Priest walks out on funeral over attendance of deceased woman’s lesbian daughter

A Catholic priest at St. John Neumann Catholic Church walked out on a funeral service two weeks ago and refused to perform the grave site ritual because he was bothered by the attendance of an openly lesbian woman — the lesbian was the deceased woman’s daughter.

Father Marcel Guarnizo also denied the daughter communion at her mother’s service because she is a “sinner.”

Record number of California voters now support marriage equality

A new poll finds that nearly six out of ten California voters now support marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples, a significant increase since the state voted to ban same-sex marriage a little more than two years ago.
According to the latest Field Research Poll, voter approval of same-sex marriage has reached its highest level ever recorded during thirty-five years of polling on the issue in California.

Currently 59 percent of this state’s registered voters favor allowing same-sex couples to marry and have regular marriage laws apply to them, while 34 percent disapprove. Another 7 percent did not express an opinion.

Glee’s Gay-Suicide Episode Sparked Record Traffic For The Trevor Project

As Entertainment Weekly is reporting, The Trevor Project saw their web traffic spike and their phone calls triple after the episode, which depicted former bully Dave Karofsky (played by Max Adler) attempting suicide -- to the tune of Young the Giant's "Cough Syrup" -- after being outed as gay to his classmates.

"What was great about the show is that they worked in conjunction with us so we knew in advance that there was going to in all likelihood be an increase in volume," Trevor Project co-founder Peggy Rajski tells EW. “What happened was the volume went up about 300 percent, but we were ready."

Adding extra punch, of course, was "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe's public service announcement, which also aired during the "Glee" time slot. "On average, our site probably attracts about an average of 1,500 visits a day,” Rajski said. “Tuesday we got 10,000. There’s the power of network TV.”

Notre Dame: 'It Needs to Get Better'

The "It Needs to Get Better" video was released in the midst of the ongoing call to action for the University of Notre Dame to officially recognize its gay-straight alliance student club and to include "sexual orientation" in its nondiscrimination clause. The University has repeatedly denied recognizing a gay-straight alliance 15 times now. These denials in club recognition and campus policy date back to before 1995, when students started citing concerns of discrimination, harassment, and fear for personal safety on campus.

Grandparents Speak Out In Favor Of Same-Sex Marriage

The Six Reasons Gays Cannot Have Marriage

Minnesota For Marriage has been producing these weekly “marriage minutes” to totally spin their reasons why marriage must be reserved for “one man-one woman” only unions.



This week, Kalley Yanta explains “How would redefining marriage impact your own marriage?” and gives the six simple (and stupid and bigoted and ignorant and false) reasons gay, lesbian, and bisexual couples cannot be allowed to have marriage:


1. Sex between a man and a woman has the unique capacity to create a child.
2. Pregnancy can occur regardless of whether the couple intends to create a child
or not.
3. The new human life that is created is vulnerable and needs the protection of
adults.
4. The man and woman who created the new life typically have the most interest in
and are best at protecting and guiding that child.
5. They agree that they will both be legally responsible for any child conceived during
the marriage.
6. Couples must work for decades together to raise a child from conception to
adulthood.

Rick Santorum's Secret Service Code Name Suggestions

Baltimore FOX Affiliate Helps Gather Names for Maryland Voter Referendum on Marriage Equality

Baltimore's WBFF FOX45 is helping anti-gay activists gather signatures for a voter referendum on marriage equality. See link (lower right) in front page banner image.

Writes Kevin Naff at the Blade:

So much for “fair and balanced.” I wonder what the gay employees of Fox News and its affiliates — like anchor Shepard Smith — think about the company endorsing this referendum. Let WBFF and Fox know what you think of their marriage opposition, email news@foxbaltimore.com or call 410-467-4545.

A WBFF employee who works on the website told me that the link did not originate with the local web staff and was posted by “corporate.” The number for that office is 410-568-1500. The person who answered that number referred me back to the local station.

Governor Martin O'Malley has not even signed the bill into law yet. That happens this Thursday.

Majority of Iowans Oppose a Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

Don Lemon

Don Lemon
CNN anchorman

With the publication last May of his unflinching memoir, Transparent, Emmy-winning CNN news anchor Don Lemon came out to the world at large. In a interview with The New York Times, he noted, “I guess this makes me a double minority now.”

Born in Louisiana, Lemon made his first on-air inroads as a co-anchor on Chicago’s NBC5 News and as a correspondent for The Today Show and The NBC Nightly News. Joining CNN as a reporter six years ago, he’s gone on to cover the 2008 presidential election (during which he was pushed into a golf cart by Marcus Bachmann) and the accusations of child molestation against Bishop Eddie Long (revealing he had been molested as a child in the process) and hosted a panel on transgender representations on The Joy Behar Show.

Currently a network correspondent and weekend anchor for CNN Newsroom, Lemon, 45, has won the Edward R. Murrow Award for covering the D.C. sniper’s capture and local Emmys for reports on Craigslist, Chicago real estate and Africa’s AIDS epidemic. In 2009, he made Ebony’s 150 Most Influential African-Americans list.

Best. Marines. Homecoming. Kiss. Ever.

Two Marines, Brandon Morgan and Dalan Wells share a passionate kiss as Morgan comes home after four tours of duty.

Brandon Morgan added this statement:

“To everyone who has responded in a positive way. My partner and I want to say thank you. Dalan, the giant in the photo, can’t believe how many shares and likes we have gotten on this. We didn’t do this to get famous,or something like that we did this cause after 3 deployments and four years knowing each other, we finally told each other how we felt. As for the haters, let em hate…to quote Kat Williams, everyone needs haters, so let them hate. We are the happiest we have ever been and as for the whole PDA and kissing slash hugging in uniform…it was a homecoming, if the Sergeants Major, Captains, Majors, and Colonels around us didn’t care…then why do you care what these random people have to say? In summation thank you for your love and support. I received a lot of friend requests off this. I don’t just accept requests so if your request was because of this post message me and let me know. Goodnight all, and Semper Fi.”



Two gay Marines, a couple for four years, struggling as all military couples do through various deployments to Afghanistan, shared a passionate and beautiful kiss that was captured in a photo that went viral over the past few days. Now the couple, Brandon Morgan and Dalan Wells, have given a short interview to their local news station which turns out is in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The couple talk about fighting for equal rights.

Gotta love the Marine Corps official statement: “It’s a typical homecoming photo.”

Almost too many equality victories to count!

Federal judge rules ‘Defense of Marriage Act’ unconstitutional in California case

A federal district court judge in San Francisco ruled Tuesday (February 22) that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates the rights of gays and lesbians to equal protection of the law.
The ruling by Judge Jeffrey White of the U.S. District Court for Northern California was the second time a federal judge has declared unconstitutional the federal law banning recognition of same-sex marriages. A federal district court judge in Boston made a similar ruling in July 2010, in consolidated cases brought by Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
This week’s ruling came in a case, Golinski v. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), brought by Lambda Legal Defense on behalf of a lesbian attorney, Karen Golinski, who is employed by the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

Golinski married her female partner of 20-
plus years in August 2008, when it was possible to do so in California. She then applied for health care coverage for her spouse through her employer, the Ninth Circuit, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kozinski ordered the court to provide Golinski benefits but the OPM, headed by openly gay appointee John Berry, instructed the insurance company not to enroll Golinski’s spouse, noting that DOMA precluded the federal employer from recognizing Golinski’s marriage.

