Simmons: Lambert Killed Career By Coming Out

KISS front man Gene Simmons said in a recent interview that Adam Lambert's decision to come out will kill his career.

"He killed his career because now the conversation is not about his talent but about his sexual preference," he told AOL. "He's done.

"I hope I'm completely wrong. I hope he becomes the next Beatles and proves me wrong. Adam was fantastic. What a powerful and attractive man he is. He can come on tour whenever he’d like."

The American Idol runner-up is currently putting the finishing touches on his debut album, due in stores this Fall.

Fed. Prop. 8 Suit: Gay Groups Weigh In

The American Civil Liberties Union and two prominent gay and lesbian legal organizations have filed a brief in support of a lawsuit against California’s Proposition 8, though one attorney said the move is not an endorsement of federal suits that challenge existing state marriage bans.

The suit, Perry vs. Schwarzenegger et. al, was filed in federal court late last month on behalf of two couples who were denied marriage licenses shortly before the California supreme court upheld Prop. 8, which amended the state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Theodore B. Olson and David Boies, who argued opposing sides in Bush v. Gore following the 2000 presidential election, represent the four plaintiffs.

Citing landmark U.S. Supreme Court rulings like Loving vs. Virginia, which struck down laws banning interracial marriage, Olson and Boies argue that their clients were discriminated against under federal equal protection guarantees.

In a 23-page brief filed Thursday, the ACLU, Lambda Legal, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights agreed with Olson and Boies that Prop. 8 is unconstitutional, but urged a narrower analysis of the issue as it pertains to marriage inequality in California, rather than the nation as a whole.

In doing so, the suit “is significantly more likely to succeed because it focuses on the singular legal and historical context in which California voters passed Prop. 8,” said Jennifer C. Pizer, senior counsel and marriage project director for Lambda Legal. “When examined in context, the equal protection violation is unique, and stark.”

The three legal groups, along with several national LGBT organizations, have previously spoken out against the filing of such suits in federal court, calling them premature and risky should they end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown have declined to defend Prop. 8 in federal court, leaving its likely defense in the hands of conservative legal groups like the Alliance Defense Fund, which has filed papers asking a federal judge to allow it to intervene.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for July 2. U.S. district court judge Vaughn Walker is expected to hear arguments on whether Prop. 8 should be suspended while the suit proceeds

“Unfortunately, the state's inability to balance its checkbook will now mean short-changing taxpayers, local governments and small businesses.”

JOHN CHIANG, California's controller, on the state's worsening financial situation and the possibility that it may have to issue I.O.U.s

What If?

Anderson's 'Coming Out' Party

Anderson Cooper may have been reporting live from Paris Wednesday night, but according to Gawker, the silver fox will be attending a New York party on Thursday night that's being informally dubbed "Anderson Cooper's Big Fat Coming Out Party."

The fete is for the online fashion publication Unvogue, which worked for weeks to get the CNN journalist to their party at Sapphire Go-Go Lounge. The event coincides with the start of New York's gay pride celebration, leading Unvogue staffers to refer to the party as "Anderson Cooper's Big Fat Coming Out Party."

Unvogue editor K. Tyson Perez told Gawker that, "we are slightly annoyed that our big secret is getting out before we have had a chance to 'officially' announce it ourselves." An Unvogue's publicity person confirms that Cooper will be in attendance.

MATTHEW SHEPARD FOUNDATION SAYS "NO THANKS" TO PEREZ HILTON!

The Matthew Shepard Foundation was surprised to learn this morning via media reports that blogger Perez Hilton (Mario Lavandeira) has announced he plans to donate, to our organization, the proceeds of a lawsuit he is contesting over an altercation which has been widely reported in recent days.

We had no advance notice or contact from Mr. Hilton or his representatives regarding this proposal, nor any communication since he posted this plan to his website.

We do not know the details of the lawsuit, whether it has been filed, the nature of his claims or the likely outcome. But because the lawsuit presumably involves the physical attack prompted by Mr. Hilton's admitted use of an anti-gay slur, the Foundation will be unable to accept any funds obtained in such a manner.

We very much appreciate the generosity of the offer to support our continuing work to memorialize Matthew through activism in defense of sexual minorities and in favor of understanding, compassion, and acceptance. But because so much of our work involves education to reduce the use of hateful language against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, or those so perceived, it would be inappropriate for us to benefit financially from circumstances in which such a verbal attack was involved.

While we applaud Mr. Hilton's apology to the LGBT community and their loved ones for his use of such a slur, we also feel compelled to point out that use of epithets can often lead to physical violence, as it appears it may have in this case, and that the Matthew Shepard Foundation has worked for more than 10 years to bring to people's attention the consequences of hateful or intolerant language.

Judy Shepard

Chair, MSF Governing Board

Top Health Care Companies Spent More Than Half Million On Congressional Trips

Over the past eight years, some of the largest and most politically active pharmaceutical and health care companies have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on private trips for members of Congress and their staffs.

All of the trips were described as fact-finding missions, designed to put legislators and their aides in touch with the issues they handle and people they represent. But others have interpreted them far more skeptically -- as the equivalent of out-of-session lobbying, where industry executives cozy up with policy makers in fancy and exotic locales. The pharmaceutical and private health care industries have been some of the most active financiers of these excursions.

A review of hundreds of public documents by the Huffington Post shows that from 2000 through 2008 the top 20 most active companies in these fields sponsored 192 trips worth more than $380,000 for dozens of politicians and staff. The list of those companies -- as determined by campaign contributions in the last election cycle -- include industry giants such as Pfizer, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, and Merck & Co.


[I am sure that is nothing to be worried about.]

'Gay Exorcism' Church

CNN interviews Patricia McKinney, pastor of Connecticut's Manifested Glory Ministries Church, the ministry behind the gay exorcism video.

Obama Must Issue Exec Order to Begin DADT Repeal. And Yet He Won't

Plenty of political and legal experts are telling the Obama administration that yes, in fact, the president can end Don't Ask Don't Tell via executive order. Except President Obama keeps saying he wants Congress to take action to repeal the law. Obama insists he's committed to killing DADT, and yet he won't use the one tool in his power to do so?

This week the Center for American Progress shared a report on how the White House can wind down DADT. In fact, it's actually a list of how he must do it: Issue an executive order to temporarily halt dismissals; form a presidential panel to strategize on how to implement a full-blown repeal; get Congress to repeal the law; change the military guidelines; follow up with the military to make sure they're following the new rules.

Real Family Values

Governor Mark Sanford's Affair

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Governor Mark Sanford's Affair
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

"Oh, marital infidelity, you're just another run of the mill human being whose simple moralizing about the sanctity of marriage is only marred by the complexities of their own life. Well just another politician with a conservative mind and a liberal penis."

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Moment of Zen - Joe Scarborough Knows Mark Sanford
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

Attorney General Holder tells Congress new hate crime law needed

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder urged a Senate committee to advance a hate crimes bill that would increase police authorities' abilities to heavily prosecute bias-motivated crimes.

The bill, known as the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009, would expand current prosecution laws and protect LGBT crime victims.

Holder mentioned his testimony on a nearly identical bill to the senate in July 1998. Just months after his appearance before Senate members, Shepard was brutally murdered in Laramie, Wyo. Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson targeted Shepard because he was gay.

"While it is unfortunate that 11 years have come and gone without this bill becoming law, I am confident that we can make the important protections that it offers a reality this year," Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. The number of hate crimes reported in 1998 (7,755) has been more or less unchanged since then -- 7,624 reported in 2007.

"...During the last decade, religiously motivated incidents have generally accounted for the second highest number of hate crime incidents, followed closely by sexual orientation bias incidents," Holder said. Between 1998 and 2007, he added, 12,372 hate crimes based on sexual orientation have been reported.

"Since the year I first testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on hate crimes legislation, there have been over 77,000 hate crime incidents reported to the FBI, not counting crimes committed in 2008 and 2009." he said. "That is nearly one hate crime every hour of every day over a decade."

House Dems Hold Private Meeting to Map LGBT Strategy

Roll Call reports:

"Headlining the meeting was Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who with her leadership team and the three openly gay Members of Congress — Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) — sought to map out a way forward on several key gay rights bills. According to sources, the Members discussed workplace discrimination, health care benefits for same-sex partners of federal employees and a repeal of the 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' policy that bars gays from openly serving in the military. The lawmakers also discussed how to help the Senate pass hate crimes legislation that has already cleared the House...Members exiting Wednesday’s meeting were mum on what was decided."

Maggie Gallagher's National Organization for Marriage (NOM) Refuses to Turn Over Its Federal Financial Records as Required by Law.

Open Letter to NOM President Maggie Gallagher:

Californians Against Hate began requesting your 990s (IRS non-profit tax filings) over three months ago, Maggie. You have not responded as required by law. We visited your national office in Princeton , N.J. twice to view the Form 990s, and sent our requests there by certified mail.

Someone at that address signed the US Postal Service receipt on April 25, 2009. You then had 30 days to comply with our request, but you still have not sent us your federal tax flings for 2007 and 2008.

We have also been to your "office" in Manassas , VA , and no forms there either, Maggie. It looks to be the home of your Treasurer, Neil Corkery. The Corkerys are apparently traveling around the world, and again, the forms are not available for public inspection as required by federal law.

Are you trying to hide all the involvement by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) who we believe created and funded the National Organization for Marriage, Inc.? That is exactly what the California Fair Political Practices Commission is investigating (Case # 08/735) right now.

As you are probably aware, the IRS fine for noncompliance is $20.00 per day for every day that you do not turn over your records up to a total of $10,000. For the 92 days so far, you owe the United States Treasury $1,840. While that won't put much of a dent in the national debt, it is what you owe the government so far in fines. Frankly, Maggie, we are tired of waiting, and are exploring other actions to force the release of your filings.

In another very interesting development, we received a letter from the IRS last week in response to the request that we filed with them on May 6, 2009 for your Form 990s. The IRS said that, "we have no record of any organization by the name (National Organization for Marriage, Inc.) or address ( 20 Nassau Street, Ste. 242 , Princeton , N.J 08542). Now, can you explain that?? They do have a record of your Educational Fund, the 501(c)3, but that apparently was just established last year. NOM, Inc. was established in May 2007 to get Prop 8 on the ballot, so there should be 2 annual filings available on NOM, Inc.

Maggie, why don't you do the right thing and release your 2007 and 2008 form 990s? Just what is in there about your funding and expenditures that you don't want people to see? A recent Washington Post story had this to say about the Mormon Church's involvement in the same-sex marriage battles in six Northeastern States.

Mormon officials have tried to stay out of the controversy that followed the California vote, when the church's prominent role in the marriage fight became clear. A spokeswoman in Salt Lake City declined to say whether the church is involved in debates going on in states such as New Jersey and New York , except to say that leaders remain intent on preserving the "divine institution" of marriage between man and woman. The faith holds that traditional marriage "transcends this world" and is necessary for "the fullness of joy in the next life."

That admission by the Mormon Church raises many more questions.

Who is paying for your multi million dollar TV campaign? Who is funding your $500,000 New York State PAC? Your California PAC? Who is paying for all the direct mail robo-calls and millions of direct connect calls in New York alone? Where did you get the $6 million that you admit to spending as reported this week in your hometown newspaper, The Journal News?

How much are you and your executive director Brian Brown getting paid? Is the Mormon Church paying you directly or through another one of your other organizations like the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy .

Is the Mormon Church producing all of your slick new commercials? Your controversial and often-maligned "A Gathering Storm" commercial that was made using actors pretending to be real people was chock full of Mormon actors, mostly from Arizona . Most of the bad actors on your audition tapes appear to be Mormon as well. We have that documented.

Just how much money is the Mormon Church spending now to fight same-sex marriage in at least 7 states? Mormon families spent close to $30 million in California to pass Proposition 8 last year. The Mormon Church has likely spent tens of millions of dollars directly throughout the country on all their efforts to stop gay marriage since they hired the world's largest PR firm, Hill and Knowlton, in 1988. It even appears that the Mormon Church, through its Public Affairs Committee, was monitoring same-sex marriage activities and involved in Canada as well.

We know that the Mormon Church has not been truthful about all of its involvement in opposing same-sex marriage for 20 years. We have seen ample evidence of this in the Church documents that we received.

When we filed our complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission last November, Mormon Church officials first said they spent "zero dollars on Prop 8." Then 3 months after the election, they finally admitted to have made $190,000 in non-monetary contributions. Nearly all of that was supposedly spent the week before the election.

They later changed their story again, saying that the $117,000 reported in Salt Lake City staff time ($96,000) and facilities' usage ($20,500) was not actually spent just on election day as they had reported to the California Secretary of State. According to Church spokesman Scott Trotter, the staff time included work between August and November. Well, then shouldn't there have been other expenditures in August or even July and September? Come on Maggie, tell the truth!
The Mormon Church announced its active participation to pass Proposition 8 in the now famous letter read from Thomas S. Monson, President of the Church. This rare act took place on June 29, 2008, and was read to every Mormon in the Western United States. President Monson called on all Mormons to give of "your time and your means to pass Proposition 8."

Well, it worked. As we now know, the Mormon Church took over every aspect of the Yes on 8 campaign, and was largely responsible for its passage.

Please, Maggie, tell America the truth for once about where your millions of dollars are coming from. We are a country of laws, and we have the right to know

Barney Frank Reintroduces Fully-Inclusive ENDA

Barney Frank today introduced a fully-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

"According to his office, more than 100 members of Congress have signed on to co-sponsor the measure. Among the sponsors are gay House members Frank, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.). The lead Republican sponsor is Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.). In a recent interview with the Blade, Frank said he believes prospects for passing a trans-inclusive ENDA have improved significantly since 2007, when he and other House Democratic leaders said the measure would be defeated if a gender identity clause were kept in the bill. Over the strong objections of transgender activists and many gay advocacy groups, House Democratic leaders dropped the transgender provision from the bill in September 2007. The House went on to pass it the following month, but the measure died when the Senate took no action on it."

99 Balloons

Eliot was born with an undeveloped lung, a heart with a hole in it and DNA that placed faulty information into each and every cell...

Anti-Gay South Carolina GOP Governor Sanford Admits to Affair

South Carolina Republican Governor Mark Sanford, a "family values" kind of guy who believes marriage should be between a man and a woman, admitted to an extramarital affair today after nearly a week of speculation as to his whereabouts.

Transgender Federal Employees Protected

President Obama's lawyers are drafting guidelines that would bar discrimination against federal employees based on gender identity, The New York Times reported Wednesday. The guidelines will protect federal transgender employees from discrimination, and are the first of their kind on a federal level.

The gender identity protections were not part of President Obama's June 17 announcement of benefits to same-sex spouses of federal employees. However, the National Center for Transgender Equality says it and other advocacy groups have been in ongoing talks with the White House regarding protections for transgender federal employees and called the process "on track."

Specifically, the protections will add "gender identity" to a clause stating that supervisors cannot discriminate against employees based on "race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicapping condition, marital status, or political affiliation." ("Sexual orientation" was also added to this list with Obama's June 17 presidential memorandum.) They will also provide transgender employees a course of action to protest a job action as discriminatory. "There is a very important symbolic value to that, from our point of view," NCTE executive director Mara Keisling said.

Warren tells breakaway Episcopalians to love all

Christians must show love to all people, even if they don’t support their values, evangelical megachurch pastor Rick Warren on Tuesday told breakaway Episcopalians and other Anglicans splitting from their national church over gay clergy and other issues.

"We are to love the people of the world no matter what they believe; we are to not love the value system of the world. And the problem today is lot of Christians are getting that reversed. They love the value system and hate the people," Warren told the crowd of 800 under a large tent on the lawn of St. Vincent’s Episcopal Cathedral Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Bedford. "God has never met a person he didn’t love."

This week’s meeting is the first national assembly for the Anglican Church in North America, formed by theological conservatives as a rival to the U.S. Episcopal Church. On Monday, delegates approved a constitution and church law for the new group.

Warren, who opposes gay marriage, sparked a protest by gay-rights supporters after President Barack Obama selected him to deliver a prayer at his January inauguration.

Warren did not mention gay relationships or other issues that caused the conservatives to break away, but he said he "jumped" at the chance to speak to the assembly and called it historic. He encouraged the new group and offered advice on how churches could reach out with ministries.
"The church - God’s family - is going to go on forever and ever and ever and ever and ever," Warren said. "If God has called you to serve in a local church ... don’t you ever step down to become the president of the United States or anything else for that matter, because nothing matters more ... (than) the privilege of guiding and guarding and shaping and sharing and encouraging and helping the flock of God."

Warren has extended support before to conservative Episcopalians and Anglicans and has offered space to seceding Episcopalians at his Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. But his appearance Tuesday, at a key organizing meeting for traditionalists, was his highest-profile statement of solidarity with them so far.

"He has been a friend of the Anglicans," said the Rev. Peter Frank, spokesman for Archbishop-elect Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh, who will be installed Wednesday as head of the province. "It’s good for us to hear from someone who’s been single-mindedly focused on the mission and doing things churches should do - loving people. We’re glad he came to reinforce that."

Episcopalians have been arguing for decades over how to interpret what the Bible says about issues ranging from salvation to gay relationships. The rift blew wide open in 2003 when Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

The new church includes four breakaway Episcopal dioceses, individual parishes in the U.S. and Canada, and splinter groups that left the Anglican family years or decades ago. Leaders estimate the new entity includes 100,000 members in 700 parishes.

The new North American church hopes to be recognized as a full member of the global Anglican Communion. The Episcopal Church is the Anglican body in the U.S. It is unprecedented for an Anglican national province to be admitted where another national church already exists.

The new church aims to unite under one umbrella a wide range of worship traditions and outlooks on issues including ordaining women and charismatic healing through the Holy Spirit. However, members are united by their traditional views of core Bible teachings, including opposition to ordaining gays who are not celibate.

In his opening address Monday, Duncan said members of the new entity had "come out of bondage" and escaped from a church that "got cut from its moorings."

"Though the journey took its toll, we know that we have been delivered, and have found that deliverance very sweet, indeed," Duncan said. "This assembly will be a test for us, as will our church life in the months and years ahead."

Southern Baptist Convention Ejects Church for Lenient Gay Views

The Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday ejected a Texas church because of its lenient views on homosexuality, reports the Fort-Worth Star Telegram.

Convention members voted almost unanimously during their annual convention to end their 127-year relationship with the Broadway Baptist Church, a 2,000-member organization in Fort Worth. The SBC executive committee said the church was in violation of Article III, a rule pertaining to “churches which act to affirm, approve or endorse homosexual behavior.”

Tension between the executive committee and the church erupted last year when the church considered whether to publish photographs of same-sex couples in its directory. The idea was rejected, but the committee probed the church further, and learned to its disapproval that at least two openly gay people served on church committees.

Stephen Wilson, an SBC executive committee member and vice president for academic affairs at Mid-Continent University, told the Baptist Press that the problem with the church was that it tolerated the gay members without trying to help them change.

"If churches are ministering to homosexuals, they are doing nothing more than what our own convention's task force has asked us to do," Wilson said. "But in Broadway's case ... the church was in effect saying that it was ok to have members who are open homosexuals."

Palin reimburses Alaska for 9 family trips

Complaint alleged Palin charged state when her children traveled with her.

Gov. Sarah Palin has paid more than $8,100 to reimburse Alaska for the costs associated with nine trips taken with her children.

Palin's attorney, Thomas Van Flein, says the governor paid $8,143.62 to the state on June 19 for the nine trips, some with more than one of her five children, taken between January 2007 and February of this year. The payment was due Tuesday.

An ethics complaint had alleged Palin abused her power by charging the state when her children traveled with her. The Alaska Personnel Board found no wrongdoing, but Palin agreed to reimburse the state for trips found to be of questionable state interest.

White House Looks to Include Same-Sex Unions in Census Count

The White House said Thursday it was seeking ways to include same-sex marriages, unions and partnerships in 2010 Census data, the second time in a week the administration has signaled a policy change of interest to the gay community.

The administration has directed the Census Bureau to determine changes needed in tabulation software to allow for same-sex marriage data to be released early in 2011 with other detailed demographic information from the decennial count. The bureau historically hasn't released same-sex marriage data.

The gay community strongly supported President Barack Obama during the 2008 election. But some gay activists say they have been frustrated by what they see as his slow approach to rolling back discriminatory policies.

White House spokesman Ben LaBolt said "the administration continues to make progress on the president's longstanding commitment to promoting equality for [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] Americans."

Mr. Obama on Wednesday issued a directive providing federal employees protection from discrimination based on sexual orientation and an expansion of some benefits to same-sex partners.

Maine’s Petition Effort Questioned

Gerard Caron walked into the Auburn Post Office and was met by a woman with a pair of clipboards.

"This petition is against gay marriage and this other petition is to support gay marriage," she said, according to Caron.

The Poland man said he asked her why there would be a petition to support something that already happened, referring to the petition "in support of" gay marriage.

"She just kinda gave me a little grin and didn't say anything," he said.

Then he looked at the two petitions and discovered they were identical, both were supporting the repeal of the same-sex marriage law, Caron said.

Caron said he spoke to a friend who had a similar experience at the Lewiston Post Office.
Julie Flynn, deputy secretary of state, said her office has received calls from people concerned about the petitioning process, but not a surprising number.

"It's a buyer beware situation for the voter; they really need to be sure of what they are signing," she said. "But people can say what they want, it's a First Amendment issue. We don't have anything in law that allows us to monitor or enforce signature gatherers."

Shenna Bellows, executive director of the Maine Civil Liberties Union and a leader of the coalition seeking to maintain the same-sex marriage law, agreed petitioners have a right to free speech."They can say anything they want to say. It's just unfortunate that they are suggesting that signing the petition would mean you were a supporter of same-sex marriage when in fact, it's the opposite," she said.

Perez to GLAAD: 'I'm the Victim'

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation released a statement on Monday that censured gay blogger Perez Hilton for his use of antigay slurs during an alleged confrontation with will.i.am, Fergie, and other members of the Black Eyed Peas early Monday morning in Toronto.

Now the celebrity blogger has responded.

"I am saddened GLAAD chose to victimize me further by criticizing me for how I non-violently dealt with a very scary situation that, unfortunately, turned violent," Hilton said in a statement. While I doubt I will get an apology from GLAAD, nor do I expect one, I would just hope people know how difficult it is to intellectualize a situation and think rationally when a thug disguised as a musician is screaming at your face and intimidating you. I am just very fortunate and grateful that nothing more serious happened to me."

Hilton initially claimed via Twitter that will.i.am punched him in the face, although the band's manager, Polo Molina, later claimed responsibility for the act and turned himself in to Toronto police.

In a video Hilton posted about the incident after the MuchMusic Awards, he said that he "made the split-second decision" to hurl the gay slurs because he believed they were "the worst possible thing that thug [will.i.am] would ever want to hear." Hilton said he told will.i.am, "You're gay and stop being such a faggot."

While GLAAD condemned the violence against Hilton as "unacceptable," the organization devoted most of its statement to his use of the antigay language.

"These are vulgar antigay slurs that feed a climate of hatred and intolerance toward our community," said Rashad Robinson, senior director of media programs at GLAAD. “For someone in our own community to use it to attack another person by saying that it is, quote, ‘The worst possible thing that thug would ever want to hear,’ is incredibly dangerous. It legitimizes use of a slur that is often linked to violence against our community. And it sends a message that it is OK to attempt to dehumanize people by exploiting antigay attitudes.”

GLAAD had asked Hilton to apologize for his use of the slurs.

Mormon Church Asked to Apologize

Current and former Mormons opposed to the church’s stance on same-sex marriage and its efforts to ban it have launched a website asking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to soften its views, reports the Associated Press.

The site, http://www.lds.apology.org/, calls on LDS leaders in a petition to stop antigay policies and fund-raising. It also includes historical information about Mormon work to ban same-sex marriage, details about official Mormon teachings on homosexuality, and the names of gay Mormons who have committed suicide.

Anyone may sign the petition.

Organizers told the AP that the site was created in response to the Mormon Church’s role in the passage of Prop. 8 in California in November. They plan to gather signatures through the fall and then deliver the petition to LDS headquarters in Salt Lake City on November 4, the first anniversary of the Prop. 8 vote.

Gay Men's Chorus LA Presents Jennifer Holliday in BROADWAY!

GMCLA Presents Jennifer Holliday in BROADWAY! June 27 & June 28.
Seats start at $20 at GMCLA.org

Senator Dodd Goes Pro-Marriage

Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd wrote an op-ed Sunday in which he changed his stance from supporting civil unions to supporting full marriage equality for same-sex couples.

"I was raised to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. And as many other Americans have realized as they’ve struggled to reconcile the principle of fairness with the lessons they learned early in life, that’s not an easy thing to overcome," wrote Dodd, who competed with President Barack Obama for the 2008 Democratic nomination. "But the fact that I was raised a certain way just isn’t a good enough reason to stand in the way of fairness anymore."

Dodd said he believed that when his daughters grow up, "barriers to marriage equality for same-sex couples will seem as archaic, and as unfair, as the laws we once had against interracial marriage. And I want them to know that, even if he was a little late, their dad came down on the right side of history."

77 Congressional Members Call On Obama To Stop DADT

Seventy-seven Congressional members led by Democratic Representative Alcee Hastings of Florida sent a letter to President Barack Obama Monday urging him to take immediate action to stop the investigations of "don't ask, don't tell" violations. The letter does not call for an executive order halting discharges but rather a change in how the policy is implemented within the Department of Defense.

"It is a presidential moratorium, it is a significant presidential action, but it's not an executive order," said Christopher Neff, political director at the Palm Center, a research institute at University of California, Santa Barbara. "They basically want the military to disregard anyone who 'tells' [of someone's sexuality] as long as there isn't a [Uniform Code of Military Justice] violation or something criminal."

Neff called the move by congressional members "gutsy" and said they were promoting a unique, two-pronged approach to overturning the policy that involved a departmental suspension of investigations followed by congressional repeal of the law.

"Having 77 members step up sends a strong message that there is movement on this issue and that it doesn't have to wait three years for a bill to pass Congress," Neff said.

Latinos Split on Marriage Equality

A new poll commissioned by the Los Angeles Times shows that while a majority of Los Angeles residents continue to support marriage equality, opinions vary widely among racial and ethnic groups.

Overall, the poll found that voters in Los Angeles support the right of same-sex couples to marry by 56% to 37%, which reflects results from November, when Proposition 8, the proposal to ban same-sex marriage, passed in California but failed in Los Angeles.

White House Asked About Counting "Civil Unions" In 2010 Census

Paterson Promises Marriage Equality Vote

New York governor David Paterson pledged in an interview with The New York Times on Sunday to make sure the state senate votes on marriage equality before it breaks for the summer, after his commitment sounded tentative during an earlier news conference.

As the state senate marked its official last day of session on Monday with mounds of business unfinished due to a two-week leadership crisis, Paterson vowed to call legislators to a special session beginning on Tuesday if they could not resolve the dispute by the end of the day. In such extraordinary circumstances, the governor would set the senate’s agenda, although exactly how and when he could compel senators to hold a vote on specific legislation remained unclear.

Earlier on Sunday, Paterson said during a news conference that the prospective special session would focus on urgent legislation of importance to local governments, such as bills on sales tax and education. He refused to say whether marriage equality would be a priority.

Hours after an outcry from gay rights groups, Paterson clarified the reasons for his silence in an interview, saying that he had not wanted to escalate tensions in the senate, where the question of whether to vote on marriage equality legislation at times has appeared to be a bargaining chip in the leadership struggle.

Paterson said that he was “cautious about how this overt expression of wanting marriage equality on the floor is going to affect the outcome.”

A longtime supporter of marriage equality, the governor introduced a program bill for marriage equality in April. The bill passed the assembly and awaits consideration in the deadlocked senate.

Canadian and U.S. researchers' new approach to fighting AIDS

"Treating HIV/AIDS with a combination of antiviral drugs and chemotherapy seems to destroy both the circulating virus and immune cells in which the virus hides, a team of Canadian and U.S. researchers has found. In Sunday's online issue of the journal Nature Medicine, Dr. Rafick-Pierre Sékaly of the University of Montreal and his colleagues report finding cells where HIV hides from existing treatments. Anti-AIDS therapies known as highly active anti-retroviral treatments, or HAART, target the virus's replication process but have been hampered by these reservoirs of immune system cells hiding the virus."

Schwarzenegger Names Gay Judge

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who recently declined to defend the validity of Proposition 8 in federal court, has appointed an openly gay man to serve as a state judge.

Ronald E. Albers, a founding co-chair of the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association and a San Francisco County superior court commissioner, was sworn in as a superior court judge on Monday. Of the position, Albers told the Bay Area Reporter that he is “particularly honored [that] the governor would recognize my legal skills, abilities, and commitment to service in its full range of rainbow colors.”

Georgia Tent and Awning

Lawmaker returns joke gift from Schwarzenegger

A bull testicle sculpture for Sen. Darrell Steinberg was meant as a prod to help with tough budget choices.

Reporting from Sacramento -- As lawmakers wrangled last week over how to plug California's giant deficit, the governor who once called them "girlie men" sent the state Senate leader a package that has some Capitol insiders tsk-tsking over what they see as an ill-timed display of machismo.

The gag gift from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a metal sculpture of bull testicles, came with a note suggesting the lawmaker would need them to make some tough budget choices, said legislative sources who were not authorized to speak publicly.

An annoyed Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) returned the sculpture with a sober note on the fortitude needed to protect society's vulnerable from the budget ax. That prompted a verbal apology from the governor, the sources said.

Still, "we're not going to be upset" about a practical joke, said Steinberg's spokeswoman, Alicia Trost. In fact, she said, the Senate leader and Schwarzenegger "send each other gag gifts all the time."

Steinberg had earlier sent the governor a basket of garden-variety mushrooms, Trost said, after Schwarzenegger called Senate budget proposals "hallucinatory."

Gubernatorial spokesman Aaron McLear, who declined to discuss the nature of Schwarzenegger's gift, concurred that the two men "have a great relationship."

One lawmaker said the governor's gift was inappropriate and unhelpful at a time when he and legislators are clashing over keeping the state solvent.

"It's juvenile," the lawmaker said. "The timing is bad."

[Okay, I think that is funny!]

One-year anniversary

Gay couple Ethan Collings, left, 32, and Stephen Abate, 36, celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary in West Hollywood, Calif., on June 16. The couple were married in 2008 when the California Supreme Court first allowed same-sex marriages. But voters later passed Proposition 8, constitutionally defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The state Supreme Court upheld Prop 8 in May but ruled that previous same-sex marriages shall remain valid.

Chace Crawford Named Summer's Hottest Bachelor

People's cover announcing Chace Crawford as "Summer's Hottest Bachelor" is supposed to refer to him as the hottest bachelor for women, but that seems a little strange considering that he was spotted in NYC trying to get a guy to go home with him.

Adam Lambert also made the "bachelor" list... ummm, since when is he single?

Untitled Michael Moore Film

PBS agrees to ban new religious TV shows

The Public Broadcasting Service agreed yesterday to ban its member stations from airing new religious TV programs, but permitted the handful of stations that already carry "sectarian" shows to continue doing so.

The vote by PBS's board was a compromise from a proposed ban on all religious programming. Such a ban would have forced a few stations around the country to give up their PBS affiliation if they continued to broadcast local church services and religious lectures.

Until now, PBS stations have been required to present programming that is noncommercial, nonpartisan and nonsectarian. But the definition of "nonsectarian" programming was always loosely interpreted, and the rule had never been strictly enforced. PBS began reviewing the definition and application of those rules last year in light of the transition to digital TV and with many stations streaming programs over their Web sites. The definition doesn't cover journalistic programs about religion or discussion programs that don't favor a particular religious point of view.

"Fire David Letterman" Protest Becomes Hatefest, Draws More Media Than Protesters

A crowd of 15 protesters upset with the late night comic held signs and occasionally shouted as they stood across the street from Letterman's studio.

But they were often hidden from view by the more than 35 members of the media there to cover the protest, and out-shouted by a few very vocal counter-protesters.

Obama Just Handed Out a Couple Employee Benefits. Here's What He Didn't Do

Now President Obama has signed the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act, granting some benefits to gay and lesbian federal employees. It's a step in the right direction, yes, but it's not nearly enough.

With Reps. Tammy Baldwin and Barney Frank, along with Sen. Joe Lieberman and Vice President Joe Biden by his side, Obama took time to address discrimination that continues, such as the Defense of Marriage Act, which he claims he'll work with Congress to repeal.

But here's what Obama did not include above his signature:

• An executive order (though Obama called it one), which would make the benefits permanent even after he leaves office, and not able to be easily undone by a succeeding president who simply interprets the the law differently, which his memo allows.
• A direct call on legislators to immediately draft legislation to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act, and then pass legislation that would extend all benefits (such as health insurance) to the partners of same-sex federal employees that Obama says DOMA currently prohibits.
• A demand that legislators move on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act immediately, approving it once Rep. Barney Frank introduces it in the House next week.
• Voice his support for the Uniting American Families Act and reassure gay Americans he will sign the legislation once it hits his desk.
• An apology for letting his Justice Department, among other things, compare gay American families to incestuous relationships.

NOM Vows to Unseat Pro-Gay GOP

The antigay National Organization for Marriage, which has been slow to gain traction in New York and other Northeast states, vowed to spend $500,000 on a primary campaign against any Republican who votes for marriage equality in the New York state senate, Ben Smith at Politico.com reported on Wednesday. NOM also pledged general election assistance to Democrats who vote against the bill, with all help coming from its newly formed NOM PAC New York.

"The first half million dollars will be used in GOP primaries," NOM executive director Brian Brown said in a press release, "but we are also looking to aid Democratic candidates who want to buck the establishment on the marriage issue, and to help in general election contests."

NOM claims that it has raised more than $6 million since it was created in 2007, with nearly $2 million devoted to Prop. 8 in California.

A bill to legalize same-sex marriage passed the New York assembly in May and awaits consideration in the senate, where all legislation currently is stalled due to an unresolved leadership crisis. The delay aside, the fate of the legislation is widely acknowledged to depend on bipartisan support in the 62-member chamber, where majorities are narrow. No senate Republicans have announced they would vote for the marriage equality bill, but leader Dean Skelos told his members in April that they would be free to vote their conscience on the issue.

The challenge from NOM would seem to defy recent history, as every assemblymember -- Democrat and Republican -- who voted for marriage equality when it first passed that chamber in 2007, then ran for reelection, was returned to office.Log Cabin Republicans of New York spokesman Gregory Angelo e-mailed Advocate.com with the following response to news of the NOM challenge.

"To date 58 Republican state legislators have voted for marriage equality across the country -- and not a single pro-marriage legislator, of either party, has ever lost reelection because of their vote. Log Cabin is proud to support Republican legislators who stand up for equal rights and we will continue to do so."

Schwarzenegger says Proposition 8 may violate U.S. Constitution

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today told a federal court in San Francisco that the state does not dispute that Proposition 8 may violate the federal Constitution and called for quick action to resolve the legality of the ant-gay measure law.

"Plaintiffs' complaint presents important constitutional questions that require and warrant judicial determination," the governor said in a written response to a federal challenge of the anti-gay marriage ballot measure.

"In a constitutional democracy, it is the role of the courts to determine and resolve such questions. … The administration encourages the court to resolve the merits of this action expeditiously."

U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker has scheduled a July 2 hearing on arguments whether Proposition 8 should be blocked pending a trial on its constitutionality.

The state has opposed an injunction on the grounds that it could create legal chaos if the measure is eventually upheld. The federal lawsuit was filed shortly before the California Supreme Court rejected challenges to the measure on state constitutional grounds. Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown has argued that Proposition 8 violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Federal judge in Prop 8 challenge has mixed LGBT record

The Alliance Defense Fund, which is seeking to argue in support of Prop 8 in federal court next month, has a well-known and predictable track record against LGBT rights. That of the judge who will hear initial arguments, however, is something of a mixed bag.

District Court Judge Vaughan R. Walker was involved in the lawsuit against the Gay Games in 1982. He more recently ruled in favor of an Oakland suit to take down a sign that was seen as creating a hostile work place for LGBT city workers. And Theodore Olsen and David Boies, the attorneys who filed suit against Prop 8 in federal court, will ask Walker for a preliminary injunction to suspend Prop 8.

Walker, 65 and unmarried, is a native of Illinois with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a law degree from Stanford. Then-President George H. W. Bush appointed Walker to the Northern District of California in 1989. And he became its chief judge in 2004 after he succeeded Marilyn Hall Patel.

Obama: Fed. Workers' to Get Partner Benefits

An Obama administration official has confirmed to The Advocate that President Barack Obama will be signing a presidential memorandum Wednesday to provide benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.

The White House press office sent out a fact sheet detailing the benefits that will be made available. The Lieberman-Baldwin Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, a bicameral bill that was introduced last month, will still need to be passed by Congress in order for full benefits to be extended to domestic partners of federal workers.

