View the new ad to repeal Prop 8 and help get it on the air

The gay marriage ban in California can not stand.

Sign The Courage Campaign's pledge and/or contribute to get this ad on the air:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/equality

Marriage rights for gays and lesbians were polling at their highest when images of gay people were in the news. It is my hope that the next campaign will look more like this. People need to see images of gay people to become more accepting.

California's high court upholds ban on gay marriage

The California Supreme Court upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage Tuesday, but it also decided that the estimated 18,000 gay couples who tied the knot before the law took effect will stay wed.

Read more here. More to follow later once I get out of work. Leave comments below.

California Supreme Court decision is just a few hours away

From Reuters:

California's Supreme Court decides on Tuesday whether gay marriage is legal in the most populous U.S. state, a key battleground in American culture wars.

Passage of a gay marriage ban in a November California vote bucked the state's reputation as a liberal trendsetter and sparked national protests by gay advocates and congratulations among social conservatives.

A flurry of pro-gay marriage rulings and votes in Iowa and New England this year has reversed a trend toward banning them. Most U.S. states do not allow same-sex marriage, but both sides are gearing up for renewed battle, mostly at state ballot boxes.

Some leaders from both sides of the gay marriage issue have predicted that the California justices will uphold the ban but also allow approximately 18,000 same-sex marriages from last summer to stand.

Continue reading at Yahoo! News. Sound off in the comments area!

Openly gay candidate in Florida gets a standing ovation after answering the "gay" question

Some of you may know that I live in the Tampa Bay, FL area and have been keeping a close eye on this race. Steve Kornell, an openly gay candidate, is running for St. Petersburg City Council. If Kornell is elected he will become the first ever openly gay member of the St. Petersburg City Council. The neighboring county, Hillsborough, just elected their first openly gay county commissioner, Kevin Beckner, in 2008. Kornell left the gates early and has been running a fabulous campaign for months. With all of our help he can help turn the page in St. Pete.

A friend who attended the debate gave me a detailed report of what happened. The question Steve received was loaded and had three parts: 1) are you gay?, 2) how will that affect your ability to do your job?, and 3) will you be persuing a gay agenda? I do not think I have ever seen a candidate answer a question like this so well and according to my friend, this was the loudest applause of the day, nearly everyone clapped and it was the only question where any candidate had people on their feet.

This sort of questioning has happened in candidate forums in St. Petersburg before. In 2005, a woman known as "Momma Tee" asked an openly gay candidate, Darden Rice, if she was gay. When Ms. Rice said yes, "Momma Tee" said "God's not down with that" and stormed out of the building. (Read more here.) Saturday was a different scene in St. Pete.

We need to support Steve. He has some serious skills and he will help make strides in a state which sorely needs some progress after Amendment Two last year. Join me in going to http://www.stevekornell.com and contribute to his campaign online or by mail.

We also need to support Anthony Woods who is running for US Congress in California. Don't forget to send him a check too. He has a great story and would be a great advocate for our community in DC. http://www.anthonywoodsforcongress.com/

What will happen Tuesday? What are your plans depending on the outcome?

I really do not know what will happen on Tuesday. It may be a pivotal point in the gay rights movement. I want to know what you think will happen and what you plan to do.

Here are my questions:
1) What city/state do you live in?
2) What do you think the court will do?
3) If we win, how and where will you celebrate?
4) If we lose, what, if anything, will you do in reaction and where will you do it?

Speak out by posting a comment below!

Lightening up ahead of Tuesday's ruling: Wanda Sykes comedy routine about gay marriage

Need a breather before the big ruling on Tuesday? Watch this Wanda Sykes comedy video about gay marriage.

The California Supreme Court will rule Tuesday regarding gay marriage. You should already know this, but I'm writing it just in case you have been living under a rock for a while.

A sneak attack on gay-friendly web sites by right-wingers

From a Comedy Central blog post that exposes (and explains) why anti-gay marriage ads are popping up on gay-friendly web sites. Maggie Gallagher's anti-gay National Organization for Marriage has apparently used Google's Adwords program to post banner advertisements on a wide variety of unsuspecting web sites.