Same-sex marriage advocates playing offense

The issue of same-sex marriage has returned to the national stage in an unprecedented way as numerous states throughout the country are seeing action on the issue.
In the past week, several states have seen developments on marriage. Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law marriage legislation, while New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a similar bill that reached his desk.
The Maryland House voted to approve marriage legislation by a vote of 72-67, clearing what is seen as the most difficult hurdle in getting the legislation to Gov. Martin O’Malley’s desk. The Senate approved the bill on Thursday.

A surprise development in Hawaii was also announced on Wednesday. According to Hawaii News Now, Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D) announced he would no longer defend in court a state constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage against federal legislation, while Health Director Loretta Fuddy said she’d continue defending the amendment.

These actions come on the heels of a three-judge panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling against the constitutionality of Proposition 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage. Anti-gay forces this week appealed the ruling to the full appellate court.

The issue is also at the ballot. Advocates in Minnesota and North Carolina are working to beat back anti-gay marriage amendments, while advocates in Maine are preparing to push the first ever pro-marriage equality ballot in their state.

House Leaders to Appeal Calif. Gay Marriage Ruling

Three GOP congressional leaders are appealing a federal judge’s ruling that declared a law prohibiting the government from recognizing same-sex marriages to be unconstitutional, according to court papers filed Friday.

Private lawyers for the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group notified the federal court in San Francisco that they are asking the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review the decision issued by District Judge Jeffrey White this week.

Ruling in the case of a lawyer who works for the appeals court and who had been blocked from enrolling her wife in a family health insurance plan, White said the Office of Personnel Management could not rely on the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act to deny the medical coverage.

House Speaker John Boehner appointed the five-member advisory group last year to defend the marriage law from legal challenges after the Department of Justice announced it no longer would back the law in court because the Obama administration concluded it violates the civil rights of gay men and lesbians.

Majority Leader Eric Cantor and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy are joining Boehner in bringing the appeal, the appeal notice states. The advisory group’s two Democratic members, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, declined to participate.

U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York and Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California last year introduced bills to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, but neither has been put to a floor vote.

Nepal Recognizes a Third Gender

adri Pun slept in a gravel courtyard in rural Nepal for more than a week. After the first two days, he stopped eating. By night, he huddled under wool blankets, clutching a folder full of papers, some of which made his life legal -- his birth certificate, his motorcycle license, and his citizenship identification card -- and one which made a new life possible -- a 30-page, four-year-old court decision.

By day, he left the courtyard and entered the government building it encircled. He spent hours at the building shoving the documents in front of various government officials, insisting his ID papers were wrong. After 12 days of protesting, he won his case: Badri Pun was issued a new citizenship ID card, and it listed him as "third-gender."

The Court's decision was a stunning victory for the LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex) rights movement in Nepal, the formal movement just six years old. Its specific orders, however, have been slow to manifest. The Dec. 21, 2007 decision in Sunil B. Pant et al. v. the Government of Nepal ordered the government to scrap all discriminatory laws, form a committee to study same-sex marriage policy, and establish a third-gender category for gender-variant people. The piecemeal implementation of the third-gender category tells the story both of the relentless activism on the ground and of the politics of sexuality and gender rights in contemporary Nepal.

The third gender in Nepal is an identity-based category for people who do not identify themselves as either male or female. This may include people who want to perform or want to be presented as a gender that is different from the one that was assigned to them at birth, based on genitalia or other criteria. It can also include people who do not feel that the male or female gender roles that their culture dictates to them match their true social, sexual, or gender-role preference.

There are other countries that have third-gender policies, but none nearly as comprehensive as Nepal. India has used a third-gender category in several administrative capacities.

Gay Sex Legal in India

The Indian government Tuesday clarified to the Supreme Court that it accepts a recent ruling legalizing gay sex in the country.

A lawyer told the Supreme Court that the government would not challenge a 2009 order by the Delhi High Court striking down a colonial-era law that made gay sex a crime.

The order was appealed by conservative groups and the Supreme Court is now hearing opinions from those groups as well as gay rights activists.

The latest statement comes days after another government lawyer told the court that gay sex was "highly immoral" and should be banned. The government quickly denied that lawyer's statement, prompting confusion about its stance on the law.

On Tuesday, a Supreme Court justice asked the government's lawyers to file an affidavit to reconcile the two divergent positions heard in court. Neither lawyer explained Thursday's confusion.

The 2009 high court order had said that treating consensual gay sex between adults as a crime was a violation of fundamental rights protected by India's constitution.

Sex between people of the same gender had been illegal in India since the 1860s, when a British colonial law classified it as "against the order of nature."

Maine marriage equality advocates qualify for second ballot referendum

Three years after Maine voters rejected same-sex marriage, advocates have gathered the required number of verified signatures to put the issue of marriage equality back on the November 2012 ballot, according to Maine’s Secretary of State, Charlie Summers.

Equality Maine had gathered 85,000 verified signatures with another 30,000 left to be checked as of Wednesday, according to state officials. However, only 57,000 were required to put the measure before voters.

Maine’s legislature passed a marriage equality law in 2009 to give same-sex couples the right to marry, but in a state-wide ballot referendum that echoed California’s Proposition 8, nearly 53 percent of Maine citizens voted against same-sex marriage, reversing the legislative decision before the law took effect.

“Over the past few years, marriage supporters have been talking to their friends, families, coworkers and neighbors about why marriage matters,” said Marc Solomon, National Campaign Director of Freedom to Marry, in a statement Friday.

“As we work to win at the ballot, Freedom to Marry will be there every step of the way alongside Equality Maine, GLAD, and others to continue telling the stories of why marriage matters to loving, committed gay and lesbian couples in Maine, and secure a win at the ballot this November,” he said.

Two recent polls indicate that 53 percent of Mainers now favor same-sex marriage.

If same-sex marriage passes at the polls, Maine could become the first state to approve gay marriage through a popular vote.

Rick Santorum Says Separation of Church and State Makes Him Want to Throw Up

In addition to remarks over the weekend that Higher Education is dangerous because President Obama is trying to indoctrinate kids by suggesting they attend college and remaking them in his own image, Rick Santorum explained to George Stephanopoulos why JFK's 1960 speech on the separation of church and state makes him want "to throw up".

Said Santorum:

“I don’t believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute. The idea that the church can have no influence or no involvement in the operation of the state is absolutely antithetical to the objectives and vision of our country. This is the First Amendment. The First Amendment says the free exercise of religion. That means bringing everybody, people of faith and no faith, into the public square. Kennedy for the first time articulated the vision saying, no, ‘faith is not allowed in the public square. I will keep it separate.’ Go on and read the speech ‘I will have nothing to do with faith. I won’t consult with people of faith.’ It was an absolutist doctrine that was foreign at the time of 1960."

