Quote Of The Day - Edith Windsor

"When Thea and I met nearly 50 years ago, we never could have dreamed that the story of our life together would be before the Supreme Court as an example of why gay married couples should be treated equally, and not like second-class citizens. While Thea is no longer alive, I know how proud she would have been to see this day. The truth is, I never expected any less from my country." - DOMA litigant Edith Windsor, 83, responding to yesterday's decision by the Supreme Court.

Pet Shop Boys - He Dreamed Of Machines

Pet Shop Boys have created a tribute piece to gay British computer genius Alan Turing. Yesterday they wrote on their blog:

Last night's concert with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra was a wonderful experience for us. The orchestra played with such luxurious power and conviction, conducted by Dominic Wheeler, and the Manchester Chamber Choir brought ethereal beauty to, for instance, "Miracles" and "He dreamed of machines" (from our new piece about Alan Turing). To hear Johnny Marr playing the guitar riff from "This must be the place I waited years to leave" was a real thrill so many years after he played on the original record; his acoustic guitar playing on "Breathing space" was gorgeous. Other highlights for me were performing live for the first time "It couldn't happen here", "The survivors" and "For all of us". Sven Helbig's orchestral arrangements were both magnificent and subtle: "New York City boy" was returned to Broadway; "He dreamed of machines" had a pale beauty.

The first clip below is a fan-created video for He Dreamed Of Machines.  Below that is the full audio of Wednesday's collaboration with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, which has been reviewed here.

UPDATE: During the concert, Neil Tennant reveals that the Turing song is from a coming bigger piece titled A Man From The Future. Start at the 56:00 mark for Tennant's introduction to He Dreamed Of Machines.


(Tipped by JMG reader Paul)

Christian Post Lies About Uganda

In a Christian Post article about Rick Warren's just-issued denouncement of Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act, we find this paragraph:

Uganda is one of the only places in the world where engaging in homosexual activity is considered a crime, punishable by fines and jail time, with some government members pushing to make same-sex acts a capital punishment offense. Some reports stated that Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga had announced that the capital punishment proposal would be dropped as a "Christmas gift" to gay rights advocates, but others have said that it still remains unclear what the Uganda government will actually decide.

As we know all too well, homosexuality is a crime in 76 countries, hardly making Uganda "one of the only places." But perhaps the more annoying lie in the above-linked article regards Rebecca Kadaga, who was asked by local clergy to pass the Anti-Homosexuality Act as a "Christmas gift to Christians."   In fact, last month the BBC quoted Kadaga as saying, "Ugandans want that law as a Christmas gift. They have asked for it and we'll give them that gift."

Don't expect the Christian Post to make a retraction.

San Diego Pride Considers New Name

The theme of the this year's San Diego Pride Festival was "America's Pride," a fitting selection as their parade featured the first-ever appearance of uniformed members of the military, much to the anger of our enemies.  Most major pride organizations adopt an annual theme; for example, this year's theme in New York City was "Share The Love." But according to a recently-launched petition, San Diego Pride's board of directors wants to change their actual name to America's Pride.

During the San Diego Pride Board Retreat in October of 2012 Joe Meyer introduced a motion to change the name of the "San Diego Pride Festival " to "America's Pride" with an alternating theme and the Board voted to approve the motion 5 to 2. We feel that that after the turn of events in 2010, it was established that San Diego Pride belongs to the San Diego LGBT Community and that Board and its staff are just the custodians of the event, and that something as drastic as changing the identity of the event should have been a decision brought up to and discussed by the community.

The petition isn't necessarily against the name change, just the manner in which it may happen.  Judging by some chatter I read last night on Facebook, even San Diegans feel the new name is a bit grandiose. (Tipped by JMG reader Aaron)

FOTF Reacts To SCOTUS Decisions

"The Supreme Court’s decision today to determine whether the Constitution allows state and federal government to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman is a welcome development. When the executive branch of the government is no longer willing to defend its own law, the final arbiter must be the highest court in the land. Today’s announcement sets in motion a process that may conclude with one of the most momentous decisions ever rendered by the United States Supreme Court. Will the Court affirm the basic design of the family that has stood throughout cultures worldwide for multiple millennia, or will it engage in a sweeping exercise of social re-engineering with profound ramifications for this and future generations? The justices and personnel involved deserve our prayers for wisdom and discernment." - Jim Daly, president of Focus On The Family.