Read the full article here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: If I saw one of these ads, I would click on it. The gay-friendly site gets paid and NOM spends money. That is the best way to combat this attack. I think someone posted a comment last week saying one of the Google ads which popped up on this site was from NOM. Let them waste their money.

California Supreme Court poised to issue gay marriage ruling on Tuesday

The California Supreme Court will rule Tuesday on the validity of a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, a decision that will end months of speculation over whether gay couples can resume marrying in the state.

The high court announced the pending opinion on its Web site Friday morning.

Read the rest of the report from the Associated Press at Yahoo! News.

John McCain's daughter, Meghan, encourages NY lawmakers to support marriage equality

In an open letter to NY Republican lawmakers:

"As I read the news about the recent advances of marriage equality across our country, I think it is easy for many to get distracted by the politics and rhetoric on this issue and lose sight of what is really at its heart: the equality of freedom.

No matter how politically charged the discussions about marriage equality may get, the question is really a simple one: Do the rights and privileges we offer citizens include everyone in our country, or only some of us?

I believe that allowing gays and lesbians the freedom to marry is an idea whose time has come."

Read more from Meghan McCain's opinion piece at The New York Daily News.

Atlanta mayoral candidates court the gay vote

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Atlanta’s major mayoral candidates were all in the same room for the first time Thursday, each making his or her case as the best person to run the city to a room full of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender residents.

Five candidates gathered for a forum of about 150 people held at the Amsterdam Cafe in Midtown. Mayor Shirley Franklin, a two-term incumbent, is prohibited from running for a third consecutive term.

Several candidates stressed their past achievements and support for a community that advocates say accounts for one out of every seven Atlantans. It has become an influential force in city politics, particularly in neighborhoods near downtown.

Read the rest of the article at the AJC web site to find out where the candidates stand.

Air Force kicks their $25 million aviator because he's gay

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

"New President. New Congress. No Change. Here is the latest evidence of what our country is losing under the law that prevents gay men and women from serving openly in the armed forces of the United States."

Read the full article at The Huffington Post.

Ellen DeGeneres Commencement Speech at Tulane University

Fabulous speech which touches on issues including the future, coming out and being who you are.

Thank you to Rafael, one of our readers, for this great find.

Federal lawsuit over Florida hospital visitation rights among LGBT and unmarried heterosexual couples

When a loved one is in the hospital, you naturally want to be at the bedside. But what if the staff won’t allow it?

That’s what Janice Langbehn, a social worker in Lacey, Wash., says she experienced when her partner of 18 years, Lisa Pond, collapsed with an aneurysm during a Florida vacation and was taken to a Miami trauma center. She died there, at age 39, as Ms. Langbehn tried in vain to persuade hospital officials to let her visit, along with the couple’s adopted children.

“I have this deep sense of failure for not being at Lisa’s bedside when she died,” Ms. Langbehn said. “How I get over that I don’t know, or if I ever do.”

The case, now the subject of a federal lawsuit in Florida, is being watched by gay rights groups, which say same-sex partners often report being excluded from a patient’s room because they aren’t “real” family members.

Read the rest of the story at The New York Times web site.

South Carolina dating violence bill lacks protections for LGBT youth

COLUMBIA — Gay rights advocates on Tuesday protested the exclusion of gay and lesbian relationships from a South Carolina bill meant to curb teen dating violence.

Limiting dating violence prevention to students in hetereosexual relationships further discriminates against students who are already vulnerable to bullying, depression and self-doubt, the advocates said. They urged senators to remove the reference.

"The message this sends gay kids is, we're not worthy, we don't count — it makes them feel like second-class citizens, and isolated," said Harriet Hancock, who founded the Columbia chapter of Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

Keep reading at The Spartanburg Herald-Journal web site.

Dear Gay Graduate - an inspiring letter to new LGBT grads

From Jennifer Vanasco (posted at The Huffington Post)

Hello Gay Graduate,

You sure are in a bitter time to be thrust out of the womb of higher education. When I graduated college 15 years ago, America was in a golden decade. Five years before, the Berlin Wall had come down, giving us a new sense of security. We were at peace. We had saved the World Trade Center from destruction in 1992. The economy was booming. For someone like me, who wanted to go into print journalism, the job opportunities were everywhere.