"Our analysis has been that it will take an act of Congress for the full suite of benefits such as health benefits and retirement benefits to be provided for same-sex couples and families," said Leonard Hirsch, president of Federal Globe: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Employees of the Federal Government. According to Hirsch, the executive branch has the authority to extend certain other benefits through departments and agencies, such as providing relocation costs for partners of federal employees.

Hirsch welcomed the announcement and added that his organization would gladly help with implementing the new policy. "We look forward to working closely with the administration to put this in place as quickly as possible," he said.

The signing is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. in the Oval Office, and the president is scheduled to make brief remarks.

Obama on CNN

"I've got one television station that is entirely devoted to attacking my administration...That's a pretty big megaphone. You'd be hard pressed if you watched the entire day to find a positive story about me on that front," Obama said.

DOMA Lawsuit Wins First Victory

A plaintiff in a lawsuit against the federal Defense of Marriage Act will be allowed to get a U.S. passport in his married name, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders announced on Wednesday. The victory is the result of a recent change in State Department policy for the issuance of passports to people who change their name after marrying someone of the same-sex.

GLAD filed its lawsuit, Gill v. Office of Personnel Management, in March to challenge section 3 of DOMA on behalf of six married same-sex couples and three men whose same-sex spouses have died. Section 3 of the law concerns federal recognition of same-sex marriages. In addition to the passport issue, other plaintiffs’ claims in the lawsuit involve taxation, Social Security and federal employees’ benefits.

The passport complaint involved Keith Toney, who was able to change his last name from Fitzpatrick on his Massachusetts driver’s license after he married Al Toney III in 2004. However, the federal government denied his request to change his name on his passport, citing DOMA, which resulted in a frustrating discrepancy in his legal identification.

According to a letter sent to GLAD by the Department of Justice, the State Department will now issue passports to all married same-sex couples based on the name on their marriage certificates, provided the state issuing the certificate recognizes the name change in law.

Toney will apply for his new passport in Boston on Monday.

GOP Senator John Ensign Admits Extramarital Affair

Nevada GOP Senator John Ensign, who has been a vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, supported a constitutional amendment banning it, and called on President Clinton to resign over the Lewinsky affair (“I came to that conclusion recently, and frankly it’s because of what he put his whole Cabinet through and what he has put the country through. He has no credibility left.”), acknowledged having an extramarital affair with a former campaign staffer yesterday. Her husband had formerly worked in Ensign's Senate office.

Ensign also called for Larry Craig's resignation after the Minneapolis men's room incident

California Lawmakers Ignore Deadlines and Reality

Don’t look now, but the California state legislature has once again ignored the constitutional deadline for presenting a budget to the governor.

This violation has become common practice in a state where credibility is on the endangered species list. Not since 1986 has the legislature presented a budget to the governor on time.

But this year is different than most. For months, the legislature has known about the huge deficit, which now approaches $25 billion two weeks before the start of the fiscal year on July 1. A little perspective here: That number represents one-fourth of the state’s general fund, which is why the challenge is so critical. Cutting already battered state programs alone won’t do it. And for anyone out there who believes that state workers have all the money, here’s a sobering thought: We could fire every single state employee and save a whopping $6 billion.

DADT May Happen "This Congress"

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a clarification of his comments Monday that there were no Senate sponsors in line to introduce legislation to repeal "don't ask, don't tell," saying instead that, in fact, "a number of senators" are working on repeal.

Obama: A Bad Call on Gay Rights

New York Times Editorial
The Obama administration, which came to office promising to protect gay rights but so far has not done much, actually struck a blow for the other side last week. It submitted a disturbing brief in support of the Defense of Marriage Act, which is the law that protects the right of states to not recognize same-sex marriages and denies same-sex married couples federal benefits. The administration needs a new direction on gay rights.

A gay couple married under California law is challenging the act in federal court. In its brief, the Justice Department argues that the couple lack legal standing to do so. It goes on to contend that even if they have standing, the case should be dismissed on the merits.

The brief insists it is reasonable for states to favor heterosexual marriages because they are the “traditional and universally recognized form of marriage.” In arguing that other states do not have to recognize same-sex marriages under the Constitution’s “full faith and credit” clause, the Justice Department cites decades-old cases ruling that states do not have to recognize marriages between cousins or an uncle and a niece.

These are comparisons that understandably rankle many gay people. In a letter to President Obama on Monday, Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights organization, said, “I cannot overstate the pain that we feel as human beings and as families when we read an argument, presented in federal court, implying that our own marriages have no more constitutional standing than incestuous ones.”

The brief also maintains that the Defense of Marriage Act represents a “cautious policy of federal neutrality” — an odd assertion since the law clearly discriminates against gay couples. Under the act, same-sex married couples who pay their taxes are ineligible for the sort of federal benefits — such as Social Security survivors’ payments and joint tax returns — that heterosexual married couples receive.

In the presidential campaign, President Obama declared that he would work to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act. Now, the administration appears to be defending it out of a sense of obligation to support a validly enacted Congressional law. There is a strong presumption that the Justice Department will defend federal laws, but it is not an inviolable rule.

If the administration does feel compelled to defend the act, it should do so in a less hurtful way. It could have crafted its legal arguments in general terms, as a simple description of where it believes the law now stands. There was no need to resort to specious arguments and inflammatory language to impugn same-sex marriage as an institution.

The best approach of all would have been to make clear, even as it defends the law in court, that it is fighting for gay rights. It should work to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the law that bans gay men and lesbians in the military from being open about their sexuality. It should push hard for a federal law banning employment discrimination. It should also work to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act in Congress.

The administration has had its hands full with the financial crisis, health care, Guantánamo Bay and other pressing matters. In times like these, issues like repealing the marriage act can seem like a distraction — or a political liability. But busy calendars and political expediency are no excuse for making one group of Americans wait any longer for equal rights.


Rachel Maddow and Howard Dean on Obama's DOMA controversy

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Dean: DOMA Brief a "Big Mistake"
Former Democratic National Committee chairman and Vermont governor Howard Dean appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show on Monday night to discuss the recent U.S. Department of Justice brief that defends the Defense of Marriage Act by making comparisons to pedophilia and incest.

Dean, who called the brief a “big mistake,” focused his critique on its language, while maintaining that President Obama could not have been aware of it. He also suggested that the uproar caused by the brief will necessitate some kind of make good to the LGBT community, most likely in the way of earlier action to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

“The language in this brief is really offensive and it really is a terrible mistake,” said Dean. “I doubt very much the president knew this was coming. I don’t think for a minute this represents the president’s position. But he is now going to have to dig himself out of this, because people are really upset about this, not just in the gay and lesbian community, but in the community of people who are interested in equal rights,” he said.

