American Family Association's Bryan Fischer: Home Depot Is The Homo Depot

Yahweh's Amazing Miracle

Another winner from YouTube atheist Non-Stamp Collector!

"The Moment" In San Francisco

JMG reader Sean Chapin sends us the below thrilling moment of the decision being announced in San Francisco. In the second clip, a couple attempts to get their marriage license in the brief period before the stay was issued.

Thousands Celebrate In San Diego

More great videos from Rex Wockner's coverage in San Diego are here. The chant in the bottom clip got me a little teary.

Here We Go Again

Seriously GLAAD, just give the fuck up on this pathetic closet case. Right now I'm more interested in MTV giving this shitbag the boot.

American Family Association Calls For Impeachment Of Judge Vaughn Walker

“This is a tyrannical, abusive and utterly unconstitutional display of judicial arrogance. Judge Walker has turned ‘We the People’ into ‘I the Judge.' It’s inexcusable for him to deprive the citizens of California of their right to govern themselves, and cavalierly trash the will of over seven million voters. This case never should even have entered his courtroom. The federal constitution nowhere establishes marriage policy, which means under the 10th Amendment that issue is reserved for the states.

“It’s also extremely problematic that Judge Walker is a practicing homosexual himself. He should have recused himself from this case, because his judgment is clearly compromised by his own sexual proclivity. The fundamental issue here is whether homosexual conduct, with all its physical and psychological risks, should be promoted and endorsed by society. That’s why the people and elected officials accountable to the people should be setting marriage policy, not a black-robed tyrant whose own lifestyle choices make it impossible to believe he could be impartial." AFA head Tim Wildmon, calling on the House of Representatives to launch impeachment proceedings against Judge Vaughn Walker.

NYC Celebrates Prop 8 Overturn

About 200 NYC activists gathered at the New York Supreme Court in downtown Manhattan last night to celebrate the overturn of Proposition 8 and to breathe renewed life into New York state's own battle for marriage equality.

Speakers at the rally included Marriage Equality New York head Cathy Marino-Thomas, NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, state Sen. Thomas Duane, and Charlie Ramos, the 2010 state Senate opponent of evil homophobe Sen. Ruben Diaz.

Among the homorati in the crowd was rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker, Towleroad correspondent Corey Johnston, Gay USA host Ann Northrop, Latino activist Andres Duque, Queens activists Brendan Fay and Brandon Brock, World of Wonder blogger Wayne Anderson, New Civil Rights Movement bloggers David Badash and Caleb Eigsti, Fire Island News reporter Michael Lavers, Advocate reporter Julie Bolcer, and safer sex activist/blogger Eric Leven.

After the speeches were concluded, attendees each took a single white flower across the plaza to lay on the steps of the Supreme Court building. While I expected to find a larger crowd, it was great to run into so many of New York's equality champions on such a celebratory day. The last few times we all gathered, it was with anger and disappointment in our faces. Last night was a different story. For once. Full-screen versions of the below slideshow are here.

Speaker Pelosi Reacts

Rachel Maddow On Dr. George Rekers' Role In The Overturn Of Prop 8

In her inimitable style, Rachel Maddow breaks down how the "work" of Dr. George "Rentboy" Rekers played a role in today's ruling. Watch and enjoy!

Lady Gaga Reacts

Obama Reacts

Well, sort of. Here's what an unnamed flack just said on the president's behalf: "The President has spoken out in opposition to Proposition 8 because it is divisive and discriminatory. He will continue to promote equality for LGBT Americans."

MEH.

OUR HERO: Ted Olson Reacts

Hate Groups React

NOM:

“Big surprise! We expected nothing different from Judge Vaughn Walker, after the biased way he conducted this trial,” said Brian Brown, President of NOM. "With a stroke of his pen, Judge Walker has overruled the votes and values of 7 million Californians who voted for marriage as one man and one woman. This ruling, if allowed to stand, threatens not only Prop 8 in California but the laws in 45 other states that define marriage as one man and one woman.” "Never in the history of America has a federal judge ruled that there is a federal constitutional right to same sex marriage. The reason for this is simple – there isn’t!” added Brown. “The ‘trial’ in San Francisco in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger case is a unique, and disturbing, episode in American jurisprudence. Here we have an openly gay (according to the San Francisco Chronicle) federal judge substituting his views for those of the American people and of our Founding Fathers who I promise you would be shocked by courts that imagine they have the right to put gay marriage in our Constitution. We call on the Supreme Court and Congress to protect the people’s right to vote for marriage,” stated Maggie Gallagher, Chairman of the Board of NOM.

Family Research Council:

"This lawsuit, should it be upheld on appeal and in the Supreme Court, would become the 'Roe v. Wade' of same-sex 'marriage,' overturning the marriage laws of 45 states. As with abortion, the Supreme Court's involvement would only make the issue more volatile. It's time for the far Left to stop insisting that judges redefine our most fundamental social institution and using liberal courts to obtain a political goal they cannot obtain at the ballot box. "Marriage is recognized as a public institution, rather than a purely private one, because of its role in bringing together men and women for the reproduction of the human race and keeping them together to raise the children produced by their union. The fact that homosexuals prefer not to enter into marriages as historically defined does not give them a right to change the definition of what a 'marriage' is.

Focus On The Family:

“Judge Walker’s ruling raises a shocking notion that a single federal judge can nullify the votes of more than 7 million California voters, binding Supreme Court precedent, and several millennia-worth of evidence that children need both a mom and a dad. “During these legal proceedings, the millions of California residents who supported Prop 8 have been wrongfully accused of being bigots and haters. Nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, they are concerned citizens, moms and dads who simply wanted to restore to California the long-standing understanding that marriage is between one woman and one man – a common-sense position that was taken away by the actions of another out-of-control state court in May 2008. “Fortunately for them, who make up the majority of Californians, this disturbing decision is not the last word."