How times have changed.

Great letter that you should continue reading at The Huffington Post.

Openly gay student wins lawsuit against school district

NBC Bay Area reports that Rochelle Harrison, who has been openly gay since the age of thirteen, was ridiculed on a daily basis by teachers and staffmembers at Jesse Bethel High School in Vallejo, who would say such nonsense as: "You'll never get a job," "You're going to hell," "You're so ignorant. You don't even know whether you're a boy or a girl."

Harrison's mom, Cheri, wrote letters, made phone calls, and scheduled meetings with school officials, but the harassment continued. So, the Harrisons turned to the ACLU for help.

From the title of this article you know that she won, but click on this link to get the details of the lawsuit and her award.

School district says reparative therapy sites ok, but gay rights sites blocked. ACLU says "not so fast my friend!"

According to the article:

Two school districts representing thousands of Tennessee students were sued Tuesday for blocking access to web sites discussing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, but are not filtering sites advocating “reparative” therapy to change their lifestyle away from being gay.

Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union asked the Knox County Schools and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools to stop the practice. Evidently, they didn’t. So the ACLU made good on its promise, and sued the districts in federal court on Tuesday.

Read the full article at wired.com. (I hate when people/press use the word "lifestyle.")

President Obama's press secretary dodges DOMA question

This video shows White House press secretary Robert Gibbs dodging a question about DOMA. He didn't outright sell the LGBT community out yet, but this makes me nervous.

Mr. Gibbs, we are waiting for you to get back to us.

Less news, more Cho

I love Margaret Cho. Enjoy!

Washington state moves closer to full equality for gays and lesbians

Gov. Gregoire of Washington state has signed an "everything but marriage" domestic partnerships bill.

From the article:

The domestic partnership measure was known as the "everything but marriage" bill in the Legislature. It gives gay and lesbian couples all the state benefits of married heterosexuals.
More than 5,300 domestic partnership registrations had been filed in Washington since July 2007.

Washington is one of five states along with New Jersey, California, New Hampshire, Oregon, and the District of Columbia with laws that recognize civil unions or domestic partnerships similar to marriage.

Five states have legalized same-sex marriage. Thirty states have gay marriage bans.

Read more at the KHQ web site.

He's hot, ivy league educated and, until recently, was a man in uniform. Now Anthony Woods wants to be a Member of Congress!

An Army veteran who led two combat units in Iraq before being discharged for being gay is running as a Democrat in a special election for a California seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Anthony Woods, 28, a West Point graduate who recently received a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, announced his candidacy in the hotly contested race in April.

Read the rest of the article at The Washington Blade. Anybody else want to move to Cali with me to vote for this guy?

Another article on outing politicians with hypocritical voting records

I need to admit that I chuckled when I read this excerpt:

"Craig's right to privacy might have greater currency had he not publicly supported the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would have constitutionally prohibited same-sex couples from marrying in the United States. He has also voted against LGBT-inclusive hate-crimes and employment nondiscrimination legislation. Senator, you just can't have it both ways."

If the allegations are true, that is exactly what the Senator has been doing for several years.

Read the article at The Advocate and post your comments below.

Dueling gay marriage rallies in Manhattan on Sunday

Advocates and opponents of gay marriage took to the streets of Manhattan on Sunday. Among those in attendance on the "pro" side were Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon (speech in video above) and Ugly Betty's Ana Ortiz.

From the article:

“There are 18 days left in the senate session,” Sen. Tom Duane, the lead sponsor of marriage-equality legislation, told the upbeat crowd gathered in the chilly gray weather. “I need your help," he said, urging people to contact their representatives in the chamber.

Marriage-equality legislation passed the assembly last Tuesday by a vote of 89-52, but its outcome remains uncertain in the closely divided senate, where Democrats hold a slim 32-30 majority. Current estimates put the number of affirmative votes for the legislation at around 25. Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, who did not attend either rally on Sunday, has vowed not to bring the legislation to a vote unless its passage is assured in advance.

New York governor David Paterson, who made a last-minute appearance at the rally in support of marriage equality, also stressed the time element, characterizing the issue repeatedly as a “race.”

“We’re in a race right now in New York,” Paterson said. “When are we going to admit that LGBT people do not have the same rights as straight people right now?”