Coalition for Marriage

Coalition for Marriage, the UK's version of NOM, is ramping up a campaign to oppose efforts to achieve marriage equality there.

A Marine Comes Home

Above: A pic of the homecoming of Brandon Morgan, of the United States Marines Corps, posted to the Gay Marines Facebook page yesterday.

Ugandan President Museveni Warns of 'Promotion of Homosexuality' from Western Countries

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni spoke to the BBC about homosexuality on an episode of Hard Talk aired Thursday:

The president told BBC's Hard Talk programme that he did not consider homosexuality to be normal, but that it may be tolerated if it was kept behind closed doors.

“Homosexuals - in small numbers - have existed in our part of black Africa,” he explained in the interview, to be aired in full on Thursday.

“They were never prosecuted, they were never discriminated, but the difference between us and... Western Europe is the promotion of homosexuality, as if it is something good.”

Coming Out to Mom - Live

A gay teen's poignant coming out to his mother is making rounds.



As Dan Brian notes on his YouTube page, "Finally got the strength to come out to my mom...I decided to post this so that I could share my experience with you. Hopefully it will be an inspiration to those who do not have such supportive families."

"Bully"

Giuliani worries about GOP's stance on homosexuality

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said this week he believes Republican rhetoric on LGBT issues makes the party look out of step with mainstream voters. "I think beyond all the religious and social part of it, it makes the party look like it isn't a modern party. It doesn't understand the modern world," Giuliani said in an appearance on CNN.

Wanda Sykes

Wanda Sykes
Comedian/actress

Comedy isn’t just the best medicine—sometimes it’s our greatest weapon: In 2008, comedian Wanda Sykes—known equally for her acerbic standup and for tearing into neurotic Larry David on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm—came out publicly during an anti-Proposition 8 rally. She also revealed that she had legally married her wife, Alexandra, in California prior to Prop 8’s passage. “We’re in love and we want to spend the rest of our lives together,” she told The Advocate in 2009. “That’s why you get married.”

Raised in Washington, D.C., Sykes first hit the standup circuit in the late ’80s. As part of The Chris Rock Show’s writing team, she won a 1999 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Special. Sykes landed recurring roles on TV shows The New Adventures of Old Christine, Curb, and her own 2003 sitcom, Wanda At Large, and in 2009, a namesake late-night talk show.

After coming out, Sykes, 47, incorporated her sexuality—and headlines affecting the queer community—into her comedy. Already popular with black audiences from her standup and film and television roles, she’s able to reach people who may not connect with Ellen or Rosie, and use humor to illustrate the links between minority groups.

Sykes has also dedicate time to numerous LGBT causes: In 2010, she was honored with GLAAD’s Stephen F. Kolzak Award for making a difference through her visibility. “I’m very humbled,” she shared with the audience. “Just being able to be out and open and free and be able to say thank you to my wife… I love you baby, you mean the world to me. I’m telling you, it is love and being honest that’s gonna win hearts and minds. That’s where it is.”

Former GOP senator lashes out at “homophobic” Santorum

Former U.S. Sen. Alan Simpson, a Republican from Wyoming, said this week he believedRick Santorum’s homophobia and concentration on social issues hurts the GOP. “Tome it's startling and borders on disgust,” Simpson said in an interview. Meanwhile Santorumconfirmed he is opposed to civil unions as well as marriage for same-sex couples.

Maryland Senate pushes same-sex marriage forward

The Maryland Senate gave final approval to a marriage equality bill last night, bringing Maryland closer to joining seven other states and the District of Columbia in allowing same-sex couples to marry.

In his speech on the Senate floor, openly gay State Sen. Richard Madaleno explained the value of the legislation to him and his family, saying, "It is the marriage license that symbolizes the commitment. It makes it worthwhile. I want that marriage license in the state of Maryland."

"The Maryland legislature has approved marriage equality after a Senate vote of 25-22. The House passed the bill last Friday.

With Governor Martin O'Malley's signature, Maryland will become the eighth state to legalize same-sex marriage."

The victory for LGBT advocates could be tested by a statewide referendum on the issue this November; if voters approve the legislation, couples could begin marrying in January. Gov. Martin O'Malley, who strongly supported the bill, said he will campaign hard to retain the law if opponents are able to gather the signatures required to put the issue on the ballot.

Chris Christie Calls Obama a Coward on Gay Marriage

Federal Court Rules DOMA Unconstitutional

A major ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey White, a Bush appointee, who has ruled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional for violating the Constitution's guarantee of equality.

Politico's Josh Gerstein:

U.S. District Court Judge Jeffrey White, who sits in San Francisco and was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush, issued the ruling Wednesday afternoon in a case involving federal judicial law clerk Karen Golinski's request for benefits for her female spouse. White said the stated goals of DOMA, passed in 1996 and signed by President Bill Clinton, could not pass muster under a so-called "heightened scrutiny" test or even a lower "rational basis" threshhold.

"The imposition of subjective moral beliefs of a majority upon a minority cannot provide a justification for the legislation. The obligation of the Court is 'to define the liberty of all, not to mandate our own moral code,'" White wrote. "Tradition alone, however, cannot form an adequate justification for a law....The 'ancient lineage” of a classification does not render it legitimate....Instead, the government must have an interest separate and apart from the fact of tradition itself."

Chris Geidner at MetroWeekly pulls out some key pieces:

The Court has found that DOMA unconstitutionally discriminates against same-sex married couples. Even though animus is clearly present in its legislative history, the Court, having examined that history, the arguments made in its support, and the effects of the law, is persuaded that something short of animus may have motivated DOMA’s passage:

Prejudice, we are beginning to understand, rises not from malice or hostile animus alone. It may result as well from insensitivity caused by simple want of careful, rational reflection or from some instinctive mechanism to guard against people who appear to be different in some respects from ourselves.

Liberian First Lady Jewel Taylor Submits Bill to Make Homosexuality a Felony with 10-Year Prison Term

Liberia's Senate is set to consider a hideous anti-homosexuality bill today, the AP reports:

Liberia’s former first lady, Senator Jewel Taylor, submitted a bill last week that would prohibit same-sex marriage and make homosexuality a first-degree felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

“We are only strengthening the existing law,” she said. “Some media are reporting that I said anyone found guilty of involvement in same sex should face the death penalty, I did not say so, I am calling for a law that will make it a first degree felony,” she told the Associated Press.

The current law considers gay relationships a first-degree misdemeanor, which carries a punishment of up to a year in prison.

It Gets Better Trailer

Get More: It Gets Better, Full Episodes

Congress' All-Male Birth Control Panel

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Jon Stewart continued his coverage of the great birth control debate in Washington on Monday night's "Daily Show," this time taking on Thursday's House Oversight Committee hearing that included almost no women.

Student Allegedly Attacked For Gay Marriage Editorial

Destinie Mogg-Barkalow's Feb. 15 opinion piece, titled "Prop 8 generates more hate," appeared a week after a federal appeals court declared California's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. In her piece, the 20-year-old Mogg-Barkalow -- who is reportedly a junior and an assistant editor for the paper’s opinion section -- called out Prop 8 supporters as intolerant and bigoted.