Fox Headline Of The Day

As classy as ever. (Tipped by JMG reader Matthew)

Wingnuts Turn On Ann Coulter

As the right-wing factions of the GOP continue to eat their own, this week they turned on Ann Coulter after she announced on Fox News that Republicans should work with Obama on tax hikes for the wealthy. Breitbart is furious:

According to Coulter, it is more important now, for PR purposes, to cave on this fundamental principle, lest the media blame Republicans for the pending fiscal cliff disaster. She doesn't seem concerned about the PR disaster that will ensue within the fractious Republican Party. Toward the end of the verbal ping-pong match, and exasperated Hannity said to Coulter, "You are scaring me. You are giving in to this narrative." It's hard to disagree with him, on both counts. As Andrew Breitbart warned, the rhetoric of Occupy has clearly become part of the mainstream political debate, even sucking in some conservatives.

The comments at the link are hilarious.

Billboard Of The Day

It's an electric company in New Zealand. (Tipped by JMG reader Daniel)

Charlie Crist Comes Out (As A Democrat)

GOProud Reacts To SCOTUS Decisions

MAINE: Portland City Hall To Perform Midnight Marriages On Dec. 29th

Portland's City Hall will open at midnight on December 29th, the first day that gay Mainers can marry.

The announcement came a day after Augusta said it would open its offices for the same purpose on that Saturday, during more traditional morning hours. Portland decided to go a little further and open the minute the law takes effect. "There was a lot of discussion about logistics, and the feedback from staff and others was that this would work," said city spokeswoman Nicole Clegg. "It's very exciting," said Ian Grady, communications director for EqualityMaine, the state's leading gay-rights group. "I think the biggest part of the excitement is these people who have been waiting years and years who literally don't want to wait another second."

One of the most beautiful aspects of this latest bit of LGBT history has been watching city governments and civil servants step up, often on their own time, to serve our people.  To serve their people.

NOM Reacts To SCOTUS Decisions

"We believe that it is significant that the Supreme Court has taken the Prop 8 case. We believe it is a strong signal that the Court will reverse the lower courts and uphold Proposition 8. That is the right outcome based on the law and based on the principle that voters hold the ultimate power over basic policy judgments and their decisions are entitled to respect. Had the Supreme Court agreed with the lower courts' decisions invalidating Proposition 8, it could simply have declined to grant certiorari in the case. It's a strong signal that the justices are concerned with the rogue rulings that have come out of San Francisco at both the trial court and appellate levels. It's worth noting that Judge Reinhart is the most overruled judge in America. I think this case will add to his record." - John Eastman, chairman of NOM.

AFER Reacts To Prop 8 Decision

Protect Marriage Celebrates

"The day we've been waiting for is finally here. Today we scored a MAJOR victory for traditional marriage in the Supreme Court of the United States!! Just moments ago, the Supreme Court GRANTED our petition seeking the Court’s review of the Ninth Circuit’s erroneous decision striking down California's Proposition 8. Thankfully, now we finally have a fighting chance at a fair hearing to defend the votes of over 7 million Californians who approved Prop 8 to restore traditional marriage. This is a great relief, after a long and difficult journey through the lower courts where the deck was stacked against us from the start." - California-based hate group Protect Marriage, via press release.

SCOTUS Reactions

MA Attorney General Martha Coakley

We believe that the First Circuit’s ruling striking down the Defense of Marriage Act was correct and we look forward to the time when that discriminatory law is conclusively invalidated. Though the Supreme Court has chosen to take up the issue of DOMA’s constitutionality in another case – Windsor v. United States – my office will continue to work hard to support the parties involved. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will decide, once and for all, that DOMA’s discrimination is unjustifiable and wrong.

Lambda Legal

This is an exciting moment in our journey toward equality. DOMA is a terrible law that forces our government to discriminate against loving same-sex couples, and it is time for it to go. It is clear that DOMA's days are numbered. Every one of the cases that the Court was considering makes a clear and compelling case for striking down this outrageous and discriminatory law. As we have throughout this litigation, we will contribute support and file a friend-of-the-court brief. We look forward to working with the ACLU and other sister organizations in making this case before the Court. As for Hollingsworth v. Perry, while the Supreme Court's decision to review the Ninth Circuit's correct and carefully-worded ruling delays the restoration of equal access to marriage for same-sex couples in California, we believe the lower court rulings in California will stand.

ACLU

Windsor is represented by attorneys from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; the American Civil Liberties Union; the New York Civil Liberties Union and the Stanford Law School Supreme Court Litigation Clinic. While New York and eight other states now give same-sex couples the freedom to marry, DOMA requires otherwise legally married same-sex couples like Edie and Thea to be treated by the federal government as if they had never married,” said New York Civil Liberties Union executive director, Donna Lieberman. “It is time for the Supreme Court to strike down this unconstitutional statute once and for all.”

NY Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell

While I am disappointed that Californians will now have to wait even longer for Marriage Equality to be restored in their state, I am profoundly hopeful that the Supreme Court is taking this opportunity to consider the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. I was proud to help lead New York’s successful Marriage Equality fight, but until the federal government recognizes marriages like mine, we have not achieved true Marriage Equality.

GLAD

DOMA creates a gay-only exception to federal recognition of state-licensed marriages, and we believe that the federal government should stop discriminating against same-sex couples legally married by their states. We know from working with legally married same-sex couples since 2004 in Massachusetts that DOMA undermines their security in every aspect of life and death. GLAD has been leading the fight for marriage equality for two decades, including the historic marriage equality breakthroughs in Massachusetts and Connecticut. That the issue will soon be heard by the Supreme Court is a vindication of our work to achieve equal protection under the law for same-sex couples. This day has been long in the making, and we are committed to the success of this case.

Empire State Pride Agenda

Although marriage equality in New York and the recent wins in Maine, Maryland and Washington were major victories, DOMA currently prevents our marriages from being recognized on the federal level. This means that our commitments are not honored and our families are not protected by the federal government. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will grant all married couples, in New York and other states, the recognition they deserve by upholding the multiple lower court rulings that have already declared sections of DOMA and Proposition 8 unconstitutional. We view these deliberations as necessary to end discrimination and advance full equality for all Americans.

Human Rights Campaign

Today is a milestone day for equal justice under the law and for millions of loving couples who want to make a lifelong commitment through marriage. The passage of Proposition 8 caused heartbreak for so many Americans, but today’s announcement gives hope that we will see a landmark Supreme Court ruling for marriage this term. As the Court has ruled 14 times in the past, marriage is a fundamental right and I believe they will side with liberty, freedom and equality, moving us toward a more perfect union as they have done in the past. “Proposition 8 has been already been declared unconstitutional in Federal District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Now the Supreme Court has an opportunity to do the same and send a resounding message of hope to LGBT young people from coast to coast that they have the same dignity and same opportunities for the future as everyone else.

Freedom To Marry

By agreeing to hear a case against the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, the Court can now move swiftly to affirm what 10 federal rulings have already said: DOMA’s ‘gay exception’ to how the federal government treats married couples violates the Constitution and must fall. When it comes to the whole federal safety net that accompanies marriage – access to Social Security survivorship, health coverage, family leave, fair tax treatment, family immigration, and over 1000 other protections and responsibilities -- couples who are legally married in the states should be treated by the federal government as what they are: married." “Additionally, gay and lesbian couples in California – and indeed, all over the country – now look to the Supreme Court to affirm that the Constitution does not permit states to strip something as important as the freedom to marry away from one group of Americans.

CA Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom

Today marks the beginning of the end for a California journey that started eight years ago when San Francisco issued same-sex marriage licenses. By agreeing to hear the Proposition 8 case the U.S. Supreme Court could end, once and for all, marriage inequity in California. Forty-five years after the Supreme Court ruled that marriages between interracial couples were constitutional in Loving vs. Virginia, Justices can once again reaffirm the basic American principal of equality for all. Today’s announcement starts the clock towards the final decision for California. History will one day be divided into the time before marriage equality and the period that follows. And thankfully, we will be on the side of history worthy of being proud of.

Marriage Equality USA

It’s crystal clear that the United States Supreme Court should rule in favor of the freedom to marry. Our Constitution guarantees every American the fundamental human right to marry the person they love – regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or any other external characteristic. Proposition 8 targeted lesbian and gay people – and lesbian and gay people alone – to take away their freedom to marry and thus exclude them from the American dream. Proposition 8 cannot stand.

NGLTF

The recent election signaled just how far we’ve come on the path toward treating all families fairly, with landmark statewide victories affirming the right of loving, committed same-sex couples to share in the celebration and responsibilities of marriage. This long road to the high court has been filled with thousands of personal conversations about why marriage matters to us, and of how discrimination hurts our families. The transformative nature of talking about our love and our lives is clear, as we saw with the recent sweeping statewide marriage victories, and in the fact that the majority of Americans now supports the freedom to marry. But the journey is not finished, for as long as DOMA and Prop. 8 remain intact, then true equality remains out of reach. It’s time the Supreme Court strike down DOMA and Proposition 8, once and for all.

Equality California

While we would have preferred for the court to decline to hear the Prop. 8 case — which would have immediately restored the freedom to marry in California — we've prepared for this and we intend to file a friend-of-the-court brief urging the court to find Prop. 8 unconstitutional. The arguments in favor of the freedom to marry are strong, and we are confident that they will receive a fair hearing from the court. And as we have seen in the last month, the nation has taken important steps forward toward affirming this basic human right — we know that full equality is coming.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

Today’s decision to hear these two cases on same-sex marriage in the nation’s highest court is truly historic. Already, first and second circuit federal appeals courts have deemed DOMA unconstitutional, and I am pleased the Supreme Court will soon have its voice heard on this important issue. Regardless of the Court’s ultimate decision, Congress will need to do its job too. It is well past time for the federal government to recognize the marriages of all loving and committed couples and finally put the discriminatory DOMA policy into the dustbin of history.

National Center for Lesbian Rights

Both the federal DOMA and California’s Proposition 8 serve only one purpose: to harm and stigmatize same-sex couples and their children. Without a doubt, Ted Olson, David Boies, and our colleagues at the ACLU will make the strongest possible case for equality before the Court. We are confident the Supreme Court will strike down DOMA once and for all next year, and, after four long years, will finally erase the stain of Proposition 8 and restore marriage equality to California couples.The day is now clearly in sight when the federal government, the State of California, and every state will recognize that same-sex couples and their children are entitled to the same respect and recognition as every other family.

Log Cabin Republicans

Today's decision by the Supreme Court to review Proposition 8 and hear a challenge to DOMA is another step forward for California couples to marry, with the hope that the federal government will also recognize these marriages," said Executive Director R. Clarke Cooper. "In recent years, many conservative judges have repudiated DOMA, and five of the eight justices who have overturned this anti-federalist and discriminatory statute were appointed by Republicans. Add conservative champions like for former Solicitor General, Ted Olson, and it becomes clear that true conservatism demands respect for the freedom to marry.

More as they arrive....

BREAKING: Supreme Court To Hear Proposition 8 & Windsor DOMA Cases

SCOTUSblog weighs in:

Trying to sort this all out, it is clear that the Court has agreed to consider the merits case in Prop. 8, because that is what the petition presented as its question, but that it is also going to address whether the proponents had a right to pursue their case. If the Court were to find that the proponents did not have Art. III standing, that is the end of the matter: there would be no review on the merits of Proposition 8, or of the 9th CA decision striking it down.

UPDATE: The decisions have been posted.

MN Governor: I'd Sign A Marriage Bill

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton today told NPR that he will sign a marriage equality bill should one reach his desk. 

When asked about legalizing same-sex marriage after Minnesotans defeated a constitutional amendment defining marriage as only between a man and a woman, Dayton said he would sign a bill if it comes to him. But he said he's unsure if the Legislature is ready to consider the issue. "I hope we're going to get to that point. The younger generation is broadly accepting of that change and we'll get there, it's just a question of when," he said.

Last year Dayton symbolically vetoed Minnesota's ultimately failed ballot measure to place a ban on same-sex marriage in the state constitution.

New URLs Purchased By NOM

NOMexposed today revealed that Brian Brown's crew has purchased the above URLs in an apparent plan to sow infighting among LGBT people. Earlier this year secret NOM documents exposed the hate group's plan to incite anti-gay hatred in the black community.

SCOTUSblog Says Stand By...

SCOTUSblog has posted an "editor's note" at the top of their site: "We anticipate orders, including likely in the same-sex marriage cases, this afternoon. We will be live blogging beginning around 2:00PM. Monday morning, we expect further orders and opinion(s)."

That's the only "news" today at this writing.

UPDATE: Their live-blog is now running. They advise that any denials, which is what many hope for in the Prop 8 case, probably won't come until Monday.

Photo Of The Day

SF Weekly reports:

You can count on San Francisco to keep things real, and last night the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence didn't just keep it real, they kept it really entertaining. Was it a coincidence that the sisters had dinner reservations next to the very conservative Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio (aka "America's Toughest Sheriff") last night at John's Grill in Union Square? Whether it was or wasn't, last night's surprise dinner guests made for some great Kodak (and Hallmark) moments.

More photos at the link. (Tipped by JMG reader Dan)

Koch Brothers Group Slams "Naughty" Republicans For "Treason" On Tax Reform

The wingnut Koch Brothers astroturf group Americans For Prosperity today launched a new "Merry Taxmas" website which slams top Republicans for "treason" over their dealings with the Obama administration regarding the fiscal cliff.  Soon to be former Sen. Jim DeMint tops the "nice" side of the site, which includes disparaging e-cards for followers to send to their traitorous reps. Infighting is hilarious, y'all.

UPDATE: Obviously, the naughty list includes some Dems.

Alec Baldwin Slams NYC Speaker Christine Quinn: She Has Blood On Her Hands

Last night Alec Baldwin appeared on CNN to tell Piers Morgan that openly lesbian NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn is "untrustworthy" and "self-seeking." Baldwin, who says he is not running for mayor, added that Quinn "has blood on her hands" for her role in Mayor Bloomberg's successful bid for a third term despite two earlier voter referendums that had limited top officials to two terms. Quinn herself gained a third term due to that City Council vote to overrule the referendums.

(Via Gothamist)

UGANDA: Tabloid Publishes Photos Of Soccer Star "Sodomizing A Boy"

The Ugandan daily tabloid Red Pepper today published photos allegedly depicting a local soccer star having sex with a young man they characterize as a "boy." Gay Star News has the story:

A photo depicting Chris Mubiru having anal sex with a young man covered the entire front page of the paper entitled: "SMOKED OUT! Uganda Cranes boss nabbed sodomising players – Shocking pictures inside." The paper printed five striking photos of the head of Cranes football team allegedly in the process of "sodomising" a young team player. The photos detailed the alleged sexual acts with captions designed to outrage the country’s conservative population: "MASTER AT WORK: Mubiru nails the boys butt,"  "shafting" and "hurting the boy," to finally "END GAME: The boy struggles to stand up after the bum shattering session." The alleged "young player" was not identified nor could the validity of the pictures be ascertained. No statement has been issued by the Crane’s football team at the time of publishing this story. Speaking with Gay Star News, Denis Nizoka, editor of Identity Kenya said: "This was clearly designed to provoke a moral outrage about what is seen as a bastion of male sportsmanship – the country’s top football team."