Read the full article at The Advocate.

Are you straight?

Great video and he's sooooooo cute!

Gay voters and groups ratchet up the heat on President Obama

With more states enacting same-sex marriage laws, pressure is growing on President Obama to moderate his stance against gay marriage.Advocates are urging him to appoint a gay man or woman to the Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice David H. Souter.

Even if Obama does not name a gay justice, senators are likely to question the nominee about the hot-button issue during confirmation hearings, propelling it to the top of the political agenda this summer.

Read the rest of the article at the LA Times web site.

GOP Chair Michael Steele's talking stupid again

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Republicans can reach a broader base by recasting gay marriage as an issue that could dent pocketbooks as small businesses spend more on health care and other benefits, GOP Chairman Michael Steele said Saturday.

Ahem, Mr. Steele, isn't that one of the arguments southern companies used to justify paying whites and blacks different wages for the same work in the south? God forbid black labor would cost the same as white labor. Those poor businesses could go under. WTF are you thinking, Mike?

Read the rest of the article about Michael Steele's nonsense by clicking here.

Moscow police detain gay protesters

MOSCOW – Riot police broke up several gay rights demonstrations in Moscow on Saturday, hauling away scores of protesters hours before the capital hosted a major international pop music competition.

No injuries were reported, but the detentions could damage Russia's desire to be seen as a modern nation as it holds the finals of the Eurovision song contest, a cultural event televised around the world.

Read the rest of the article from the AP at Yahoo News.

On another note, the mayor of Moscow has repeatedly referred to homosexuality as being "satanic."

Catching up

Life has been hectic over the past 10 days and I am going to catch up on the blog now. Sorry for not keeping things up to date.

CNN Poll: Under 35 voters solidly support gay marriage

Not like this is a surprise but...

As a slew of states move to legalize gay marriage, a new CNN poll finds that most Americans still oppose it, though those under 35 are solidly for gay marriage legalization.

The poll finds that just 44 percent back gay marriage, compared with 58 percent of those under 35. The generational gap over the issue is striking: Only around 4 in 10 Americans ages 35 to 64 back gay marriage, and the number drops to 24 percent for those above age 65.

The numbers raise an important question about the strategy of the pro-gay marriage forces: Is their move to start legalizing gay marriage in many states far enough ahead of public opinion to provoke a serious backlash? Or, given the dramatic generational shift in public opinion on the issue, is their timing just right?

At least that's what CNN was wondering in their article. What do you think? Post a comment below.

D.C. Council votes to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere

The debate over same-sex marriage heated up in the nation's capital again today, but this time, it wasn't on the Hill: It was in the city council. By a vote of 12 to 1 and after arguments that were closely followed by those on both sides of the debate, Washington's council decided to recognize gay marriages performed in other states.

The decision is widely seen as the capital's opening gambit to eventually legalizing same-sex marriage. The legislation is expected to be signed by Mayor Adrian Fenty, who supports same-sex marriage; it will then go to Congress, which has the power to block the bill during a 30-day period of review mandated by home rule. Council member David Catania said that if Congress doesn't block the bill, he plans to introduce another measure legalizing gay marriage in the District.

The emotionally charged environment of today's debates underlined how personal the legislation can be, with some council members trading barbs over their respective stances. Two of the council members are openly gay. One, Catania, told former Washington Mayor Marion Barry—the sole council member to vote against the bill—that it was "immoral" for Barry to both be his friend and to claim that Catania did not deserve the same rights. But the back and forth didn't sway Barry, who called his vote an "agonizing and difficult decision" that he arrived at after prayer and discussion with religious leaders. "I am representing my constituents," Barry said.

You can read the rest of the article at the US News site by clicking here.

FYI: The man in the picture posted with this article is Marion Barry, the lone dissenting vote on the measure. Barry was mayor of Washington D.C. until he was caught doing crack. He was caught on tape muttering "the bitch set me up." (If you're interested, you can read more about him here.)

Maine representative discloses wrenching "choice"

During the debate over marriage-equality legislation in Maine, Rep. Sheryl Briggs took the floor to express her opposition to same-sex marriage.