Mogg-Barkalow was allegedly approached by a man and a woman who appeared to be fellow students in a parking lot at Bridgewater State University last week. After the pair asked Mogg-Barkalow, who is openly gay, if she wrote the pro-marriage equality article which appeared in The Comment, the university's student newspaper, the woman punched her in the face, leaving a bruise.

I'm Christian, I Don't Support Gay Marriage

 

With Megadeth's Dave Mustaine comes one more notch in the "not an ally" column:

Earlier this week, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine was interviewed by Josh Kerns for Sunday's episode of "Seattle Sounds", which airs on on Seattle's KIRO 97.3 FM radio station. When asked if he supports gay marriage, Mustaine said, "Well, since I'm not gay, the answer to that would be no." Dave was then questioned if he would support legislation to make marriage between a man and another man legal. He replied, "I'm Christian. The answer to that would be no."

Tennessee's 'Don't Say Gay' Bill

“Really?”

Amy Poehler spent a lot of time on SNL last night, and in this must-see clip of the fabulous “Really?” Weekend Update segment she and Seth Meyers take on the recent birth control debate, including Congressman Darrell Issa’s contraception all-male hearing this week that featured not one woman.

'This Apple Has Fallen Far From The Tree'

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Chris Christie shares his views on vetoeing Same-Sex Marriage bill in New Jersey

Four Dudes Explain Why Straight Guys Should Embrace The Gay Community

Supreme Court To Revisit Affirmative Action In University Of Texas Case

The Supreme Court will once again confront the issue of race in university admissions in a case brought by a white student denied a spot at the flagship campus of the University of Texas.

The court said Tuesday it will return to the issue of affirmative action in higher education for the first time since its 2003 decision endorsing the use of race as a factor in admissions. This time around, a more conservative court is being asked to outlaw the use of Texas' affirmative action plan and possibly to jettison the earlier ruling entirely.

A federal appeals court upheld the Texas program at issue, saying it was allowed under the high court's decision in Grutter vs. Bollinger in 2003 that upheld racial considerations in university admissions at the University of Michigan law school.

The Texas case will be argued in the fall and the changed makeup of the Supreme Court could foretell a different outcome. For one thing, Justice Samuel Alito appears more hostile to affirmative action than his predecessor, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. For another, Justice Elena Kagan, who might be expected to vote with the court's liberal-leaning justices in support of it, is not taking part in the case.

Arizona Sheriff Faces Long Odds After Coming Out

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu built a reputation as a rising, conservative star by taking a hardline stance against illegal immigration, attacking the Obama administration and appearing alongside Sen. John McCain in a 2010 re-election ad in which McCain urged federal officials to just "complete the danged fence."

But, on Saturday, Babeu’s conservative image took a beating as he was forced to admit publicly that he is gay and was involved in a relationship with a Mexican immigrant who claims the sheriff threatened to have him deported if he revealed their relationship.

Babeu denies any wrongdoing, and has vowed to continue his battle for the GOP nomination in an extremely conservative rural congressional district.

Proposition 8 Proponents to Seek Full Ninth Circuit Review

Charles Cooper, the lead attorney for the proponents of Proposition 8, tells Metro Weekly that the proponents of the California marriage amendment will be asking the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to review the three-judge panel decision issued on Feb. 7 holding that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

Although Cooper told Metro Weekly the filing has not yet been made, the filing is expected later today as today is the deadline for the filing to seek en banc review.

The move almost guarantees that the U.S. Supreme Court will not consider the case before this November's presidential election.
Usually, en banc review involves all of the active judges on the court, but the Ninth Circuit -- due to the more than 20 active judges on the circuit -- has adopted a unique "limited en banc" procedure in which all the active Ninth Circuit judges vote whether en banc consideration will be given. That will be the request made by today's filing.

If a majority of the court supports en banc consideration, then the chief judge of the circuit, Judge Alex Kozinski, and 10 randomly selected appellate judges from the circuit will hear the en banc appeal, which can involve briefing and oral arguments.

After that decision is reached, theoretically, a party dissatisfied with an en banc ruling of the Ninth Circuit can ask for the full Ninth Circuit to review the en banc panel's decision, but the court has not agreed to do so since adopting the "limited en banc" procedure.

After en banc consideration or in lieu of even attempting it, the unsuccessful party can petition the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case. At that point, the parties submit written arguments explaining to the court why the justices should or should not hear the case. Then, if four of the nine justices agree to hear the case, another round of briefing occurs, with the parties and outside organizations and individuals arguing the merits of the case to the justices. Oral arguments are then set and held at the Supreme Court, and some time later a decision is handed down.

Same Sex Marriage Loophole Undermining Gay Unions To Be Closed

Canada Civil Marriage Act: The federal government is moving to close a legal loophole that could have undermined thousands of gay marriages around the world.

The governing Conservatives have introduced amendments to the Civil Marriage Act to ensure the marriages are recognized.

Bill T. Jones

Bill T. Jones
Choreographer/dancer

One of the most celebrated (and outspoken) choreographers today, Bill T. Jones performed worldwide as a soloist and with his late partner, Arnie Zane, before forming the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in 1982. As a choreographer, he’s created hundreds of works for his own company, as well as pieces for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, AXIS Dance Company and numerous other dance troupes, and collaborations with author Toni Morrison, opera diva Jessye Norman and fellow queer New York artist Keith Haring.

He has been lauded for his professional accomplishments: He has two Tonys for Best Choreography (one for Spring Awakening and the other for Fela! which he also co-created and directed), received a MacArthur “Genius” Award in 1994 and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2010.

Though Jones, now 60, came of age when the dance world grappled with acknowledging gay choreographers and dancers—Alvin Ailey guarded his sexuality throughout his life—he has always been open about being gay. (Zane and Jones were often paired in sensual duets.)

Jones has also never hidden the fact that he is HIV+ (Zane died of AIDS-related complications in 1989). He’s incorporated themes relating to AIDS in his works, including The Breathing Show, D-Man in the Waters and Still/Here and, after Zane’s death, created a series of “survival” workshops for people with HIV/AIDS, elements of which have inspired movements and passages in his artistic output.
“Living and dying is not the big issue,” Jones told the MacNeil/Lehrer Report in 1987. “The big issue is what you’re going to do with your time while you’re here. I [am] determined to perform.”

Though he’s endured prejudice, illness and the loss of a lover of 17 years, Jones is optimistic for the future of the gay community. He once told POV magazine:
“In 20 or 30 years, we’ll be out from the Middle Ages, the Inquisition. This is a benign universe that exists on a level so far beyond the screams and cries of the Holocaust, my mother’s tears, beyond lesions and sores and gasping for air in the last moments of life. I think that if we look back, it’ll be understood that we know what it feels for me to right now be saying, I am HIV positive, and I am all right. I am a homosexual man, and I have been promiscuous, and that too is all right.”