Concerned Women For America:

“Judge Walker’s decision goes far beyond homosexual ‘marriage’ to strike at the heart of our representative democracy. Judge Walker has declared, in effect, that his opinion is supreme and ‘We the People’ are no longer free to govern ourselves. The ruling should be appealed and overturned immediately. “Marriage is not a political toy. It is too important to treat as a means for already powerful people to gain preferred status or acceptance. Marriage between one man and one woman undergirds a stable society and cannot be replaced by any other living arrangement. “Citizens of California voted to uphold marriage because they understood the sacred nature of marriage and that homosexual activists use same-sex ‘marriage’ as a political juggernaut to indoctrinate young children in schools to reject their parent’s values and to harass, sue and punish people who disagree. “CWA stands in prayer for our nation as we continue to defend marriage as the holy union God created between one man and one woman.”

Liberty Counsel (Hilariously Blames Another Hate Group!!!):

Although Liberty Counsel has defended the marriage laws in California since the battle began in 2004, the Alliance Defense Fund, representing the Prop 8 LCinitiative, opposed Liberty Counsel’s attempt to intervene on behalf of Campaign for California Families. The California Attorney General did not oppose Liberty Counsel’s intervention, but ADF did. Liberty Counsel sought to provide additional defense to Prop 8 because of concern that the case was not being adequately defended. After ADF actively opposed Liberty Counsel, ADF presented only two witnesses at trial, following the 15 witnesses presented by those who challenged the amendment. Even Judge Walker commented that he was concerned by the lack of evidence presented by ADF on behalf of Prop 8. Liberty Counsel will file an amicus brief at the court of appeals in defense of Prop 8.

(All quotes via Jeremy Hooper at Good As You)

LGBT & Progressive Orgs React

Ted Olson & David Boies (AFER):

"We came to court to seek for Kris, Sandy, Paul and Jeff the same right to marry that all other Americans enjoy, and to ensure that they receive equal protection under the law as guaranteed to every American by the Constitution. Through its decision today, the court has acted in the best traditions of a legal system established to uphold the Constitution and the principles of equality upon which this nation was founded," said attorney Theodore B. Olson. "On no less than 14 occasions, the Supreme Court has held that marriage is a fundamental right. This decision recognizes that Proposition 8 denied the plaintiffs, and tens-of-thousands of other Californians, that fundamental constitutional right and treated them unequally." “The Supreme Court has long held that marriage is a fundamental right. Equal protection under the law is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and this ruling affirms that universal right of every American,” plaintiff's attorney David Boies said. “Depriving the fundamental right to marry causes grievous harm to millions of Americans and their children.”

ACLU:

“Today’s decision is a huge victory for the LGBT people of America. For the first time, a federal court has conducted a trial and found that there is absolutely no reason to deny same-sex couples the fairness and dignity of marriage,” said James Esseks, Director of the ACLU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Project. “At the same time, we know that this is not the end. In order to give this case the best possible chance of success as it moves through the appeals courts, we need to show that America is ready for same-sex couples to marry by continuing to seek marriage and other relationship protections in states across the country. It’s simply not fair, and not legal, to continue to exclude committed same-sex couples from marriage.”

Equality California:

Victory! After compelling testimony from California couples who are denied the freedom to marry, Federal District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled today that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. The case will now move to the Court of Appeals. We owe Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown a great deal of gratitude for their unprecedented decision not to defend this discriminatory measure, leaving only Andrew Pugno’s anti-LGBT extremist group to defend the case. Celebrate this incredible victory by defending it.

GLAD:

"GLAD's case and Perry seek to cure two important but different injustices," according to Mary L. Bonauto, GLAD attorney and co-lead counsel in Gill v. Office of Personnel Management. "Gill is not a right-to-marry case, since we represent couples who are already married. Rather, it is a case about federal recognition, challenging DOMA's denial of these marriages for purposes of all federal laws. DOMA is synonymous with disapproval of gay people and our families, and we seek to end Congress's different treatment of married people based simply on sexual orientation." Bonauto added, "No matter the outcome of these federal court cases, it is still imperative to continue working on a local level to secure respect for and undo all state-based discrimination against gay and lesbian families."

NGLTF:

This ruling marks a victory for loving, committed couples who want nothing more than the same rights and security as other families. From the start, this has been about basic fairness. Today we celebrate the affirmation of this fundamental principle; tomorrow, we are back out there sharing our personal stories and having conversations with Californians and people all across the country about why this matters and who we are. The tide is turning nationwide in favor of marriage equality, but our work is far from over. Today’s ruling is just a beginning step in what will likely be a long process, yet we are confident that fairness will prevail. Our conversations are breaking down barriers and helping to transform our country.

Human Rights Campaign:

“After hearing extensive evidence in support of marriage equality, and essentially no defense of the discrimination wrought by Prop 8, Judge Walker reached the same conclusion we have always known to be true – the Constitution’s protections are for all Americans, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “We thank the courageous plaintiff couples, the American Foundation for Equal Rights, and attorneys Ted Olson and David Boies for their tremendous efforts leading to today’s decision and their ongoing commitment as the case moves forward on appeal. The battle for marriage equality continues, and we must all continue our work – in courthouses and statehouses, in church pews and living rooms – until equality is reality for LGBT people and our families everywhere.”

Cyndi Lauper Reacts

"Gay and lesbian couples have long struggled for acceptance and the ability to marry the person they love and want to build a family with. Today's landmark ruling declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional is a testament to the fundamentals on which this great country was built and validates that the discrimination gay couples face must come to an end. We as a society should be embracing these couples and helping them make the lifelong commitment to each other that many of us straight people take for granted each and every day. This decision is a major step in the right direction towards equality.