She also revealed that her daughter is a lesbian.

Read the details of her vote at The Advocate.

FYI: The Maine house voted 89-57 to support the marriage equality bill, although it has a few more hurdles to clear before becoming law. (Read more here.)

Marie Osmond says she loves her gay daughter

In an interview with Los Angeles radio station KOST 103.5, Marie Osmond confirmed rumors that her daughter Jessica is a lesbian and spoke about her views on marriage equality. Though the interviewer suggested the question might be "a sensitive topic" because of Osmond’s Mormon faith, the entertainer didn't hold back.

Read the rest of the article at The Advocate.

Politico reports that another openly gay candidate may be in the mix for Supreme Court vacancy

President Barack Obama is looking to advance diversity with his pick to replace retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter — and early speculation has focused on whether he'll pick a woman, or perhaps the first Hispanic justice.

But gay rights groups — disappointed that Obama didn't pick an openly gay man or woman for his Cabinet — are pushing him to put the first openly gay justice on the Supreme Court.

Within hours of word of Souter's departure, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund was hailing the candidacy of a First Amendment scholar and former dean of Stanford Law School, Kathleen Sullivan. "Out lesbian a contender for Supreme Court," one of the group's web sites declared.

Another Stanford law professor on the "frequently mentioned" lists, Pam Karlan, has been open about being a lesbian, colleagues and former students say. In response to an e-mail from POLITICO, Karlan expressed no reticence about discussing her sexual orientation, though she downplayed talk about being a possible nominee.

Read the rest of the story at Politico.com.

Some humor to lighten things up after that Senegal story

Sometimes you need to take a break from all this serious news business and just laugh a little. I hope you will enjoy this clip from Margaret Cho. It is one of my personal favorites!

An Absolutely F***ED up story out of Senegal

Dakar - Senegalese villagers dug up the body of a man at the weekend, saying he was gay and that they did not want him buried in a Muslim cemetery, police said Monday.

Police in the village of Thies, in the west of the country, were called out after villagers exhumed the body.The man, born in Dakar in 1975, had died in hospital on Saturday of natural causes, said a police officer in the village."

But after his burial the same day in a Muslim cemetery, four people dug him up. The deceased was considered homosexual," the officer said.

You can read the rest of the story at this South African news site. (FYI - homosexuality is illegal in Senegal.)

Battle for marriage equality heats up in the Empire State!

Gay-marriage proponents are stepping up their fight to get same-sex nuptials legalized in New York with the help of more than $100,000 worth of polling - and the support of Mayor Bloomberg.

"Anybody who thinks we're not serious about winning this in 2009 better throw cold water on themselves and wake up," said Alan Van Capelle, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda.

"We are absolutely serious."

Read the rest of the article at the NY Daily News web site.

An Update on Rudy Ditching his Gay Buds

Update from Cathy Burke at the New York Post on an article we posted earlier about Rudy snubbing his gay former roomies who helped him pick up the pieces after Donna Hannover booted his ass out of Gracie Mansion. (P.S. That pic is really Rudy in drag. Isn't it fabulous?)

A gay pal of Rudy Giuliani said yesterday there's one word for why the former mayor and potential gubernatorial candidate snubbed his same-sex wedding: Politics.

"We're still friends," said Queens car dealer Howard Koeppel, who tied the knot with longtime partner Mark Hsiao on Saturday in Connecticut.

Still, Koeppel said, "I danced at his wedding with [his wife] Judith [Nathan], and it would have been nice if he'd danced at mine."

Hsiao said the ex-mayor's snub "did not spoil the day -- we actually didn't expect him to come."
Koeppel said, "I understand why he's doing what he's doing. If he decides to run for governor . . . he's a Republican, and he's taking a Republican stand" on same-sex marriage.
There was no immediate comment from Giuliani.

'They Kill People Like Us' says Gay Iraqi

BAGHDAD – Widespread violence is down across Baghdad, but not for one minority group.

Iraq’s gay population is being targeted by militia groups in a wave of killings that has claimed the lives of up to 25 young men and boys in the past month.

"They know I am gay. I don’t know if I am going to be killed, this is up to God," said Moyad, a 38-year-old Baghdad resident who would not give his last name out of fear for his safety.