Protein that can knock out HIV identified

In a pioneering research, scientists claim to have identified a protein that can knock out HIV, which causes AIDS, by starving it of raw materials it needs to reproduce .

An international team, led by the NYU Langone Medical Center, says its research has in fact revealed a mechanism by which the immune system tries to halt spread of HIV, and harnessing this mechanism may pave the way for therapeutic research aimed at slowing the virus' progression to AIDS.

"A lot of research on viruses , especially HIV, is aimed at trying to understand what the body's mechanisms of resistance are and then to understand how the virus has gotten around these mechanisms," said team member Nathaniel R Landau in the 'Nature Immunology' journal.

The research focused on a protein called SAMHD1. Recent studies have found that immune cells, called dendritic cells, containing the protein are resistant to infection by HIV. But it was not clear till now how it works to protect these cells.

Now, Landau and his colleagues are able to provide an answer: When a virus, like HIV, infects a cell, it hijacks the cell's molecular material to replicate. That molecular material is in the form of deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs), which are the building blocks for DNA.

Once the virus replicates, the resulting DNA molecule contains all the genes of the virus and instructs the cell to make more virus. The team found that SAMHD1 protects the cell from viruses by destroying the pool of dNTPs, leaving the virus without any building blocks to make its genetic information.

What Homosexuality is Not

Dick Cheney Tells Maryland GOP to Vote For Same-Sex Marriage Equality

Former Vice President Dick Cheney has reportedly been lobbying behind the scenes for a Maryland same-sex marriage equality bill that is being debated this afternoon. Cheney, who still has pull within the GOP, has a lesbian daughter. He and his wife have spoken publicly in recent years about their daughter and her family on TV talk shows.



Veteran blogger and political activist John Aravosis notes today a story about Maryland Republican Delegate Wade Kach:

Buried in Annie Linskey’s Baltimore Sun story today about GOP Maryland Delegate Wade Kach coming out in support of marriage equality is this little tidbit:

[Kach] also became the target of a last-minute lobby effort, and said his voice mail was full of messages from important people, including Mehlman, Bloomberg and an offer to talk with former Vice President Dick Cheney, whom Kach regards as a “great man.” All three are recognized for their support of gay rights issues.

Conservative Radio Host Michael Berry Accused of Hit-and-Run Accident After Patronizing Gay Bar

"Conservative radio host and former City Councilman Michael Berry was reportedly seen on security cameras in a hit-and-run accident with another vehicle outside TC's Show Bar (Drag Gay Bar) in Houston's Montrose District on January 31, KPRC reports.

Tuderia Bennett, of Galena Park, told Houston police that he was working as a bouncer at the front door during a popular cross-dressing 'drag show' that was going on inside the club. He watched the crash happen and told police he rushed up to the car after impact and got a good look at Berry behind the wheel.

Berry may have been leaving the bar, the report also states, "The ongoing investigation indicates that the suspect is Michael Berry, a local radio talk show host."

Managers of the bar then turned over security camera video from inside the club to HPD investigators, and they write in an e-mail to Local 2 Investigates that their video confirms that Berry was in their establishment that night."

Details About Chris Brown Abuse Released

Court documents detailing the abuse of Rihanna by Chris Brown were released on Thursday. In the documents, a police statement outlines what Rihanna (referred to as ‘Robyn F. in the files) said happened during the events.


Statements in the documents were made by the responding LAPD officer:

“Brown was driving a vehicle with Robyn F. as the front passenger on an unknown street in Los Angeles. Robyn F. picked up Brown’s cellular phone and observed a three-page text message from a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with.
“A verbal argument ensued and Brown pulled the vehicle over on an unknown street, reached over Robyn F. with his right hand, opened the car door and attempted to force her out. Brown was unable to force Robyn F. out of the vehicle because she was wearing a seat belt. When he could not force her to exit, he took his right hand and shoved her head against he passenger window of the vehicle, causing an approximate one-inch raised circular contusion.
“Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand. He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand. The assault caused Robyn F.’s mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle.
“Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, ‘I’m going to beat the sh– out of you when we get home! You wait and see!’
” The detective said “Robyn F.” then used her cell phone to call her personal assistant Jennifer Rosales, who did not answer.
“Robyn F. pretended to talk to her and stated, ‘I’m on my way home. Make sure the police are there when I get there.’ After Robyn F. faked the call, Brown looked at her and stated, ‘You just did the stupidest thing ever! Now I’m really going to kill you!’
“Brown resumed punching Robyn F. and she interlocked her fingers behind her head and brought her elbows forward to protect her face. She then bent over at the waist, placing her elbows and face near her lap in [an] attempt to protect her face and head from the barrage of punches being levied upon her by Brown.
“Brown continued to punch Robyn F. on her left arm and hand, causing her to suffer a contusion on her left triceps (sic) that was approximately two inches in diameter and numerous contusions on her left hand.
“Robyn F. then attempted to send a text message to her other personal assistant, Melissa Ford. Brown snatched the cellular telephone out of her hand and threw it out of the window onto an unknown street.
“Brown continued driving and Robyn F. observed his cellular telephone sitting in his lap. She picked up the cellular telephone with her left hand and before she could make a call he placed her in a head lock with his right hand and continued to drive the vehicle with his left hand.
“Brown pulled Robyn F. close to him and bit her on her left ear. She was able to feel the vehicle swerving from right to left as Brown sped away. He stopped the vehicle in front of 333 North June Street and Robyn F. turned off the car, removed the key from the ignition and sat on it.
“Brown did not know what she did with the key and began punching her in the face and arms. He then placed her in a head lock positioning the front of her throat between his bicep and forearm. Brown began applying pressure to Robyn F.’s left and right carotid arteries, causing her to be unable to breathe and she began to lose consciousness.
“She reached up with her left hand and began attempting to gouge his eyes in an attempt to free herself. Brown bit her left ring and middle fingers and then released her. While Brown continued to punch her, she turned around and placed her back against the passenger door. She brought her knees to her chest, placed her feet against Brown’s body and began pushing him away. Brown continued to punch her on the legs and feet, causing several contusions.
“Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away. A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F.’s plea for help and called 911, causing a police response. An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order.”

Republican San Diego Mayor Continues Fight for Marriage Equality

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders stressed to EDGE during an interview at a Washington, D.C., hotel on Tuesday that his support for nuptials for same-sex couples is simply the right thing to do. The issue remains deeply personal to him and his family, but the soft-spoken Sanders dismissed the idea that a pro-marriage equality stance is politically risky for GOP lawmakers.

"I just think you do what you think is right and then you live with what you did," said Sanders.

Rachel Maddow Criticizes Gov. Chris Christie For Wanting To Put Civil Rights Bill Up For Popular Vote

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The New Jersey Assembly approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriage on Thursday. The bill now heads to Christie's desk to get signed into law. Christie is expected to veto the bill and put it on the ballot for New Jersey voters to decide this fall. According to the Associated Press, "Christie and most state Republican lawmakers want gay marriage put to a popular vote. Democrats say gay marriage is a civil right protected by the Constitution and not subject to referendum."

Democrats Respond as NJ Gov. Christie Vetoes Marriage Bill

As promised, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has vetoed a marriage equality bill passed by both houses of the state legislature.

