Marriage bill to be filed in Maine

A state senator flanked by LGBT rights leaders announced plans Tuesday to bring in legislation this session that would allow same-sex couples to marry.

Sen. Dennis S. Damon (D) said the legislation would amend existing laws defining partners of a marriage to be “the legally recognized union of two people.”

He said the bill would eliminate discrimination in marriage licenses and would affirm that no religion would be forced to conduct a same-sex marriage.

The legislation, he said, also would recognize same-sex marriages from other states where they are legal.

Damon was joined at the new conference by leaders of Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, Maine Freedom to Marry Coalition, Equality Maine, the Maine Civil Liberties Union, and the Maine Women’s Lobby.

Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders is the Boston-based group that won equal marriage rights in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

It said last fall that it intended to fight for gay marriage rights in the other four New England states and predicted success by 2012.

Same-sex marriage bills already have been announced in Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

The chances of success in Maine are unclear at this stage.

In November, the leader of Maine’s Roman Catholics told churchgoers across the state they have a moral duty to oppose moves to legalize same-sex marriage in the state.

Following Damon’s announcement, the conservative Maine Marriage Alliance said it would press for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

Big Labor Unions Back Overturn of Prop. 8

The Sacramento Bee is reporting that a coalition of labor unions will file a brief with the California supreme court in support of overturning Prop. 8, the ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage in the state.

More than 50 labor unions signed onto the brief, including heavy hitters like the California Federation of Teachers, the California Nurses Association, and the Screen Actors Guild.
The labor unions say they represent a combined 2 million people.

"If a simple majority of voters can take away one fundamental right, it can take away another," the unions argue in the brief. "If it can deprive one class of citizens of their rights, it can deprive another class too. Today it is gays and lesbians who are singled out. Tomorrow it could be trade unionists."

The labor unions are arguing that Prop. 8 is not a “constitutional amendment” but rather a “constitutional revision.” A revision would requite a two-thirds vote of the legislature to get on the ballot.

Being Gay Still a 'Gift'

"I meant exactly what I said. It is so important for every human being to understand that he or she is a gift from God."


—The Rev. Ed Bacon, who told Oprah last week that being gay is a "gift from God"

ANN COULTER on The View

[Let her have it ladies!]

Luke & Noah, Daytime's Adorable Gay Couple, Have Sex

The breakthrough scene on As the World Turns begins at about 3:03. Of course what we see is simply the before and after, but for a show that took seventh months and an extended internet campaign from fans for producers to have its two main characters share a kiss, the sex, or evidence of it, is a revelation.

Henry Seltzer writes, in The Daily Beast: "And you know the best part? The person responsible for getting them back together after the fallout from Luke kissing his step-grandfather was his grandmother, the show's matriarch (played by Elizabeth Hubbard for the past 25 years), who was also the most understanding when Luke first came out. So not only is this not your grandmother's soap, leave it to the grandmother-who-unwittingly-played-a-beard to get the boys back together. She even delights in sharing their post-sex ice cream sundae."

HUCKABEE TO COULTER: "I am definitely not pro-sodomy."

[Just a reminder: sodomy is also defined as the oral copulation with a member of the opposite sex. Apparently, Huckabee is a bit boring in the sack.]

Smart Car Leads Police On Fast Freeway Chase

With speeds often reaching 90 mph, police chased a suspect Monday evening in a Smart car through the San Fernando Valley towards Pasadena.

CHP officers, about half hour into the chase, decided to pull back in an effort to get the driver to slow down, according to authorities. They abandoned the chase altogether when they determined who the driver was and where he lived, said officials. At that point, the chase was well onto the eastbound Foothill (210) Freeway approaching Sylmar.

The super-small and very fast Smart car was pursued initially on the northbound Hollywood (170) Freeway. The CHP pulled over the driver for speeding. After giving the officer his license and registration, the driver took off -- turning a traffice infraction into a felony by fleeing from authorities.

[Oh yeah, baby!]

The Daily Show" On Obama's Press Conference: "He's Still Got A Lot To Learn"

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Smart Shows Electric Drive Fortwo

Smart had the new fortwo electric drive on display at the Detroit Auto Show 2009. "At the end of 2009, smart will begin producing the smart fortwo electric drive equipped with a lithium-ion battery." But people in the US probably shouldn't hold their breath, because our sources tell us in might take until 2010-2011, and even then, numbers might be low.

Diminutive but ElectrifyingThe Toyota FT-EV electric car concept that debuted at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show is based on the platform of the 57 MPG Toyota iQ microcar that recently went on sale in Europe and that is apparently already a hit in Japan.

Local gay chorus to sing at inaugural event

A local gay men’s chorus has been invited to perform as part of President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremonies next week, according to a statement from the group.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington will perform during a pre-inauguration event Sunday that will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lincoln Memorial. Among the 800,000 attendees expected at the concert are Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden, the statement says.
Taunee Grant, a chorus spokesperson, said HBO, which will broadcast the performance live, tapped the group to sing at the concert.

About 100 members of the chorus, which consists of 225 singing members, will perform with “featured celebrity entertainers” that have yet to be announced, the statement says.
Grant said she was not yet in a position to confirm which pieces the group will sing at the concert.

Rev. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop of the Episcopal Church, is slated to give the invocation at the Sunday celebration.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington had earlier applied to be part of the festivities on Inauguration Day, but was informed last month that it had not been selected to take part in the celebrations on that day.

Find Your Neighborhood Prop 8 Supporters

The Map Mash-up of Gay Marriage Opponents

Introducing EightMaps.com, a simple Google Map mash-up that dumps publicly available Prop 8 donor address records into a handy map. Zoom in, from San Fran to Los Angeles, from Sacramento to San Diego, and everywhere in between, and find your local neighbors who have a problem with civil rights.

Late Night Jokes

Being Gay Is A Gift From God

Rick Warren Declares War on the Episcopal Church

Last week, the California Supreme Court ruled that a Newport Beach Episcopal congregation which broke away from the church over the issue of the ordination of gay priest had no right to the physical property of the church, which they found belonged to the diocese.

Enter Rick Warren, who offered not just his support and encouragement over the church's schism, but also invited the Newport Beach congregation to use the Saddleback Church as a meeting space.

Colorado Episcopal Church Okays Gay Priests (Again)

"The Episcopal Diocese of Colorado is ending its so-called "period of restraint" on ordaining gay priests. Bishop Robert O'Neill ordained Mary Catherine Volland to the priesthood during a ceremony at St. John's Cathedral on Saturday. Volland, a longtime Colorado resident and partnered lesbian, had been a candidate for ordination in the Diocese of Minnesota. She will serve at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Denver."

Openly Gay Bishop Kicking Off Obama's Inauguration

Rt. Rev. V. Gene Robinson, the openly gay Episcopalian New Hampshire bishop whose ordination precipitated a mini-schism within his own church, will deliver the opening invocation of President Barack Obama's Inauguration this Sunday on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. An unnamed source within the incoming Obama administration says that Bishop Robinson's inclusion was planned before the controversy over Rick Warren but predicts that critics will suggest otherwise.

Bill would repeal Fla. anti-gay adoption law

A Florida state senator has introduced legislation to repeal the state ban on adoptions by gays and lesbians.

Sen. Nan Rich (D) filed two bills - one would allow gays to adopt, the other would leave it to judges to determine where to place children where both parents are dead. But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say neither has a chance of passing in the new legislature.

Florida law allows gays to serve as foster parents but not adopt. The law is considered the most repressive of its kind in the country.

The group behind a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage that was approved by voters in November has vowed to fight the legislation.

“I have no doubt that people who are homosexual, just like people with other issues, can be loving, caring parents. But the issue is what is best for the child,” Florida Family Policy Council President John Stemberger told The News-Press.

“This has nothing to do with gay marriage,” Rich told the paper. “This has to do with the best interests of children.”

Her legislation comes on the heels of a court ruling that ruled the adoption ban is illegal. No matter which way the appeals court rules it is expected the case will end up in the Florida Supreme Court.

In November, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman ruled there is “no rational basis” for prohibiting gays from adopting children.

HBO Blames Obama Transition Team for Robinson Blackout

When Rev. V. Gene Robinson took to the stage at a star-studded, pre-inauguration event Sunday afternoon in Washington D.C., millions of LGBT Americans eagerly anticipated what the openly gay bishop would have to say about equality in America.

But Robinson’s invocation never aired on television – he was cut from the telecast of the Lincoln Memorial event.

In a call placed to HBO, the premium pay channel on which the Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial aired, a spokesperson told After Elton the decision not to air Robinson’s prayer was made by the Obama transition team.

HBO's senior vice president, Jeff Cusson, gave a similar account. "HBO had no involvement in the scheduling of those who appeared as part of the televised event. You'll have to talk to [the Presidential Inaugural Committee] about all of the scheduling decisions. We had a set broadcast time and went forth accordingly," Cusson told gay activist Leah McElrath.

But explanations from the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) failed to illuminate how the decision was made and by whom. "We had always intended and planned for Rt. Rev. Robinson's invocation to be included in the televised portion of yesterday's program," PIC communications director Josh Earnest said. "We regret the error in executing this plan – but are gratified that hundreds of thousands of people who gathered on the mall heard his eloquent prayer for our nation that was a fitting start to our event."

Dana Perino Daily Show Goodbye

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Rev. Ed Bacon to Oprah Viewer: Being Gay is a Gift from God

The Reverend Ed Bacon responsed to a question from a gay man on Oprah yesterday that "being gay is a gift from God".

The show, on spirituality, was broadcast as part of Oprah's "Best Life Week".

KEITH OLBERMANN: Takes down Ann Coulter.

“There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

AN ADVERTISEMENT, funded by a UK atheist group that raised $210,755 in donations to spread its message across Britain

Infamous L.A. Hotspot Rises From the Ashes

Micky's, a notorious West Hollywood gay nightclub that almost burned to the ground in the summer of 2007, is putting the finishing touch on its new, bigger self.

Billing itself as "L.A.’s longest continually running gay bar," Micky's is set to reopen in a few weeks. The bar first opened on West Hollywood's raucous Santa Monica Boulevard -- lined with gay establishments -- 20 years ago.

Before a mysterious fire gutted the club a year and a half ago, the second floor was closed to patrons and housed offices. Now a VIP bar will occupy the establishment's second floor. A press release touts that the entire new club will feature "seductive skin tones and decadent materials, like ostrich leather and caesarstone" and that "glam lighting" will highlight the experience of revelers.

Known for its go-go boys and Thursday night "Cocktails With the Stars" event that featured porn stars doling out gifts and industry tidbits, the revamped nightclub now faces an unstable economy and a more diverse West Hollywood.

Craig Ends Legal Fight Over Bathroom Incident

Former Idaho senator Larry Craig, busted for cruising for sex in a men's bathroom at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport in 2007, has ended his legal fight over the matter. An attorney for the Republican announced today that Craig will not appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court to void his conviction for disorderly conduct, the Associated Press reports.

Though he pleaded guilty and paid a fine for the incident, Craig has sought to have his record cleared, most recently at a state appeals court, which declined to rule in his favor. Thursday was the last day the senator could petition the state supreme court to hear his case, but his attorney, Tom Kelly, told the AP that the court was unlikely to do so, and therefore, Craig will not push on. That means the senator has exhausted his legal options.

Craig, who's consistently denied that he's gay, did not run for reelection last year.

Virus vaccine maker seeks approval for males

Drugmaker Merck & Co. has asked federal regulators to approve use in males for its vaccine against the human papillomavirus, which causes cervical and other sexually transmitted cancers.
The application was submitted in late December, Merck spokeswoman Amy Rose said this week.
It was long planned as part of Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based Merck’s strategy to increase the market for Gardasil. It prevents infection with the sexually transmitted virus and thus cancers of the genital organs.

Gardasil, launched in 2006 for girls and young women, quickly became one of Merck’s top-selling vaccines, thanks to aggressive marketing and attempts to get states to require girls to get the vaccine as a requirement for school attendance.

However, it is one of the priciest vaccines on the market, typically costing $360 for a three-dose regimen.

Gardasil had 2007 sales of $1.5 billion, but sales began slowing in the second half of 2008, after a government-funded Harvard study concluded it was cost-effective for girls but not for women in their 20s.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has two months to decide whether the application for use in males meets its standards. Reviews can then take 10 months or more.

The application includes research data from a Merck study including about 4,000 males, ages 16 to 26; Gardasil prevented 90 percent of cases of penile cancer and genital warts caused by the four common virus strains targeted by the vaccine.

The agency approved use of Gardasil in females ages 9 to 26 years old in June 2006, but last June rejected expanding that to include women ages 27 to 45. The vaccine has since been approved for use by young women in dozens of foreign countries.

A rival vaccine called Cervarix, made by Britain’s GlaxoSmithKline, is approved in many foreign markets, but generally lags behind Gardasil in sales. It is still awaiting approval in this country.