Visibly frightened, he said that he has many friends who have been sadistically tortured, some even murdered. "They are sticking glue up their anuses; some hospitals refuse to treat them. Is it a war waged against homosexuals?" he asked.

You can read the rest of this disturbing article at msnbc.com by clicking this link.

Clergy Descend on Washington to Advocate for Gay Rights

WASHINGTON—Months after giving an invocation at a kickoff event for President Barack Obama's inauguration, the U.S. Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop returned to Washington on Monday to persuade Congress to pass an expanded hate crimes bill.

V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire is among more than 300 clergy members from different faiths who planned to spend Tuesday lobbying on Capitol Hill for support of a bill that broadens the definition of hate crimes to include those motivated by a person's sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. The House passed the legislation 249-175 last week over conservatives' objections.

A weaker bill died two years ago under a veto threat from President George W. Bush. In contrast, Obama is urging the Senate to support it, saying it would enhance civil rights protections.

Read the rest of the article at boston.com by clicking here.

Obama & Miss California: Same Position on Marriage?

By Robert Schlesinger for U.S. News & World Report

I was at a, err, opposite-sex wedding over the weekend when one of the guests asked me, presumably as the member of the MSM on hand, why Carrie Prejean, Miss California, gets lambasted for being anti-gay marriage, while Barack Obama, the president of the United States, gets a free pass while having essentially the same position.

The answer lies in tone and nuance.

It is true that Obama's position is that marriage is "between a man and a woman" and that he is "not in favor of gay marriage." That said, he articulately advocates for the rights of gay couples on things like hospital visitation. See here, for example, starting at about 1:06: "When I sit down and read scripture and I think how would Jesus feel about somebody not being able to visit someone they love when they're sick, I conclude that that is something that's important."

And it is possible that some portion of people suspect that Obama would favor gay marriage were it a politically viable position: He's secretly with us, not like that nasty Miss California. And even if that's not the case, he's good on enough other stuff that he can get a pass on this.

For the rest of Schlesinger's column, visit the web site of U.S. News.

I personally think this is a gross oversimplification of the issues related to lgbt people, but I'm interested in what you have to say. Post away in the comments section!

Rudy Giuliani skips the wedding between two of his gay 'friends'

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani was a last-minute no-show at the wedding of his former roommates -- a gay couple -- yesterday.

It was a disappointment for Queens car dealer Howard Koeppel and his longtime lover, Mark Hsaio, who tied the knot in a double-ring ceremony before 10 guests in Westport, Conn.

The couple famously let the ex-mayor crash at their luxury $2.37 million three-bedroom Manhattan apartment while he was going through a nasty divorce with Donna Hanover in 2001. Later, Giuliani married the "other woman," Judith Nathan.

Read the rest of the article by visiting the New York Post's web site.

WHO says HIV patients at greater risk from swine flu

GENEVA, May 2 (Reuters) - People with HIV are at high risk from the new flu strain that the World Health Organisation said is on the verge of a pandemic, the WHO said on Saturday.

The United Nations agency said people with immunodeficiency diseases -- including the AIDS virus -- will most likely be vulnerable to health complications from the H1N1 strain, as they are from regular seasonal flu, which kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people a year.

HIV and the new flu strain could also mix together in a dangerous way, as has occurred with HIV and tuberculosis, the WHO said in guidance for health workers on its website.

Read the rest of the article from Reuters at Alernet by clicking here.

Opportunity for Democrats as Acceptance of Gay Marriage Grows!

WASHINGTON — Gay marriage legalization in several states and the public’s growing acceptance of same-sex unions have Democrats sensing political opportunity and some Republicans re-evaluating their party’s hard-line opposition to an issue that long has rallied its base.

In recent weeks, Vermont and Iowa have legalized same-sex marriage, while New York, Maine and New Hampshire have taken steps in that direction. Polls show younger Americans are far are more tolerant on the issue than are older generations. For now at least, the public is much more focused on the troubled economy and two wars than on social issues.

Read the rest of the article by following this link to the Boston Herald web site.

Have you heard about the new movie "Outrage"?

