The type-2 herpes simplex virus is sexually transmitted and can cause painful, fluid-filled blisters to develop.

It can also be passed from mother to child during childbirth, putting the infant at risk of brain damage and even death if left untreated.

The cream, developed at Harvard Medical School, uses a technique called RNA interference, which stops the genes the virus needs to replicate from working properly.

"One of the attractive features of the compound we developed is that it creates in the tissue a state that's resistant to infection, even if applied up to a week before sexual exposure," said Professor Judy Lieberman, who led the research.

"This aspect has a real practicality to it. If we can reproduce these results in people, this could have a powerful impact on preventing transmission."

Gynaecologist Dr Gillian Vanhegan said the cream sounded "very interesting indeed".

"Obviously you would have to know when to use it - but it could definitely be of value to people with a partner who was carrying the virus."

Dr Nathan Sankar, a consultant in genitourinary medicine at the UK's Newcastle General Hospital, said it was an "exciting" development but warned there was still a long way to go.

"It is still at the very early stages. In many ways a vaccine which could be taken and forgotten about would be better, but the cream is definitely promising."

As well as looking into whether the cream can be developed for human use, the team is investigating whether the same principles can be applied to protection against HIV/Aids.

Prop 8 supporter Whitman running for California govenor

Former eBay Chief Executive Meg Whitman officially launched her bid to seek the Republican nomination for California governor on Monday, capping a year-long tour on the political stage after leaving her high-profile Silicon Valley post.

The 52-year-old political neophyte began testing her affinity for politics after leaving the online auction site after 10 years last January. She served as finance chairwoman for Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign and then as a national co-chair of John McCain’s.

“California faces challenges unlike any other time in its history - a weak and faltering economy, massive job losses and an exploding state budget deficit,” Whitman said in a statement on her Web site. “California is better than this, and I refuse to stand by and watch it fail.”

She said former Gov. Pete Wilson will be her campaign chairman.

Whitman will face Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, another wealthy former Silicon Valley executive, and former Rep. Tom Campbell, in the Republican primary. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, is prohibited from running again under the state’s term-limits law and will leave office in January 2011. His moderate social and fiscal positions have often put him at odds with the state Republican Party and the Bush administration.

Whichever candidate emerges from the GOP field will face a stiff challenge in the 2010 general election as the party continues to lose voters. Republicans accounted for 31.4 percent of registered voters last November, a slide of more than 3 percentage points since the 2004 elections. The party, which has grown more conservative in recent years as California voters have become more centrist, has been shedding voters for more than a decade as the ranks of independents in California has grown.

President Barack Obama defeated Republican challenger John McCain by 24 percentage points last year, the widest margin in a California presidential race since World War II.

Nevertheless, Poizner’s communications director, Kevin Spillane, said Whitman’s decision is a sign of strength for the state GOP.

“Campaigns are about differences and we look forward to Meg Whitman and other Republican candidates joining Steve Poizner in a vigorous discussion about who has the hands-on experience, innovative ideas and conservative instincts to save California,” Spillane said in a statement.

Whitman promoted her financial experience during the presidential campaign but has not revealed her positions on social issues such as abortion, stem-cell research and the death penalty. She supported the gay marriage ban approved by California voters in November.

The Republican nominee will face a crowded Democratic field that is expected to include former governor and current Attorney General Jerry Brown, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Lt. Gov. John Garamendi. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has not said whether she will run or remain in Congress.

Gay Marriage In New York Unlikely in '09 or '10

Daniel Squadron, the twenty-nine year old freshman New York State Senator, is ready to take the lead on gay marriage in New York. Squadron said his goal was, "making this a law as quickly as possible," last night at a meeting of the Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn. He came to discuss strategy with leading activists and received plenty of feedback.