But New Jersey Assembly Democrats have not given up hope. As Towleroad reports, "A two-thirds vote in each chamber is necessary to override Christie's veto, and can be attempted as many times as necessary until January 2014. A veto override in the House would require 12 more votes, and 3 more votes in the Senate."

Below is the New Jersey Assembly Democrats' video response to Christie:

New Jersey Assembly Democratic Response to Gov. Christie's Veto of Marriage Equality Legislation (A-1) from NJ Assembly Democratic Office on Vimeo.

NJ Governor Chris Christie Vetoes Same-Sex Marriage Bill

This afternoon, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, as he had promised, vetoed a same-sex marriage bill that passed both the New Jersey House and Senate. Yesterday, the NJ Assembly passed a same-sex marriage bill 42-33. The Senate on Monday also passed the bill.

Governor Christie, one day later, on Valentine’s Day, said the Legislature’s efforts were a “good bunch of theater,” and promised “swift action” to veto it, which he did today.

Upon vetoing the bill, Christie again reiterated his desire to have the voters decide on same-sex marriage.

The Legislature has until 2014 to override the veto.

NJ Assembly Passes Marriage Equality Bill, Republican Gov. Promises to Veto the Bill

The New Jersey Assembly on Thursday passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriages, setting the stage for an expected veto by Gov. Chris Christie.

The 42-33 vote sends the bill to Christie’s desk. The Republican governor who opposes gay marriage had promised "very swift action" if the bill passed both houses of the Legislature. The Senate approved the bill Monday.

Christie and most state Republican lawmakers want gay marriage put to a popular vote. Democrats say gay marriage is a civil right protected by the Constitution and not subject to referendum.

When Your 7-Year-Old Son Announces, 'I'm Gay'

Considering that my son has a longstanding crush on Glee's Blaine and regularly refers to him as "my boyfriend," I thought there was a fair chance that he would someday say, "I'm gay." But my kid is only 7 years old. I figured I had a few years before we crossed that threshold (if we ever did), probably when he was 14 or 15. I never thought it would happen this soon.

Six months ago "gay" wasn't even a word in my son's vocabulary. He has always known that some of our male friends are married to men and some of our female friends to women, and it is such a normal part of his life that he never needed a special word to describe them. When he did notice the word and asked what it meant, I told him that when boys want to marry boys and girls want to marry girls, we call that "gay." He didn't seem very interested and quickly went off to do something else more exciting than a vocabulary lesson with his mom.

Fast-forward a few months. I was on the phone with a relative who had just discovered that I was blogging on The Huffington Post and openly discussing my son's crush on Blaine. I was in another room alone (I thought), explaining, "We're not saying he's straight, and we're not saying he's gay. We're saying we love who he is," when my son's voice piped up behind me.

"Yes, I am," he said.

"Am what, baby?" I asked.

"Gay. I'm gay."

My world paused for a moment, and I saw the "geez, Mom, didn't you know that already?" look on my son's face.

I got off the phone and leaned down to eye level with him and rubbed my nose against his. "I love you so much."

"I know," he said, and ran off to play with his brothers.

Since that day, any time the word "gay" has come into conversation, he has happily announced to those around him, "I'm gay!" He says this very naturally and happily, the same way he announces other things that he likes about himself. Mention that a person is tall and he'll quickly add, "I'm tall!" If he hears the word "Legos," barely a second passes before he says, "Legos. I love Legos." Saying "I'm gay" is his way of telling people: this is something I like about myself.

It's amazing, but it's also shocking. How many people have a 7-year-old come out to them? A lot of people don't know how to react, and I don't blame them. Before my son, I'd never met a child who came out this young -- and we don't know anyone else who has. The mere idea of children having a sexual orientation makes people uncomfortable. It's something we don't think about (or just don't like to).

But here's the thing: straight children have nothing to announce. Straight is the assumption. No one bats an eye at a little girl with a Justin Bieber poster in her bedroom, or when little girls love playing wedding with little boys every chance they get. If our sexual orientation is simply part of who we are, why wouldn't it be there in our elementary years?

I've heard from countless adults who say they knew that they were gay as young as kindergarten but lacked the language to talk about it. And in most cases, they knew it was something wrong that they should hide. Because gay people are part of my son's everyday life, he has the vocabulary, and it has never occurred to him there is anything wrong with it.

On one occasion after an "I'm gay" announcement, I watched my husband reach out to ruffle our son's hair. "I know, buddy," my husband said to him. "And you're awesome, too." That's how we're handling it. We want him to know we hear him, and that he's wonderful. It feels like the right thing to do, and that's all we have to go by. We don't have any other examples.

We did take a few extra steps. Within a few days we had a quick talk with him about how some people don't like it when people are gay, explaining that those people are wrong. If he hears anyone says anything about being gay like it is something bad, he is to run and get us immediately. We had a brief conversation with his teachers: Our son is identifying as gay. We don't think there's anything wrong with that or with him. And this is the only acceptable opinion on the subject. All his teachers, while surprised, were on board. We learned that he hasn't used that word at school yet, so we'll cross that bridge when the time comes.

I don't think it will always be easy. We don't know what to expect. At this point we aren't looking for trouble, but at the same time we're preparing for it. We know we have a journey ahead of us, just like everyone does. And this is one part of the story of our son and our family.

Do I think this is the last word on his orientation? I don't know. He's 7. Maybe as he gets older he'll tell me something else, but it's just as likely that he won't. But really, that doesn't even matter. What matters is right now. And right now I have a young son who happily announces "I'm gay." And I'm so proud to be his mom.

Aspirin Is Effective Birth Control for Women

Prominent Rick Santorum Super PAC booster, Foster Friess created a kerfuffle yesterday by saying that women should just put aspirin between their legs for contraception. No really, he did!

"Life Begins at Erection"

Why Tony Perkins Shouldn’t Be On MSNBC Anymore

This video, produced for Faithful in America, offers clip after clip after clip of Tony Perkins — the head of an anti-gay certified hate group — maligning and “gay bashing” gay people. Faithful in America Tuesday met with representatives of MSNBC and presented them with over 20,000 signed petitions demanding Perkins not appear on MSNBC anymore.

“Perkins does not speak for all Christians.”

Music director at Catholic church fired for marrying partner of 23 years

The popular music director at a Charlotte Catholic church has lost his job because he married his partner of 23 years in New York, one of seven states to recognize same-sex marriages.

Steav Bates-Congdon was fired from St. Gabriel Catholic Church in south Charlotte in January, more than six months after he and his spouse Bill Bates-Congdon married, reported the Charlotte Observer.

On Jan. 19, just back from a honeymoon trip to Mexico, followed by an emergency stay at Carolinas Medical Center for a ruptured appendix, he checked out of the hospital and dropped by St. Gabriel.

There, he was handed a note by the Rev. Frank O’Rourke, the pastor with whom he had closely worked for more than four years.

It read: “Employees of St. Gabriel … are expected to live within the moral tradition of the Church…Your civil marriage stands in direct opposition to the teaching of the Catholic Church, therefore ending your employment with us, effective today.”

Steav Bates-Congdon said that he informed the pastor of his marriage plans, and that O’Rourker said he was happy for him but could not give him his blessing. He said he doesn’t understand why O’Rourke didn’t warn him that he could be fired.

Bates-Congdon, 61, a former Methodist minister and now an Episcopalian, joined St. Gabriel in 2004, and parishioners say he’s been open about his sexual orientation since his first interviews.

David Hains, a spokesman for the diocese, told the Oserver that “Mr. Congdon’s ‘civil union,’ is a public statement in direct opposition to the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage as a lifelong, exclusive covenant between one man and one woman.”

North Carolina does not recognize same-sex marriages, and a constitutional amendment to define marriage between one man and one woman goes before voters in May.

The state’s non-discrimination and hate crimes laws do not provide any protections for sexual orientation or gender identity. A Supreme Court in January allows churches and their schools to hire and fire ministerial employees without government interference.

Chicago Mayor Will Push for Marriage Equality

Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel says he’ll lobby for the marriage equality bill pending in the Illinois state legislature, the Chicago Tribunereports.

“I’ll push for it because it is consistent with the values base, and the practical values base, that I think is right as a city, as a state and as a country,” Emanuel told the Tribune today. “If you have two loving adults, that should actually be held up as a positive, whether it’s male or female, but in this case female-female, male-male. I think that’s proper, and we shouldn’t as a state discriminate.”

New Jersey Assembly Passes Marriage Equality in 41-33 Vote

Marriage equality has passed the New Jersey Assembly in a 44-31 vote. The bill passed the Senate last week.

Governor Chris Christie has vowed to take "swift action" to veto the bill.

A two-thirds vote in each chamber is necessary to override Christie's veto, and can be attempted as many times as necessary until January 2014. A veto override would require 13 more votes.

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire's Letter to NJ Governor Chris Christie on Marriage Equality

Said Gregoire, in part:

Some argue that the state should deny a marriage license to same-sex couples based on the premise that marriage is for procreation. Do we then deny a license to heterosexual couples who choose not to have children?… To those who can’t have children or those who adopt?… 
To those who have children through in-vitro fertilization?

Some argue that same-sex marriage weakens the institution of marriage. Is this a role of the state? If so, it has failed miserably with a divorce rate among heterosexual couples now at about 50 percent.

Some argue that the state must deny a marriage license based on religious beliefs.

With a marriage license, couples marry in civil or religious ceremonies.

In issuing the license, the state should not involve itself in an applicant’s religion.

The responsibility of the state is to license only. The right of a church is to decide whom to marry, and the state will honor the religious freedom of all faiths.

The arguments used today to discriminate based on sexual orientation should remind all of us of the arguments used to discriminate in the past, and specifically the laws banning interracial marriage...

Gregoire also described her "journey" in endorsing marriage equality: "Let me just tell you I feel so much better today than I have for the last seven years.

'Invincible'

Xelle, the NYC-based group made up of Mimi Imfurst, JC Cassis, Rony Goffer, has just released its new video "Invincible" which deals with the empowerment of LGBT youth, and is donating proceeds from the sale of the single to GLSEN.

‘Gays threaten continuation of human race’

Gays threaten the continuation of the human race, Libya’s delegate told a planning meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, reported the Geneva-based UN Watch monitoring group.

It was the first appearance in the 47-nation body by the post-Gaddafi government, whose membership was restored in November following Libya’s suspension in March.

Protesting the council’s first panel discussion on discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation, scheduled for March 7th, Libya’s representative told the gathering of ambassadors today that LGBT topics “affect religion and the continuation and reproduction of the human race.” He added that, were it not for their suspension, Libya would have opposed the council’s June 2011 resolution on the topic.

In response, council president Laura Dupuy Lasserre said that “the Human Rights Council is here to defend human rights and prevent discrimination.”

The Libyan outburst prompted questions by human rights activists about Libya’s reinstatement on the council.

“We were happy to see the Gaddafi regime finally suspended last year,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, which in 2010 led a campaign of 70 human rights groups to expel the Libyan dictator.

“Yet today’s shocking homophobic outburst by the new Libyan government, together with the routine abuse of prisoners, underscores the serious questions we have about whether the new regime is genuinely committed to improving on the dark record of its predecessor, or to pandering to some of the hardline Islamists amidst its ranks,” said Neuer.

RuPaul

RuPaul Andre Charles
Drag queen, author, singer, host, supermodel of the world

“You know when I started out, they told me I couldn’t make it,” RuPaul said in the 1995 documentary Wigstock: The Movie. “They said, ‘ain’t no big black drag queen in the pop world and you ain’t gonna do it.’ And look at the bitch now!”

Born in San Diego, California, RuPaul Andre Charles developed his drag persona in Atlanta and New York in the 1980s. Since her 1993 breakout single, “Supermodel,” Ru has kicked her size 12 stilettos even further into the mainstream with more pop hits, a cult-favorite talk show, movie roles, dolls, books (including the self-help book RuPaul’s Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style) and even a figure in Madame Tussauds.
And that’s not even including a little show called RuPaul’s Drag Race.

RuPaul, now 51, can also be credited with challenging perceptions of what it means to be gay, black, and for that matter, a drag queen. Her 2004 album, Red Hot, featured appearances by blackface drag personality Shirley Q. Liquor, stirring up dialogue about race and racism. Last year, three teachers at Los Angeles’ Wadsworth Avenue Elementary School were suspended over allowing students to carry photos of “questionable” African-American role models, including RuPaul, at a Black History Month parade.

But to Ru, her drag persona is a means, not an end: “The superficial image I project is a social commentary on the world we live in,” RuPaul said in an interview in the Willamette Week. “I’m saying, ‘Look, I’m beautiful with all this stuff on, but that truth is who I really am has nothing to do with any of this stuff… It’s not real at all. I never said it was.”

Gays threaten the continuation of the human race, Libya’s delegate told a planning meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, reported the Geneva-based UN Watch monitoring group.

Fox News contributor Liz Trotta made headlines Sunday when she reacted to a 64% rise in violent sexual assaults in the miltary by saying "What did they expect? These people are in close contact," among other controversial remarks.

The Song You Didn't Hear at the Grammys

Fox News Christians For Comparing Obama Birth Control Mandate To Nazi Germany

What a ’60s Case on Mixed-Race Marriage Says About Today

HBO’s new documentary The Loving Story tackles a historic legal case with a timely message about marriage equality — one used to justify an elections director's decision to resign in North Carolina.

The parallels between the landmark 1967 Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia and the fight for marriage equality today are undeniable. Forced to flee their home state of Virginia and live in exile in Washington, D.C . — or risk being arrested again for having violated the state’s Racial Integrity Act of 1924 — Mildred and Richard Loving, a mixed-race couple, took the only route they could find to get back home: through the courts.

“They were in a community [in Virginia] that not only tolerated their marriage but really fostered it,” attests filmmaker Nancy Buirski, a straight woman who is well aware that many LGBT couples and families live in communities whose mores may not be aligned with those of their states. “It reminds you what it means for the state to step in and tell us what to do with our personal freedoms.”