"On behalf of the True Colors Fund and the Give a Damn Campaign, I want to commend and thank Chad Griffin and the American Foundation for Equal Rights, the legal team headed by Ted Olson and David Boies, and the plaintiffs in the case, Kris Perry & Sandy Stier and Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo, for their leadership and courage in standing up for equality and fairness." - Cyndi Lauper.

Schwarzenegger Reacts

"Judge Walker had the great responsibility of deciding whether Proposition 8 violates the Constitution of the United States. He heard in-depth arguments from both sides on fundamental questions of due process, equal protection and freedom from discrimination. There are strong feelings on both sides of this issue, and I am glad that all viewpoints were respected throughout the proceedings. We should also recognize that there will continue to be different points of view in the wake of this decision.

"For the hundreds of thousands of Californians in gay and lesbian households who are managing their day-to-day lives, this decision affirms the full legal protections and safeguards I believe everyone deserves. At the same time, it provides an opportunity for all Californians to consider our history of leading the way to the future, and our growing reputation of treating all people and their relationships with equal respect and dignity. Today's decision is by no means California's first milestone, nor our last, on America's road to equality and freedom for all people."

(Via - Rex Wockner)

Prop 8 Overturn Stayed

CNN and other outlets have retracted their earlier claims that there was no stay on Walker's ruling. It appears that this stay is good for two days, I don't know yet what happens after that. The stay ruling is here.

A Freeper's Solution To Prop 8 Ruling

The level of hatred and violence being expressed on Free Republic at this moment in unrivaled, even for them. Screen grab tipped by JMG reader Ralph.

Tweet Of The Day - Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

Come celebrate with Sen. Gillibrand tomorrow night at Therapy in Hell's Kitchen for the JMG-sponsored fundraiser party!

VICTORY: Proposition 8 OVERTURNED!!!

Moments ago California's Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage was OVERTURNED by Judge Vaughn Walker! This is just the beginning of a very long court battle, but for today, let's CELEBRATE!

I'll update this post shortly with the details of Walker's ruling.

UPDATE: Here is the complete ruling. Feel free to grab my embed for your own sites!
Prop 8 Ruling
(BIG thanks to JMG reader Victor in San Francisco for getting us the complete ruling before anybody else!)

UPDATE II: Legal eagles, does the first paragraph on the final page mean there is no stay on the ruling?

LIVE VIDEO: Outside Prop 8 Courthouse

I can't embed it here, but San Francisco's local ABC affiliate is streaming live from outside the courthouse.

HRC's Message To Target & Best Buy

Quote Of The Day - Seth MacFarlane

"Hey, we're still Family Guy. We're not suddenly going to become 7th Heaven. Actually, I guess on 7th Heaven they would probably burn the transsexual at the stake. Let me think of another example. We're not Mr. Belvedere. Look, Brian happens to be a heterosexual character, as I am. If I found out that I had slept with a transsexual, I might throw up in the same way that a gay guy looks at a vagina and goes, 'Oh, my God, that's disgusting.' It's just the way we're biologically wired. They should give that another look." - Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, who says he hasn't "met a lot of stupid homosexuals" and therefore is puzzled by the negative response to the show's episode in which Brian vomits profusely after learning his date was a transwoman.

Carol Burnett Cast For Glee

Carol Burnett has been cast to play Sue Sylvester's Nazi-hunting mother in an upcoming episode of Glee. Via Ester Goldberg:

Sue referenced her adventurous parents in an episode of the Fox phenom last season. Details of Mama Sylvester’s arrival are being kept under wraps, but I’m told Sue’s father will not be accompanying her. The six-time Emmy-winning Burnett has made only a handful of TV appearances in recent years, most notably playing Bree’s evil stepmother on Desperate Housewives in 2006 and a Rockette-turned-strip-club owner on Law & Order: SVU (for which she was nominated for an Emmy) in 2009.

Two Glee posts in one day? Oh, dear.

The Gay Roe V. Wade

"Many expect this case ultimately to be decided by the United States Supreme Court. In less than two years — before the 2012 elections — we could be facing a Roe v. Wade-like ruling on marriage from the Supreme Court, striking down the marriage laws of 45 states, forcing same-sex marriage on the entire nation.

"I can’t put it more starkly: This case will decide the future of marriage in the United States. Losing is simply not an option. We need your help today. If each of us do what we can – whether it’s $10 or $10,000 – we will help ensure that marriage receives the strongest possible defense at every stage of this journey. Please visit www.Prop8Case.com to make your most generous gift to the NOM Legal Defense Fund right now. All gifts are tax-deductible. Thank you. Standing together, we will be victorious." - NOM president Brian Brown, anticipating losing today.

PhoboQuotable - Tony Perkins

"What if Democratic leaders are saving their most controversial issues until after November when voters are powerless to do anything about it? That's a question more insiders are beginning to ask as big ticket legislation on spending, the military, global warming and campaign finance sit curiously idle.

"Unfortunately for the American people, that could mean everything from forcing open homosexuality on the military and overturning the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to legislation attacking pregnancy care centers and the pro-life Hyde Amendment. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) could squeak through, along with "card check" and cap-and-tax legislation. And that's not all. You can also expect some of the most notorious porkers in Congress to receive major parting gifts from the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) is one member who notes the trouble ahead. 'Members of Congress are supposed to represent their constituents, not override them like sore losers in the lame-duck session.'

"Of course, 'representing their constituents' hasn't exactly been a hallmark of this majority. But it's never too late to start! Please sign our petition asking Members of Congress to respect the wishes of voters after the election and leave the policy-making to the next Congress." - Family Research Council fuhrer Tony Perkins, preemptively celebrating a Democratic loss in November and bizarrely demanding that Congress cease passing bills after the election.

Jennifer Aniston As 1960's Babs

Does it work?

Bristol's Homecoming

TODAY: Proposition 8 Day Of Decision Rallies Planned Nationwide

UPDATE: I'm moving this post back to the top of the blog because Rex's list of planned rallies is now at 45 cities and growing.

Veteran reporter Rex Wockner has compiled a growing list of rallies (and hopefully, celebrations) to take place around the nation today shortly after the release of the Prop 8 decision. A sampling:

LOS ANGELES: 6 p.m. | West Hollywood Park | 647 N. San Vicente
SAN DIEGO: March: 6 p.m. @ 6th & University | Rally: 7 p.m. @ LGBT Community Center | 3909 Centre St
SAN FRANCISCO: 5 p.m. | Castro & Market
LONG BEACH: 6 p.m. | Bixby Park | Junipero & Cherry @ Broadway
SACRAMENTO: 6 p.m. | Party | K & 21st | In the unlikely event Judge Walker rules against teh gay, there will be a march to the Capitol
SAN JOSE: 6 p.m. | Billy DeFrank Center | 983 the Alameda

New York City's event will take place in downtown Manhattan at the New York Supreme Court, 60 Centre Street, at 7pm. I hope to see all of you there! Hit Wockner's link for an event in your hometown. And below is a great advance video about today's rallies from JMG reader Sean Chapin.

Aktion Men - Aktion

I didn't hear it there, yet this reminds me of Montreal.

That's Gay: Sissy Commericals

All In The Family On Craigslist

This week's Dear Prudence advice column in Slate deals with a bisexual married man who says his own (also opposite-married) father-in-law tried to hook-up with him on Craigslist. His letter reads, in part:

The issue is, I am bi-sexual and have known so for quite some time. My quandary is, about a month ago I responded to a posting on Craigslist. It was from an older gentleman who, like myself, is bi and was looking for some discreet fun. In responding to the ad, I sent a faceless/headless picture of myself without a shirt on. He responded back to me with some pictures that were a bit more graphic and a phone number. Upon seeing the number, I became immediately undone. It was the cell phone number of my wife's dad—my father-in-law! Once I realized it was him, I never responded back to him. I received several e-mails subsequently asking me what was going on and if I was still interested. However, not only did he e-mail me from his personal e-mail address, stupidly, he used the joint one with my mother-in-law. Fast-forward a few weeks. My mother-in-law was checking e-mail and somehow found the exchange between my father-in-law and myself. Obviously, and justifiably, she has become hysterical. She found the e-mail that I sent to him (from an anonymous e-mail address) that had my picture. It gets worse; she told my wife and her sister and brother, and they are trying to figure out who this guy is who "seduced" dad.

Some of the column's commenters are calling BS on the entire letter, but the discussion on bisexuality and fidelity is worthwhile.

AIDS Quilt Ceremony At Gay Games

Like much of what the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence do, this ceremony manages to be simultaneously silly and moving. I believe this is the local Cologne order.

Basil Marceaux For Tennessee Governor

The music kills me.

Cenk Rants On Gay Marriage

Young Turks host Cenk Uygur makes arguments that are quite familiar to us here, but are always great to see on national television.

Most Gay-Friendly Colleges

An outfit called Campus Pride has issued their annual Campus Climate Index rating over 200 colleges for their friendliness to LGBT students. This year 19 schools received full five-star ratings. Note that only the schools that voluntarily returned their surveys were rated.

In development since 2001, the Index has become a staple in student and faculty research, campus organizing efforts and benchmarking for LGBT student safety and inclusion on campus. Each summer, university officials are encouraged to fill out new questionnaires and update their Index profiles. This year, the Campus Climate Index is proud to announce five-star rankings for 19 colleges and universities – the most ever achieving the Index’s highest ranking since the its inception in 2007-08. The 19 five-star-ranked campuses include: Carleton College; Humboldt State University; Ithaca College; Oberlin College; Oregon State University; Princeton University; San Diego State University; Syracuse University; The Ohio State University; The Pennsylvania State University; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, Riverside; University of Maine, Farmington; University of Oregon; University of Pennsylvania; University of Southern California; University of Vermont; and Washington University in St. Louis.

Hit the above link to search for your own school's rating.

HomoQuotable - Pastor Tom Brock

"John Townsend, a writer for Lavender magazine, wrote a commentary attacking me and the Catholic support group Courage, which I was attending. This is a group for Christian men who struggle to overcome same-sex attraction. Townsend had lied his way into this confidential group in order to attend and expose my presence there. This was done because of my public stance against homosexual behavior and same-sex marriage.

"It is true that I attended this group. But contrary to what Townsend and the Lavender article strongly implied, I have never engaged in homosexual behavior. An internal investigation by my congregation concluded: 'We find no evidence from any sources we examined or people we interviewed to indicate that Pastor Brock had engaged in any physical contact or in a homosexual relationship of any type.' The truth is that I have been celibate my whole life. [JMG: My emphasis]

"Townsend also states that we believe 'unrepentant homosexual activity damns to hellfire.' I do believe this, as it is the teaching of the Bible and the historic teaching of the Church that persisting in any lifestyle of sin (not only homosexuality) without repentance and faith in Christ will exclude people from the kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9-11)." - Sad, tortured, 57 year-old virgin (he claims) Pastor Tom Brock, who is actively working to ensure that his fellow homosexuals are as abjectly miserable as he is.

RELATED: Last year Brock claimed that God sent a tornado to destroy a Minnesota Lutheran Church because they had voted to allow gays to serve as ministers. He maintains that he still believes that today.

DNC Chair Tim Kaine Talks LGBT Issues

Former Virginia governor and present DNC chairman Tim Kaine created this clip ostensibly to answer questions from the LGBT community, but mostly he just cites recent successes on our behalf by the Obama administration. There is no mention of DOMA, but Kaine does promise that Democrats "will do everything in their power" to pass ENDA.

Sam Storicks

As many of you know by now, JMG reader Sam Storicks died unexpectedly ten days ago at the age of 30. Sam was a popular member of the West Coast's bear community and was a well-known DJ in San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. Two memorial services are planned. The first will be Wednesday, August 11th at 6pm at the San Francisco Eagle. The second will be Saturday, August 14th at 6pm at Branx in Portland. JMG reader Homer reminds us that Sam was also one of the earliest gay bloggers, with an archive that reaches back to 2002. His site Hello, My Name Is Sam remains online. I also recommend this touching remembrance from Sam's former boyfriend, Jeff. I can't recall when I last saw Sam, perhaps last year on SF's 18th Street outside Bearbucks. He was a real charmer.

Lizz Winstead On Phyllis Schlafly

Daily Show co-creator (and JMG reader) Lizz Winstead rips into Phyliss Schlafly. Lizz appears at Comix NY tomorrow night (Thursday) at 8pm. Get tickets here.

Paul McCartney Wants In On Glee

Paul McCartney is so impressed with Glee that he sent the show's producers a tape of his music in the hopes of getting an homage episode like those recently given to Madonna and Lady Gaga.

Paul McCartney sent a mixtape featuring his music to Glee creator Ryan Murphy in an attempt to convince Murphy to include some of the songs in the upcoming season. "I received some fantastic mixtapes from Paul McCartney a couple of weeks ago. I thought I was being punked!" Murphy said at yesterday's Television Critics Association panel in Los Angeles. "It came out of blue in a package, handwritten, and it had two CDs and it said, 'Hi Ryan, I hope you will consider some of these songs for Glee' ... I had heard that he is a fan of the show. I was gob-smacked ... so of course we are going to do something with him."

It's not been revealed if the McCartney episode would use Beatles music or something from his solo catalog.

Hurts - Wonderful Life

Another killer Freemasons remix.

Prop 8 Decision Due Tomorrow

This is it. The decision on Perry Vs. Schwarzenegger will be issued by Judge Vaughn Walker tomorrow (Wednesday).

The federal court announced today that it will release its decision in the American Foundation for Equal Right’s landmark case, Perry v. Schwarzenegger, on Wednesday. Text “EQUAL” to 69866 to get a text message with the official decision on your mobile phone the moment the court releases its decision, or sign-up for an email alert at equalrightsfoundation.org. Join AFER on its Web site to watch a live press conference with our plaintiffs and co-counsels Ted Olson and David Boies following the release of the decision. As we receive news about the details of the release, AFER will update our Facebook and Twitter profiles, along with our Web site.

While most on our side are confident the decision will go our way, the result will likely be appealed immediately.

UPDATE: Rex Wockner adds: "The Perry order will be e-filed between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. PDT tomorrow (between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. EDT - between 21h and 23h GMT/UTC). It will be available electronically to the public not only through PACER but also directly from the court's website free of charge soon after it is e-filed."

Alliance Defense Fund Calls For Prayers: Please Jeebus, Let Us Keep Prop 8

(Tipped by JMG reader Mark)

NOM: We Don't Support The Murder Of Gay People (Even If Our Followers Do!)

NOM is EVER so pissed that people are calling them out for holding anti-gay rallies in which supporters freely wave signs calling for the murder of LGBT people.

“The New Hampshire Democratic Party has slurred NOM’s good name and the good people of New Hampshire who rightly believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman,” said Brian Brown, NOM’s president. “They’ve escalated their inflammatory rhetoric beyond their customary insulting charge of bigotry and discrimination, and now are actually saying that NOM and supporters of traditional marriage want to murder gays. It’s totally outrageous and should be condemned, as should all violence and threats of violence.”

“First of all, the lone sign that the NHDP mentions was not a NOM sign, but something briefly displayed by a single individual at a rally,” Brown said. “Secondly, NOM immediately told the individual to take the sign down because it was disgusting and not reflective of NOM’s message or mission: we love marriage and call on all our supporters to respond to incivility and threats with love and respect. NOM immediately issued both nationwide emails and a nationwide press release condemning the sign, as well as threats mounted by gay marriage radicals against NOM. What’s particularly interesting about the press release with its murder slur is that in their zeal to score political points, the Democratic Party has shown itself to be nothing more than a tool of national gay marriage groups.”

Miss Brown, we ALL saw the video. Your loyal devoted fan most definitely did NOT take his sign down, in fact he happily and proudly brandished it for the cameras of the Courage Campaign. Actually, since your Babble clearly DOES call for every homosexual to be put to death (Glory! Praise His Name!), it's shocking that you are denouncing the Word Of The Lord! "Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." - Ecclesiastes 12:13.

CONNECTICUT: Nine Dead In Workplace Massacre By Disgruntled Employee

Eight people were shot and killed this morning at a Manchester, Connecticut wholesale alcohol distributor, where a truck driver for the company opened fire on an office full of workers. The gunman is dead, but reports conflict over whether he was shot by police or took his own life.

Sources said Omar S. Thornton, 34, was a driver for Hartford Distributors and was described by a Teamsters Union official as a recent hire and a "disciplinary problem." "The union was bringing him in to meet with the company to remedy the problem," said John Hollis, a Teamsters official. "He started shooting." Thornton shot a number of people and then shot himself with a .223 caliber semiautomatic rifle as police approached and is dead, sources said. Two people were shot outside the building and five were shot inside, police sources said. Hollis declined to describe the nature of the disciplinary problem, and he said he wasn't certain if the meeting had taken place when the shooting started. A law enforcement source said Thornton had been suspected of stealing from the business.

Another sterling example of the Second Amendment in action!

Ke$ha - Take It Off

New clip from Ke$ha, same old auto-tune.

And The Conde Nasties Weep

After weeks of rumors, today the New York Times confirms that Conde Nast is ready to ink a deal to move its fleet of aspirational magazines and their accompanying army of snooty clackers away from their present midtown location and into One World Trade Center. Where they will be miles away from anything remotely hip! Oh noes!

The deal to bring Condé Nast to the building once known as the Freedom Tower would signal a remarkable turnaround for a project that had been considered a marketing nightmare. The 1,776-foot-tall skyscraper will be the tallest building in New York when it is completed in 2013. If the deal goes through, employees of Condé Nast — publisher of Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Vogue and 15 other magazines — would move in 2014 from their current home in Times Square. The company, which currently occupies 800,000 square feet at 4 Times Square, notified its employees in a memo Tuesday morning that it was in “active negotiations” to move to 1 World Trade Center but a final decision was several months away. After years of delay, the steel latticework for the $3.2 billion building is rising hundreds of feet into the skyline. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the building, recently renamed it 1 World Trade Center. The authority is hoping that Condé Nast will bring the same kind of cachet to a rebuilt trade center that the publisher brought to a dowdy Times Square in the late 1990s.

Conde Nast would occupy more than one-third of the massive tower. Quick, somebody get three thousand feet of velvet rope to Ground Zero, stat!

Chromeo - Don't Turn The Lights On

I heard this on the radio in Montreal. A lot. This reminds me very much of The System's 1983 electro classic hit You Are In My System. (Which was later covered by Robert Palmer.)

NEW YORK: Man Kills Toddler Because He Was "Acting Like A Little Girl"

A New York man is under arrest and charged with beating a 17-month old toddler to death because, in the killer's own words, "I was trying to make him act like a boy instead of a little girl."

The suspect has been identified as Pedro Jones, 20, of South Hampton. He has been charged with first-degree manslaughter after allegedly hitting the boy "several times throughout his body with close fists" and grabbed him by the neck, according to the felony complaint filed by police. Authorities say Jones also told them, "I was trying to make him act like a boy instead of a little girl. I never struck that kid that hard before." The infant, Roy A. Jones, was reportedly found in cardiac arrest and was rushed to Southampton Hospital where he died around 8:30 p.m. "I just found out my Grandson died last night that's all I know," Donna Collins Smith.told PIX 11 News. Police said Jones, who is not a member of the Shinnecock nation but lives on the reservation, is the boyfriend of the baby's mother. "He infiltrated my family through our trust, through the heart of my daughter and then stole the life of her child," said the baby's grandfather Daniel Collins. "I hope the justice system turns around and steals his."

Jones plead not guilty at his arraignment and is being held without bail.

(Via - Gothamist)

HomoQuotable - Tammy Bruce

"Hate crime legislation accomplishes only one thing — the notion that some people in this country are more important than others. Last time I checked all the civil rights movements were based in the rejection of this notion. Yet here we are, in the warm seats of power, and now a 'legislative priority' is to make sure crimes committed against us are a more serious offense and punished more aggressively. I find it an obscene reversal of what so many fought for throughout the 20th century — to establish a group of people as deserving of special treatment because of either their complexion or sexual orientation. People have died in this county to end those sorts of policies. For us to embrace them is beyond shameful." - Homocon asshat Tammy Bruce, speaking to the Washington Blade's house Quisling, Jessica Lee. Bruce adds that men who target lesbians for corrective rape should be treated no differently than other rapists.

Porn Companies Rush To Use iPhone's New FaceTime Feature

For beating off at the office? How is this any better than regular webcam sites?

Prop 8 Report: It Was The Lying "Think About The Children" Ads That Killed Us

Political analyst David Fleicher's long-awaited report on the Prop 8 campaign has been issued and he has concluded that it was Yes On 8's lying television ads about kids that turned the tide against equality.

After the election, a misleading finding from exit polls led many to blame African Americans for the loss. But in our new analysis, it appears that African Americans' views were relatively stable. True, a majority of African Americans opposed same-sex marriage, but that was true at the beginning and at the end of the campaign; few changed their minds in the closing weeks. The shift, it turns out, was greatest among parents with children under 18 living at home — many of them white Democrats.

The numbers are staggering. In the last six weeks, when both sides saturated the airwaves with television ads, more than 687,000 voters changed their minds and decided to oppose same-sex marriage. More than 500,000 of those, the data suggest, were parents with children under 18 living at home. Because the proposition passed by 600,000 votes, this shift alone more than handed victory to proponents. Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise. The Yes on 8 campaign targeted parents in its TV ads. "Mom! Guess what I learned in school today!" were the cheery-frightening first words of the supporters' most-broadcast ad. They emerged from the mouth of a young girl who had supposedly just learned that she could marry a female when she grew up.

Among the array of untrue ideas that parents could easily take away: that impressionable kids would be indoctrinated; that they would learn about gay sex; that they would be more likely to become gay; and that they might choose to be gay. California voters, depending on where they lived in the state, were exposed to the Yes on 8 ads 20 to 40 times.

Fleischer says that while No On 8's response ads were very good, they came far too late in the campaign. Read Fleishcher's complete report.

Today In Crazy Teabaggers

Sharron Angle says the press should only ask her questions that she wants to answer. Today's recommended question: "How should people send you money?"

Gays On A Train!

Last night the Rachel Maddow Show had a lot of fun with the Family Research Council's hissy fit about Amtrak's plan to advertise to teh gays.

(Via - Towleroad)

THURSDAY: JMG-Sponsored LGBT Fundraiser For Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

REMINDER: If you are in NYC on Thursday, August 5th, please consider joining me, Jeremy Hooper, and Pam Spaulding at Therapy in Hell's Kitchen as we co-host a special netroots fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. The event runs 6pm-9pm with a $20 donation. Facebook event page here. And please join Out For Kirsten's Facebook page. Openly gay New York Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell will also attend this event!

BEIJING: China Plans Huge Buses Which Passenger Cars Can Drive Under

As part of a plan to relieve street congestion, China is planning to build huge articulated buses which passengers cars can drive under. Via Engadget:

Despite the silly picture and the eccentric "3D Express Coach" branding, this cunning project by Shenzhen Huashi Future Car-Parking Equipment actually makes sense. The idea is to make use of the space between regular-size cars and bridges, thus saving construction costs as well as minimizing congestion impact by allowing cars to drive underneath these jumbo buses. Fancy hitching a ride? You better start planning your move to Beijing's Mentougou district, which is where Huashi will commence building its first 186km of track at year's end.

Amazing, if it works.

Olbermann On Target Backlash

And since the GOP filibustered the Disclose Act last week, we may often never know which corporations are behind these kinds of campaigns.

(Tipped by JMG reader Alan)

Iran Bans Music

A month after banning the ownership of pet dogs, Iran's Exalted Glorious Supreme Islamic Leader has banned the teaching or playing of music, saying it is "not compatible" with Islamic values.

In some of the most extreme comments by a senior regime figure since the 1979 revolution, Khamenei said: "Although music is halal, promoting and teaching it is not compatible with the highest values of the sacred regime of the Islamic Republic." Khamenei's comments came in response to a request for a ruling by a 21-year-old follower of his, who was thinking of starting music lessons, but wanted to know if they were acceptable according to Islam, the semi-official Fars news agency reported. "It's better that our dear youth spend their valuable time in learning science and essential and useful skills and fill their time with sport and healthy recreations instead of music," he said. Unlike other clerics in Iran, whose religious rulings are practised by their own followers, Khamenei's views are interpreted as administrative orders for the whole country, which must be obeyed by the government. Last month Khamenei issued a controversial fatwa in which he likened his leadership to that of the Prophet Muhammad and obliged all Iranians to obey his orders.

NYC Commission Unanimously Refudiates Attempt To Block Ground Zero Mosque

By a 9-0 vote, moments ago the New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee refused to grant landmark status to the former Burlington Coat Factory building where an Islamic group plans to build a 13-story mosque and welcome center. The vote clears the way for the developer the remove the building and proceed. The site is two blocks away from Ground Zero and the plan was loudly denounced by teabaggers, Sarah Palin, and most right-wing groups.

Concerned Women Are Concernified About God Recalling Defective Homosexuals

Concerned Women for America's Tamara Scott at NOM's Hate Tour in Des Moines: "I'd rather have man mad at me than be a stench in the nostrils of God Almighty." Because God just might recall all those defective homosexuals, just like Toyota did for cars with faulty brakes. Or something.

"Fucking Faggots" - Homocon Quislings At Hillbuzz Learn Truth About GOP

The homo-Quislings at the rabidly anti-Obama site Hllbuzz have learned the truth about one of their GOP friends.

This is incredibly disturbing news — but we have it confirmed from three separate sources. This weekend, GOP Illinois Chairman Pat Brady – a man we have long admired, and whom we worked side by side with during the 2008 McCain campaign — has called us “a bunch of fucking faggots”. We apologize for the use of expletives, but we have it confirmed from unimpeachable sources these are Brady’s exact words. If Brady used them in public against us, then we’re not going to give him the respect of censoring them here. If Brady has this sort of potty mouth, and hatred inside him, then we are not going to do him any favors by blunting his words now. Just like the Obama White House does with anything bad that it does, Brady is attempting to blame the growing scandal Lee Roupas, GOP Cook County Chair, is involved in on us…and Democrats in Chicago. Pat Brady needs to be removed from his post as IL GOP Chair. We hope you will help us in the coming week to make sure this happens.

Hillbuzz is shocked, SHOCKED I tells ya. We, of course, are not. (And neither are the Freepers.)

Glenn Beck Compares Himself To MLK

The Changing Face Of Beauty

Tired Old Queen At The Movies #42

Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball, Ann Miller and Eve Arden in 1937's Stage Door. The calla lilies are in bloom again.

Newsweek Sells For $1

The Washington Post has sold Newsweek to electronics billionaire Sidney Harman for $1 in return for his pledge to assume the struggling title's liabilities and retain most of its staff.

Newsweek has struggled through the recession more than most weekly news magazines, losing nearly $30 million last year alone. It was earning that much a year as recently as 2007. And the longer it remained on the market, the less tenable its financial situation became. It has been an expensive product for the Post Company to produce, with its various international editions and separate back-office positions that were specific to the magazine. Instead of sharing a general counsel and accounting staff with the Post Company, for example, Newsweek has its own employees in those positions. The magazine’s top editors and managers redesigned it last year in hopes of attracting more readers and advertisers. But the updated magazine, which contained more commentary and analysis on the news of the week, failed to catch on.

Harman, who is 91, is married to Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA).

Jane Fonda For Scissor Sisters

Plus weathergirl Amanda Lepore, Juliette Lewis, and 80,000 drunk English homos.

Tweet Of The Day - Bill Cosby

The supposed death of Bill Cosby is the top trending topic on Twitter for the fourth time in about a year. Others celebrities who have suffered hoaxed Twitter deaths recently include Rick Astley, Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe, and Britney Spears.

Federal Court Rules Vitaminwater A Scam

A federal court has ruled that Vitaminwater is nothing but a sugared drink and that its marketing is deceptive. The product is owned by Coca-Cola.

A federal judge ruled this week that Vitaminwater will not, as its labels promise, keep you "healthy as a horse." Nor will it bring about a "healthy state of physical or mental being". Instead, Vitaminwater is really just a sugary snack food; non-carbonated fruit coke disguised as a sports drink. Because it's composed mostly of sugar and not vitamin-laden water, judge John Gleeson held that Vitaminwater's absurd marketing claims were likely to mislead consumers. Coke tried to explain away claims like "vitamins + water = all you need" as "only puffery." The judge disagreed.

The ruling clears the way for a class-action lawsuit brought by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Matt Morris Goes To Best Buy

Openly gay pop singer Matt Morris took his video camera to Best Buy to record their company-wide promotion of his new album, only to later learn that like Target, they too had contributed a ton of money to anti-gay candidate for governor of Minnesota, Tom Emmer. Morris then edited this clip to include a plea for his fans to bring HRC's petition to Best Buy. (Oh, but buy the album too.)

(Via - Advocate)

Obama Announces End Of Combat Operations In Iraq As Of August 31st

Today President Obama announced that combat operations in Iraq will cease on August 31st, with a transitional occupation force to remain for another year.

“As a candidate for President, I pledged to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end. Shortly after taking office, I announced our new strategy for Iraq and for a transition to full Iraqi responsibility. And I made it clear that by August 31, 2010 America’s combat mission in Iraq would end. That is exactly what we are doing—as promised, and on schedule.” The president says that by the end of the month more than 90,000 troops will have come home from Iraq since he took office. “As agreed to with the Iraqi government, we will maintain a transitional force until we remove all our troops from Iraq by the end of next year,” Obama said of the 50,000 transitional force that will remain, “During this period, our forces will have a focused mission—supporting and training Iraqi forces, partnering with Iraqis in counterterrorism missions, and protecting our civilian and military efforts.”

Meanwhile the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan continues to increase.

NOM Tour Tracker Interviews Brian Brown

Adam Bink writes on NOM Tour Tracker:

Notice that Brown refuses to answer virtually all the questions on the grounds that he doesn’t accept the nature of the questions because he if answers it in the hypothetical, it somehow means he accepts the right of same-sex couples to wed. Translation: If Brown affirms what Blankenhorn affirms, it would box him into the corner of accepting that the freedom to marry would benefit same-sex couples, their children, and society.

La Grande Danse @ Divers/Cite

Montreal's Divers/Cite climaxed yesterday with an all day street party called La Grande Danse, which was headlined by the red-hot Freemasons. This clip was shot quite early in the day while opener DJ Danny Verde was spinning and before it got super-packed. I'm told about attendance at the party peaked at around 40,000.

Mitch Miller Dies At 99

Music and television pioneer Mitch Miller died in NYC this weekend at the age of 99. Miller's Sing Along With Mitch album series and television show essentially created the concept of karaoke.

Mr. Miller, a Rochester native who was born on the Fourth of July, had been an accomplished oboist and was still a force in the recording industry when he came up with the idea of recording old standards with a chorus of some two dozen male voices and printing the lyrics on album covers. The “Sing Along With Mitch” album series, which began in 1958, was an immense success, finding an eager audience among older listeners looking for an alternative to rock ’n’ roll. Mitch Miller and the Gang serenaded them with chestnuts like “Home on the Range,” “That Old Gang of Mine,” “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen” and “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary.” When the concept was adapted for television in 1961, with the lyrics appearing at the bottom of the screen, Mr. Miller, with his beaming smile and neatly trimmed mustache and goatee, became a national celebrity.

When I was a toddler, my grandmother once got hysterical because she thought I had already picked up my father's famously filthy mouth. But I wasn't saying "son of a bitch," I was pointing at the TV and saying "Sing along with Mitch!" My mom still tells that story. See if you can spot the future superstar in the below clip around 2:50.

Michele Bachmann: 30 Members Of Congress Have Joined Tea Party Caucus

Israel Goes Teabagger

Boy, does THIS sound familiar.

Israel moved Sunday to deport the offspring of hundreds of migrant workers, mostly small children who were born in Israel, speak Hebrew and have never seen their parents' native countries. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the new policy was intended to stem a flood of illegal workers, whose children receive state-funded education and health-care benefits, and to defend Israel's Jewish identity. "On the one hand, this problem is a humanitarian problem," Netanyahu said during a meeting Sunday of the Cabinet, which had debated the move for nearly a year. "We all feel and understand the hearts of children. But on the other hand, there are Zionist considerations and ensuring the Jewish character of the state of Israel."

Netanyahu even one-ups the teabaggers with this because the migrant workers in question are in Israel legally.

Concerned Women Are Concernstipated About Potty Mouths On Television

True Blood Spoiler Spoiler

Stay out of the comments if you haven't seen last night's fantastic episode. Otherwise, start dishing.

With My Rifle By My Side

New from Young Heart Books is With My Rifle By My Side, a children's guide to the importance of the Second Amendment and the right to blow away fellow humans. Unsurprisingly, the book is from God's Gentle People™. "Young Heart Books encourage the young to seek the Lord in prayer, worship in church, and love the liberties provided by the sacrifices of our country's forefathers so they may grow into tomorrow's American patriots." Glenn Beck is a big fan.