“I think they’re going to have to do something about this,” Dean continued. “What most likely I would predict is that they’re gong to have to move up their switching positions on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’”




"Congress has not passed a single piece of legislation in the four decades since Stonewall to ensure that Americans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender are treated equally under the law. So, millions of Americans remain denied this American Promise. In these same four decades, Congress has passed two pieces of legislation that do the exact opposite and that actually openly discriminate against those Americans. As I said in my campaign, I support repeal of the Don't Ask Don't Tell legislation, as well as the repeal of the entire Defense of Marriage Act. I am here to tell you that yes, we can end discrimination. And that yes, the time for this is now. Many will argue that while equality is a worthwhile goal, civil rights have been given incrementally. They will also tell you that we have other important priorities. But I ask: Where is our moral compass when we knowingly continue to allow members of our society to be unequal under the law? Where is our moral compass when we have laws that openly discriminate against some members of our society?"

—Barack Obama's speech on GLBT rights, as imagined by Chris Crain



"Even if you set aside the incest point (which I still feel is valid), the DOJ brief still clearly states that it feels that DOMA is in no way discriminatory, nor that it denies anyone any rights or privileges. It claims that gay people have no right to marry, and that the state has an overriding interest in making sure that legislators are protected in their right to make decisions regarding the rights of gay people (in other words, we have no fundamental rights, just what lawmakers give us.) That is so out of line with Obama's campaign platform that it is staggering. If it is not withdrawn, it will eventually be added to the list of moronic legal opinions in history that were grossly out of step with freedom and equality. This is what he wants his legacy to be? I doubt it. Whether or not he had anything to do with writing it, he certainly can have something to do with dealing with it now that it is out on the table."

—Lymis, reacting to "John Berry Explains It All: Gay Rights Coming, And No 'Deal' Between White House and HRC"

Attendee list for $1,000 a head DNC gay fundraiser leaked

Ben Smith at Politico weighs in about the ever-shrinking gay fundraiser:

Two prominent gay figures, activist David Mixner and widely-read blogger Andy Towle, have pulled out of a Democratic National Committee fundraiser later this month amid growing calls to confront the administration at what was supposed to be its first large scale opportunity to bring in gay cash....The escalating tension sets the stage for an unusual conflict between the Vice President and what has traditionally been a core Democratic group -- and a wealthy one -- at the posh Mandarin Oriental on June 25.

Guess who's coming to dinner?
Pam Spaulding has published an email detailing just who's coming to the DNC's $1,000 (and up) a head gay fundraising dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, DC with VP Biden next week. I suspect those folks are going to be under a lot of pressure to pull out (Andy Towle and David Mixner have already said they're not attending). Pam is asking folks to contact our gay elected leadership in Congress, Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin and Jared Polis, and ask them why they're still hosting this event.

The email includes the following, in bold:
Did I mention that the Mandarin Oriental has a 10,400-square-foot spa?
Did I mention that the attendees are going to need a 10,400 sq ft spa and a plane ticket out of the country after our community gets a hold of them.

Please call Barney, Tammy and Jared and politely ask them WTF? It's been 5 days and none of them have said anything about this travesty, let alone why they're hosting the inopportune fundraiser - literally asking you to give Obama and the Democrats your good money after they've abandoned us - no - knifed us. It's clear to me that the White House asked them not to say anything, perhaps promising something in return. And before anyone just assumes that Obama privately promised them to move forward on gay rights, the president could have just as easily promised them a new highway in their state or to do a fundraiser for their re-election, provided they shut up. Their silence is looking very bad.

Please call them.

Rep. Barney Frank:
2252 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515
tel: (202) 225-5931
fax: (202) 225-0182

Rep. Tammy Baldwin
2446 Rayburn Building
Washington DC 20515
(202) 225-6942
Fax (202) 225-2906

Rep. Jared Polis
Washington, DC Office
501 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
p. 202.225.2161
f. 202.226.7840

Sex Positive Film Trailer

Fresno hospital bars lesbian from visiting partner

After a lesbian was barred from visiting her partner and giving advice about her treatment at a Fresno hospital, the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Center for Lesbian Rights sent a letter to the hospital today urging that it adopt policy changes respecting same-sex relationships.

“We just couldn’t believe this was happening to us. This was the nightmare that we hoped we’d never have to live through,” said Teresa Rowe, who grew up in Clovis, California, but now lives in the Bay Area with her partner of four years, Kristin Orbin.

“Unfortunately, because Kristin suffers from epilepsy, trips to the hospital are pretty common for us, which is why we filled out the legal paper work to make sure I would be able to be with her and make emergency decisions about her care. But the hospital wouldn’t let me see Kristen and ignored my advice about her treatment. They ended up giving her the exact medication I repeatedly asked them not to give her.”

Georgia Supreme Court Throws Out Judge's Homophobic Order

The Georgia Supreme Court threw out an order by Fayette County Superior Court Judge Christopher Edwards which prohibited children in a divorce case from any exposure to their father's gay and lesbian friends:

"The ruling stems from the 2007 divorce of Eric Duane Mongerson and Sandy Kay Ehlers Mongerson, who had been married 21 years and had four children. The visitation order prohibited the three youngest children, whose ages ranged from 8 to 16 at the time, from being in contact with their father’s gay and lesbian friends. The oldest child was already an adult."

Said Justice Robert Benham: “Such an arbitrary classification based on sexual orientation flies in the face of our public policy that encourages divorced parents to participate in the raising of their children...[The Fayette County judge’s prohibition] assumes, without evidentiary support, that the children will suffer harm from any such contact.”

Bentham said there was no evidence that the children had been exposed to inappropriate contact or that they would be adversely affected by being in the presence of gay people.
And here's some disturbing news. According to The Citizen, Edwards has been nominated to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court which threw out his order.

New Miss CA: No to Gay Marriage

New Miss California titleholder Tami Farrell shares her predecessor Carrie Prejean's stance on same-sex marriage. In a television interview Thursday, Farrell stated that she is not a supporter of marriage equality, but she added, "I don't think I have the right or anybody has the right to tell somebody who they can or can't love."