However, Squadron is not optimistic about passing gay marriage in the 2009 Senate session and believes that 2010 will be even tougher, due to the election year. "Looking at the members, it's hard to get to thirty-two votes," he admitted. Thirty-two is the magic number to pass a bill in the New York State Senate.Squadron is not opposed to attempting in 2009, but said their were basically two strategies. Either, put the bill up in 2009 and risk a defeat or lay the ground work for passage later. "Just making the Senate Democratic is not enough, we need a fundamental change in Senate culture," Squadron explained. He believes that while the Senate is progressing, we aren't there yet.

Laying the ground work for victory, Squadron believes, involves showing marriage opponents "the ways it (gay marriage) leads to a traditional family structure." As well as explaining to members of the Senate the economic benefits Squadron added that, "real resources" need to be spent on changing people's minds in key districts and in the Senate.

This Has Gone Too Far!

Rising costs bite into Girl Scout Cookie portions

If you seem to be tearing through those Girl Scout Thin Mints a little faster this year, you aren't imagining things.

Fewer cookies were packaged into Thin Mints, Do-si-dos and Tagalongs boxes this year, and the Lemon Chalet Crème cookies were resized to compensate for the rising cost of baking staples.

No changes were made to other cookies, according to the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Alternatives to the changes were to raise cookie prices or use cheaper ingredients – two options that were rejected, said Natalie Martin, marketing director for the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas.

A box of cookies costs $3.50.

"We aren't talking about a drastic change. We are just talking about a couple cookies," Martin said, adding that the boxes shrunk by only a centimeter. "People understand that we are all taking hits."

The Girls Scouts certainly aren't the first organization to alter product size and portions because of higher food costs.

Products on grocery-store shelves throughout the nation have been reshaped, resized and repackaged in response to new marketing ideas, jumps in food and gas prices and the economic downturn, said Lynn Dornblaser, a new-product analyst at Mintel International, a marketing research firm.

Dornblaser said she isn't surprised by the change in Girl Scout cookies.

"It is a reflection of them needing to keep the price in line with other products, but they also need to keep in mind the rising baking cost," she said. "You've got to balance it the best way you can."

The Girl Scouts faced spikes in ingredient costs from 2007. Flour rose in cost by more than 30 percent, various cooking oils by 40 percent to 187 percent, and cocoa by at least 20 percent.

Carol Orbin, a Girl Scout mom from Flower Mound, said the changes haven't stopped people from ordering.

"To me, their decision makes sense with the economy the way it is," Orbin said. "You can't change the taste of the cookies. No one wants to see the price go up either, so I am fine with what they did."

10 More Haggard Sex Cases, 3 Are Minors

Michelangelo Signorile spoke with a Colorado Springs bail bondsman who says he knows of at least ten more cases of sexual misconduct on the part of Pastor Ted Haggard, and three of them involve minors:

"[Bobby] Brown, now a TV personality who is one of the sidekicks on the hit A & E series Dog the Bounty Hunter, has been conducting the investigation on his own, for no money. Several times he assured me – without my asking -- that he is not doing this as part of any agenda against homosexuality (and is critical of those who are antigay) and that his interest is solely in exposing criminal activity on the part of New Life Church and its leaders: the hush money and where it came from, as well any sexual assault on minors and what knowledge the church had."

Signorile also has information about yet another New Life pastor who was convicted of child molestation, a conviction apparently covered up by New Life Church.

Signorile also has posted more of his interview with New Life church volunteer Grant Haas. Haas discusses Haggard's "party formula" which consisted of crystal meth, Viagra and poppers which he would take and either connect with men online or watch porn.

Foo Fighters Grohl and Shiflett Show Marriage Equality Support

Both Chris Shiflett and Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters were sporting white knots at the MusiCares Person of the Year tribute honoring Neil Diamond on Friday night. Grohl also wore his to the Grammys.

Said Grohl at MusiCares: "Anybody know about whiteknot.org? You know what that’s about? It's I believe in love and I believe in equality and I believe in marriage equality."

South Carolina?

South Carolina state senator Robert Ford introduces Civil Union Equality Act: "It would allow same-sex civil unions in the state that would have all the benefits, privileges, rights and responsibilities of marriage."

Vermont: It's Time to Introduce Marriage Equality

Vermont may be the fourth state, and the third in New England, to ring in marriage equality for same sex couples. Representatives Mark Larson and David Zuckerman introduced the bill on Friday with the backing of 59 other members, according to the Rutland Herald. While none of the co-sponsors are Republicans, the vote is expected to garner some of the 48 right-wing representatives.

"It seemed like the right convergence of circumstances," Larson said to the Herald. "It's time."

In November, State senator John Campbell said that he would introduce a marriage equality bill to the senate when it returned in January. Campbell, the senate majority leader, said that the bill wouldn't likely go far unless it were supported by Gov. Jim Douglas, a Republican. Douglas says he would rather the legislature concentrate on fiscal concerns.

Gay and lesbian couples have had civil union rights in Vermont since 2000. A commission of legislative leaders formed in April to discuss whether the state should allow same-sex couples to marry. Though the panel concluded that instituting same-sex marriage would be positive for the state, it stopped short of suggesting that the state grant same-sex marriage. Recommending gay marriage "would undercut the purpose and usefulness of [the commission's] work and [the] report," the April 21 report said.

Currently only Massachusetts and Connecticut offer marriage to all couples. New York also currently recognizes marriages performed outside of the state at the direct order of Governor David Paterson in 2008. California's supreme court ruling allowing same-sex marriage was overturned in the November election. The court will hear arguments next month to overturn the referendum vote on Proposition 8.

Sally Kern Says She's Found the "Gay Agenda"

Homophobic Oklahoma state representative Sally Kern is at it again -- this time urging a crowd at the “Clouds Over America” conference of the John Birch Society that the time has come “for a new ‘Great Awakening,’” evidenced by a “gay agenda” she says she uncovered in the book "After the Ball."

According to Kern, the book, written by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen and based on a musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan, documents a “public relations campaign to have gays accepted by the general public -- step by step -- with the final goal being not just acceptance of gays by heterosexuals but eventual triumph of homosexuality as a superior lifestyle.”

“You know, I’ve done a lot of reading on this,” Kern said. “I wish I could describe to you their behavior. I will not because I would be redder than this suit. It’s their behavior that we oppose.

“This theme of equality and freedom is the approach that the homosexuals are using today -- totally perverting the true intention of what our Constitution meant,” she continued. “The homosexuals get it -- it’s a struggle between our religious freedoms and their right to do what they want to do.”

According to the organization’s official Website, the mission statement of the John Birch Society is to provide “Americans with the educational materials, programs, campaigns, and organizational leadership to restore our constitutional Republic.”

Largest Solar Program in US to Kick Start Green New Deal in LA?

The prospect of a Green New Deal that would simultaneously stimulate our economy and promote alternative energy development is perhaps the only remotely exciting aspect of the recession. And we may soon have the opportunity to see how it might work on the city level: in LA, where the unemployment rate has risen from 8.9 to 9.9 percent in the last year, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is spearheading a plan to expand citywide solar production and create jobs in the process.

Today he attended a training session for solar equipment maintenance and installation along with hundreds of electricians, many who are out of work. The training session is designed to prepare workers for thousands of new green collar jobs that the mayor hopes will be created with his massive solar initiative, Measure B.

Civil unions bill advances in Hawaii

A bill that would give same-sex couples in Hawaii all of the rights of marriage but without the name has been approved unanimously by the House Judiciary Committee and LGBT rights groups are expressing cautious optimism it will become law.

The measure would legalize civil unions with all of the benefits, protections and responsibilities of marriage. It also would recognize domestic partnerships formalized in other states where they are legal. Marriages from Massachusetts and Connecticut would be regarded as civil unions.

Under the legislation, same-sex couples would have to obtain a license and then have the civil union performed by a judge, a retired judge or a member of the clergy.

Getting Obama to Repeal DOMA, One Postcard at a Time

Twenty-four-year-old Tanner Efinger felt he had to do more after Proposition 8 passed in California, where he works as a bartender. After reading an article encouraging people to write to the new president about LGBT rights, Efinger decided to go one step further and encourage others to write the White House as well.

His project, dubbed "Postcards to the President" aims to keep the energy up after last year's protests through the simple act of licking a stamp.

http://www.postcardstothepresident.com/

Obama Appoints Gay Man to Faith-Based Council

"Fred Davie, the openly gay president of Public/Private Ventures, has been named to serve on President Barack Obama’s Policy Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Davie will work to provide objective, nonpartisan advice to the president on a variety of public policy matters, including strategies to increase the effectiveness of social services delivered by community and faith-based organizations."

New Kids On The Block's Jonathan Knight Outed in Enquirer

New Kid on the Block Jonathan Knight has been snapped canoodling with his now ex-boyfriend in the National Enquirer.



Brazilian model Kyle Wilker, 27 met NKOTB's Jonathan Knight (who lives a sort of Neil Patrick Harris-esque "open secret" life, so this is not exactly news to those in the know), while vacationing on Fire Island and it was love at first sight. Sadly, Knight turned out to be something of a homebody who likes to "lead a very simple lifestyle, sitting at home watching TV and movies" and the relationship cooled to friendship, according to Wilker.

Senator's bill to ban profanity

South Carolina Senator Robert Ford is attempting to outlaw profanity. Under his bill, the penalty for lewd language would be up to 5 years in prison and/or $5000 in fines.

From WCBD:
Which words are exactly considered profane is still unclear, but the bill does have a list of qualifications for profanity including words or actions that are lewd, vulgar or indecent in nature.

"Fidelity": Watch the video and sign our letter to the state Supreme Court

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Federal judges rule government cannot deny same-sex benefits To Workers

Two 9th Circuit judges, ruling in separate cases, have determined that the federal Defense of Marriage Act cannot be used to deny health benefits to the same-sex partners of government workers.

One case involved federal public defender Brad Levenson, who had been denied spousal benefits to his husband, Tony Sears.

In a ruling issued this week, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Reinhardt said DOMA was discrimination on the basis of sexuality and unconstitutional.

“Because there is no rational basis for denying benefits to the same-sex spouses of [Federal Public Defender] employees while granting them to the opposite-sex spouses of FPD employees, I conclude that the application of [federal statutes] so as to reach that result is unconstitutional,” Reinhardt said in a 15-page written ruling.

He also slashed one of the objectives of DOMA - to preserve traditional marriage.

“Gay people will not be encouraged to enter into marriages with members of the opposite sex by the government’s denial of benefits to same-sex spouses,” he wrote.

The other case involved 9th Circuit staff lawyer Karen Golinski who had been denied benefits for her spouse.

Chief Judge Alex Kozinski skirted the constitutionality argument in his determination, ruling that the wording of DOMA was vague and ambiguous.

Both judges ruled as dispute resolution officials - a mechanism where employees within the federal judiciary who are prohibited from suing in federal court can seek redress.

Because of this, the decisions are not legally binding outside of the 9th Circuit, which covers the West and includes Alaska and Hawaii.

President Obama has called for repeal of federal DOMA and legislation is expected to be introduced in the current session of Congress.

Anglicans seek to extend moratorium on gay bishops

Anglican world leaders urged their churches Thursday to maintain a 5-year-old moratorium on consecrating another openly gay bishop and developing prayers for same-sex unions, as they try to restore unity in their fractured fellowship.

An Anglican advisory panel also raised deep concerns about a North American province sought by theological conservatives to rival the Episcopal Church.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the Anglican spiritual leader, will arrange professional mediation for all leaders involved in the North American conflict, leaders said.