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A documentary called "Outrage" argues that closeted homosexual U.S. politicians who vote against the interests of gays and lesbians should be "outed" because their hypocrisy has slowed the progress of gay rights.

Written and directed by Kirby Dick, the film relies on interviews with people who claim to have had gay relationships with politicians who vote against gay marriage, hate crime legislation, gays in the military, and funding for HIV/AIDS research.

"Outrage" premiered at this week's Tribeca Film Festival in New York and opens on May 8 in select U.S. cities.

"My film is not about outing gay politicians. It is about reporting on hypocrisy," Dick told Reuters. "When a politician is in the closet and voting anti-gay with a very consistent record, he's acting hypocritically and I think it's completely appropriate for me to report on that."

Follow this link to read the rest of the article about this movie or click on the video clip above to view the movie's trailer.

So what do you think about outing elected officials? Are they all fair game? If not, are those with anti-gay voting records fair game? Or should all be entitled their privacy, even when they are acting in a hypocritical manner? Speak out by posting a comment!

For the first time ever, a national poll suggests that more Americans support marriage equality than oppose it

For the first time in a nationwide survey, more Americans say they support gay marriage (49%) than oppose it (46%), according to the latest Washington Post/ABC poll. That 49% supporting gay marriage, in fact, is a significant jump from 2004, when the Post/ABC poll found just 32% in favor.

Although there are other polls which show a different balance on this issue, the fact remains that same-sex marriage is getting closer to widespread support among the American people. Read more by following this link.

How about a Lesbian on the Supreme Court of the United States? Kathleen Sullivan could be a candidate to replace Souter

Supreme Court justice David Souter, who will be retiring at the end of the court’s term, may be replaced by out lesbian Kathleen Sullivan, according to GayPolitics.com.

Sullivan, a professor at the Stanford Law School who served as dean of the school from 1999 to 2004, founded and currently acts as director of the Stanford Constitutional Law Center. She has also been involved in some of the most historically prominent LGBT-related court cases, including Bowers v. Hardwick and Lawrence v. Texas.

Her potential nomination has been mentioned on law blogs as well as in The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.

Read more about this potential successor to Justice Souter at The Advocate's web site. Wouldn't that be something?

Judy Shepard Rejects Rep. Foxx's Apology...Amen!

Judy Shepard doesn't think Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., was sincere when she apologized for calling the 1998 murder of Shepard's son, Matthew, "a hoax" during the House of Representatives debate on hate crime legislation which offered protection to gays and lesbians, as well as many other groups.

Mrs. Shepard rejected Rep. Foxx's apology on the Rachel Maddow show. Catch the video below or visit Rachel Maddow's site to read the whole story.

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

Miss California talks with Greta about Same-Sex Marriage

Want to know what Miss California had to say to Greta Van Susteren? Read the full transcript of her interview here.

Listening to Ms. Prejean makes me wonder...

Are we dealing with the next Anita Bryant, a former Miss Oklahoma who crusaded against giving rights to LGBT Americans, or are we dealing with the next Miss Teen USA South Carolina contestant. If you don't remember her, get a chuckle out of the very popular video of her below.

Openly Gay Members of Congress Push for Answers about Treatment of Iraqi Gays

Reps. Tammy Baldwin, Barney Frank and Jared Polis have sent a letter to the newly-confirmed U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Hill, urging him to work with Iraqi officials to end violence against the country’s LGBT population.

Click here to read more about this story gaypolitics.com

Openly Gay Former Anchorman Runs for Detroit City Council

Former news anchorman Charles Pugh is already a familiar face to Detroit residents. He anchored WJBK’s weekend news for the past seven years, but the openly gay 37-year-old now stands on the brink of making the headlines as opposed to simply reading them.

As of last month, Pugh vacated his post behind the Fox 2 news desk to pursue a run for the Detroit City Council. He is, by all accounts, the first openly gay candidate to pursue a position on the City Council, testing a barrier in a city with a large African American population and socially conservative values.

"This is going to be a new life for me because I’ve been telling other people’s stories and now it’s time to write my own," Pugh told EDGE in a recent interview. "It’s time to write a new story for Detroit and i think I’m just the person to do it."

Click here to read the rest of the article from Boston's Edge site.

Iowa City, IA Citizens Respond to Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage