Someday. Someday, we'll have a moment like this

This is what winning looks like. Gave me goosebumps watching it. The moment the Argentine Senate made gay marriage legal in that country. Amazing.
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Lawmakers push immigration change

A good, comprehensive update on the effort to include gay families in the upcoming immigration bill. Read More...

Marriage Equality for 250 Million

Nate Silver has crunched the numbers and tells us:

There are now about 250 million people worldwide living in jurisdictions which provide for marriage equity.

That's a big improvement since the year 2001. Check out his chart illustrating the international developments over the last ten years. Read More...

Marine Commandant concerned about soldier's 'glistening washboard abs'

From the Onion:

"Our men need to know they can count on each other in battle, and we can't have them getting distracted by illicit romantic dalliances," said Gen. James T. Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps. "Especially if one's a little blond Adonis farm boy and his buddy's a real tough street kid straight out of Brooklyn. I mean, think about it: What if they lock eyes and abandon their post to start ripping each other's fatigues off, revealing twin sets of glistening washboard abs and at last fulfilling their hidden passions?"

Continued Conway, "Is this the message we want to send to our enemies?"

(For those who don't know, the Onion is probably the premiere satirical publication in the US.) Read More...

Know the real Andrew Marin. He's not our ally. He's antigay.

Mike Signorile has been doing an excellent job of exposing the real Andrew Marin. Mike's been following Marin for years. He's got his number -- and the rest of us need to as well:

If Andrew Marin has lied about The Advocate having "retracted" my 2006 expose of him, what else is he lying about? And shouldn't LGBT people be concerned about that?

I've written about Andrew Marin and his surfacing again, with his group, The Marin Foundation, showing up at Chicago Pride last month, and "apologizing" for Christians. His group claims to be a "bridge" between Christians and gays but in fact he refuses to say homosexuality is not a sin and tells gays and Christians both whatever they want to hear while he tries to promote himself. Below are some audio clips which we played on the show two weeks ago when his group received some attention on the blogs for the Pride "apology." The audio is from a 2008 seminar where he counsels youth pastors on how to deal with gays, and I think you'll agree -- though I'd like you to judge for yourself -- that what he says is very disturbing and ultimately antigay.

Read the full post, including Mike's article in The Advocate from 2006 (found here), the one which Marin falsely stated was retracted by that publication.

Then, if you need more, read the transcript of that 2008 seminar for youth pastors. Jim Burroway of BoxTurtleBulletin transcribed it and Mike posted it here. I think it's pretty clear that Marin is not our friend. Here's an excerpt:

"Now, you're saying well how am I supposed to answer that question, 'Do you think I can change my sexual orientation?' This is a background framework for what I'm going to say.

"So one thing that I've learned about answering questions is that the more opinions you give, the more trouble you'll get in. I learned that one the hard way back in the day.

"So now what I say if someone says, 'Well do you think gay people can change their sexual orientation?' I say facts. I say, 'Do I know people who have changed their sexual orientation?' Yes, I know people like that. Do I also know people who have tried to change their sexual orientation and have not been able to? Yes, I know people like that.

I say facts, too. And, these aren't facts. They're tricks that will torture young people. Read More...

NOM caught pumping gas at BP

Filler up with hate. (H/t to HRC for posting this on their Facebook page.)

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DC Ct. of Appeals rules no referendum on DC marriage

The Washington Post actually sent me a relevant breaking news alert: D.C. Court of Appeals upholds same-sex marriage law, rules opponents can't put it to referendum.

The Post reports it was a 5 - 4 decision.

This is another big loss for Bishop Harry Jackson and the other haters. Read More...

Freedom to Marry on Argentina's new law: 'America should lead, not lag'

Got Evan Wolfson's statement on the successful vote in Argentina:

"Today's historic vote shows how far Catholic Argentina has come, from dictatorship to true democratic values, and how far the freedom to marry movement has come as twelve countries on four continents now embrace marriage equality. Argentina's vote for the freedom to marry marks an important advance for fairness and family values as more couples around the world will now share in marriage, with families helped and no one hurt. Today's vote adds momentum to the international movement to secure the freedom to marry for all loving and committed couples."

"Key to Argentina's human rights achievement was strong leadership from legislators and the president. It is time we see more of our own elected officials standing up for the Constitution and all families here in the United States. America should lead, not lag, when it comes to treating everyone equally under the law."

Hmmm. Strong leadership from legislators and the president. Wonder what that's like.

In the U.S., we're supposed to give strong support to legislators and the president, but to expect nothing in return. That's why we lag, not lead. Read More...

Marriage passed in Argentina's Senate: 'Gay marriage is law in Argentina'

Via Rex Wockner:

The vote in the Senate at 4:05 a.m. today was 33-27 with 3 abstentions. The lower house already passed the bill and President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner strongly supports it.

"Gay marriage is law in Argentina," the Senate president said three times after the vote was displayed on an electronic board in the chamber.

The debate lasted nearly 15 hours.

"The result sparked euphoria among the (LGBT) activists who, despite the polar wave that grips the city, held a vigil in the Plaza of the Two Congresses," said Buenos Aires' Clarín newspaper.

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