“If a way forward is to be found and mutual trust to be re-established, it is imperative that further aggravation and acts which cause offense, misunderstanding or hostility cease,” the Anglican leaders said Thursday.

The statements were released as the Anglican archbishops, or primates, ended a five-day private meeting in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria.

The 77 million-member Anglican Communion has been splintering since 2003, when the Episcopal Church - the Anglican body in the U.S. - consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Robinson’s election intensified a long-running debate over what Anglicans should believe about salvation, sexuality and other issues.

Anglican leaders requested the moratoria in 2004, in a document known as the Windsor Report, and have been meeting regularly ever since to avoid a permanent break. Williams formed a six-member committee to advise him on how the communion can move forward. The group presented their recommendations at the Alexandria gathering.

The report painted a largely grim picture of the state of the fellowship, saying “positions and arguments are becoming more extreme” and rivals are engaging in “fear-mongering, deliberate distortion and demonizing.”

Four conservative U.S. dioceses and dozens of individual Episcopal parishes have voted to leave the national denomination since 2003. Many have affiliated with like-minded overseas Anglican leaders. The Anglican Church of Nigeria started a Convocation of Anglicans in North America, including breakaway Episcopal churches in Virginia.

The Anglican advisory panel said such overseas interventions in U.S. territory should stop and they urged an end to lawsuits over who gets to keep Episcopal property.

Of the North American province, the panel said it “foresees formidable problems in the way ahead,” saying it could become a “haven for discontented groups” and formalize a schism.

The top governing body of the Episcopal Church, the General Convention, will take up the moratoria at its July meeting in Anaheim, Calif. Several Episcopal dioceses have been developing prayers to bless same-sex couples despite the requested ban.

Tom Hanks Says Mormon Supporters of Proposition 8 'Un-American'

Tom Hanks, Executive Producer for HBO’s controversial polygamist series “Big Love,” made his feelings toward the Mormon Church’s involvement in California's Prop 8 (which prohibits gay marriage) very clear at the show’s premiere party on Wednesday night.

“The truth is this takes place in Utah, the truth is these people are some bizarre offshoot of the Mormon Church, and the truth is a lot of Mormons gave a lot of money to the church to make Prop-8 happen,” he told Tarts. “There are a lot of people who feel that is un-American, and I am one of them. I do not like to see any discrimination codified on any piece of paper, any of the 50 states in America, but here's what happens now. A little bit of light can be shed, and people can see who's responsible, and that can motivate the next go around of our self correcting Constitution, and hopefully we can move forward instead of backwards. So let's have faith in not only the American, but Californian, constitutional process.”

[Tom appoligized for the "un-american" remark a couple days later.]

Opposing Marriage Bills to Face Off in New Hampshire Thursday

New Hampshire's House Judiciary Committee will hold hearings on two bills tomorrow — one to fully legalize same-sex marriage (the state already has civil unions for same-sex couples), and the other to repeal the civil union legislation and ban same-sex marriage.

Mass. man pledges $100M for AIDS vaccine research

A businessman pledged $100 million Wednesday to Massachusetts General Hospital to create an institute that will search for vaccines for AIDS and other infectious diseases.

The gift from Phillip Ragon will help create an institute whose first task will be finding an effective vaccine against AIDS.

The Phillip T. and Susan M. Ragon Institute eventually will bring scientists, clinicians and engineers together from the hospital, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to fight a wide range of infectious diseases and cancers.

“Recent scientific advances have brought us closer to the elusive goal of an AIDS vaccine,” said Bruce Walker, a physician-investigator at Massachusetts General who will be the institute’s director. “But reaching that goal will require broad collaboration.”

The hospital will get $10 million in each of the next 10 years. According to hospital officials, the $100 million pledge is the largest donation in the hospital’s history.

The 59-year-old Ragon is the founder and sole owner of InterSystems Corp., a Cambridge company that provides database software to hospitals and other industries.