When Sherre Toler resigned in early January as director of elections in North Carolina's Harnett County, she cited the case as her reason for taking a stand and what she'd learned from her own interracial relationship, saying she couldn't preside over marriage equality being put up for a vote via an upcoming ballot initiative.

And yet The Loving Story, Buirski’s documentary about the case, which premieres February 14 on HBO, makes no mention of this resonance.

“The relationship to gay marriage is there, and it’s intentional,” she says, “but it’s kind of a Trojan horse issue.”

Such subtlety runs counter to the style of many popular documentaries, with their Michael Moore – like bombast. In fact, Buirski did pretty much the opposite: Over the course of the narration-free film, she lets the Lovings and their lawyers speak for themselves. Buirski accomplished this through footage she found that was shot at the time and lay untouched in a closet for more than 40 years.

The footage makes the Lovings’ struggle feel almost present-day — with perhaps one exception: Being made to live outside of Virginia sounds like a not-bad punishment, right? But, as Buirski points out, it was a different time.

“It was a very special place for them,” she says of the Lovings’ community in Virginia, which they were eventually allowed to return to. “They were not trying to be heroes, they were not activists. I feel strongly that we need to honor people like that.”

Efforts to put Proposition 8 initiative on 2012 ballot have ceased

The efforts to collect signatures to qualify an initiative to repeal California’s Proposition 8 law, which bans same-sex marriage, have ceased.

Eric Harrison, interim executive director of Love Honor Cherish, which was leading the efforts, said via email today that the signature-gathering would cease.

“Following last week’s victory in the 9th Circuit, we are now hopeful that weddings of gay and lesbian couples will resume by the end of this year, or even, at the end of this month,” Harrison wrote. “And what an incredible day that will be when gays and lesbians are able to marry again in California!”

Harrison said the “backup plan” was no longer feasible, and explained that the efforts would require raising more than $1.5 million to hire a paid signature-gathering firm.

“In view of the 9th Circuit victory and the narrowness of the ruling, making Supreme Court review less likely, raising the additional funds needed is now not realistic. And, as we have stated, we had no illusions that the initiative could qualify based solely on our statewide volunteer signature gathering effort,” Harrison wrote.

Gay Couple Marries in Beautiful New Clip from Italy

Ti sposerò - Gay Marriage from WEDDINGITALIA FILM on Vimeo.

'As The World Turns' Makes History

Who doesn’t remember the 'Brokeback Mountain' Reunion Kiss?

Ennis kissing his ‘friend’ Jack during a long-awaited reunion.

Roseanne's Lesbian Kiss

In 1994 "Roseanne" aired a lesbian kiss between the title character and Sharon, played by Mariel Hemingway. The episode was almost pulled by ABC who was worried about reactions to the kiss, but ultimately it was aired and seen by 30 million people.



A bit of typical Roseanne humor thrown in as well.

'Modern Family' Gay Kiss “Controversy”

After fans noticed that gay couple Cam and Mitchell hadn't shared a kiss, they started a successful Facebook campaign to get the producers of "Modern Family" to have the characters share more intimate moments.



The video seems like it is going to be a fluff piece, but the messages toward the end are load and clear.

Love. Love. Love.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta won a raffle on the dock landing ship Oak Hill to be the first to kiss a loved one on its return to Virginia Beach. Petty Officer 3rd Class Citlalic Snell was waiting.

Gay Marriage is inevitable

“With more openly gay people and strong support for same-sex unions among the young, the war is over even as the fighting continues.” - Los Angeles Times

A Valentine’s for Homophobes

Will Prop 8 Ruling Protect Marriage in Washington State?

Marriage News Watch‘s Matt Baume is back to discuss the recent Prop 8 ruling, as well as marriage equality passing in Washington State and a new bill introduced in Illinois. Plus: Progress in Maryland and New Mexico.

Maggie Gallagher Tries To Defend Her Bigotry

Maggie Gallagher, founder and former Chair of NOM, the National Organization For Marriage, tells Thom Hartmann at RT news that the Supreme Court found marriage is a right – but only for procreation.



Hartmann interviews so eloquently, framing the bigotry and ignorance and just plain wrongness of Maggie Gallagher’s positions, like, “Don’t you think you represent a fringe rather than a mainstream?”

Gallagher when confronted on miscegenation laws said, Oh no, those were about oppressing people — but keeping gays from marrying is good, it keeps children with their families.

Matt Bomer Comes Out of the Closet

Matt Bomer, who has up till now lived in a glass closet (most industry people knew) regarding his sexuality, made it public at an awards ceremony and in a magazine article last week. Bomer was given the New Generation Arts and Activism Award from the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards on Saturday. In his award speech, he thanked his partner Simon Halls, and his three kids.

Said Bomer: "And I'd really especially like to thank my beautiful family: Simon, Kit, Walker, Henry. Thank you for teaching me what unconditional love is. You will always be my proudest accomplishment."

Bomer was also casually outed in an OK Magazine article late last week: "In his spare time, Matt admits that he wants to start a charity of his own. 'I think it's important to choose something that's really close to your heart. It would revolve around kids. If you can give kids a chance because they are what is carrying on our legacy.' The actor shares three kids with his partner, Simon Halls."

When asked by Details about rumors about his sexuality in 2010, Bomer answered, "I don't care about that at all. I'm completely happy and fulfilled in my personal life."

Michele Bachmann Rips Howard Stern for 'Dragging Her Through The Mud' in Gay Rights Tirade

Michele Bachmann attacked radio host Howard Stern for "demonizing" her in a widely-distributed clip of his show which took Bachmann and Rick Santorum and other anti-gay Republicans to task for their homophobic positions which perpetuate intolerance and violence toward gay people.

Wrote Bachmann in an email to supporters:

Earlier this week, notorious shock jock Howard Stern called me "the worst person in the world" during his daily radio show.

To conservatives, this message from Howard Stern, a man whose only contribution to our culture was years of corrupting America's youth on public airwaves, was clear: "either abandon your beliefs and agree with me, or be dragged through the mud and demonized on national radio." I don't accept this false choice, and I know you don't either.

While Stern can say anything he wants on satellite radio, his words have an impact on his millions of listeners as well as the people his listeners talk to, which is why I need your help to counteract with our positive message. We must fight back and maintain our focus on what is important.

These are serious times, and our nation faces serious issues. The direction that America is headed requires serious discussion by serious people, and Howard Stern is not a serious person. We cannot allow attacks from him or anybody else to distract us from a laser focus on what is truly important: holding President Obama and his Democratic allies accountable for their mortgaging of our future. I know you share my determination and, with your help, our message of prosperity for our nation's future will drown out the noise of their attacks.

Stern is ready to fire back at Bachmann

Tweeted Stern over the weekend:

"Just read Michelle bachman's comments. Can't wait to get back on the air. Spoke with the lord a few minutes ago and he is on my side. If thinking that gay people have a right to happiness is corrupting America then I will continue corrupting them. Time to shun this woman."