The timing of today's Red Pepper story is doubtlessly meant to generate increased support for the still-pending Anti-Homosexuality Act.

RELATED: In 2010 a different Uganda tabloid published the names and photos of "100 Top Homos" under the headline "HANG THEM."

Jesus Is In The Closet

BRITAIN: Nurse Who Took Prank Call From Fake Queen Elizabeth Found Dead

On Wednesday an Australian radio duo pretending to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles prank-called the British hospital caring for Kate Middleton. Today the nurse that took that call and revealed information about Middleton's condition was found dead. Authorities suspect suicide.

DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian made the prank call from Down Under, impersonating Prince Charles and the Queen to get information about Kate's condition.  The duo — whose station is notorious for courting controversy — were amazed when their dodgy uppercrust British accents got them put through to Kate's ward in the King Edward VII Hospital. The nurse apparently failed to rumble it was a hoax from the 2Day FM staff. She is understood to be the first person heard during the prank call. She was initially thought to be a receptionist at the hospital but is now said to have beeen a nurse staffing the switchboard. The woman was found unconscious close to the King Edward VII Hospital. Paramedics made desperate efforts to revive her but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prior to today's news, the DJs had issued an apology.

YouTube Launches New Interface

If you've been on YouTube this morning, you've already noticed today's change, which is the first update the site has made in quite some time. They write:

On YouTube video always comes first, and with this new design the site gets out of the way and lets content truly shine. Videos are now at the top of the page, with title and social actions below. Also, playlists have been moved up, so you can easily browse through videos while you watch. You may also notice YouTube is looking a little more like other Google sites. Because you login to YouTube with your Google Account, we wanted our new design to remind you that all of your favorite Google features will follow you to YouTube.

The usual wailing has commenced on Twitter.

Dan Savage On "Normal" Sex

Cory Booker's Third Day On Food Stamps

"My third day on the #SNAPChallenge was by far the toughest. Today, I was in motion and at meetings all day. My crazy schedule required that I prepare all of my food in the morning to enable me to eat on the go. In addition to preparing and packaging my meals, I realized early this morning that I am eating too much food per meal. If I do not cut back the amount I am eating at each meal, I will run out of food before the #SNAPChallenge is over.  In the days ahead I am now going to eat smaller portion sizes. I decided to eat my dinner of peas, black beans, cauliflower and broccoli in small bites between 3pm and 7pm in between meetings and calls hoping that would allay some of the hunger pains I felt yesterday. This actually worked and something I might try again tomorrow." - Newark Mayor Cory Booker, halfway through his week-long existence on food stamps money.   

TV's Hottest Actors, Part 2

Over at Boy Culture, Matt Rettenmund has followed up last week's ranking of television's fifty hottest male actors with the rest of his top 100. A lot of the men you folks felt deserved to be in the first list appear in the second half. Gil Gerard!

Jobs Report Shows Improvement

The federal government today released its jobs report for November and there's some good news there.

The economy added 146,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent, its lowest level since December 2008, the government said today in a report that was complicated by special factors of weather and politics. Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist for Capital Economics, described the report as “something of a mixed bag” but said “on balance, it’s positive.” The drop in the jobless rate, from 7.9 percent in October, wasn’t great news because of why it happened: More people dropped out of the labor force so they weren’t counted among the unemployed. The labor-force participation rate remains depressed more than three years after the end of the 2007-09 recession. If it were at normal levels, the unemployment rate would be substantially higher.

The bad news is that today's report revised the numbers for the last two months in a downward direction. The number of new jobs added in October was reduced from 171,000 to 138,000.  If that lower figure had been reported before the election....

Contractor Sues Over Online Reviews

A Virginia contractor is suing the woman who posted a negative review of his work on two websites.  The suit claims defamation and seeks $750,000 in damages.

In her write-ups on the popular business review sites Yelp and Angie's List, Perez accused the company of damaging her house, trespassing and stealing jewelry. On Wednesday, Judge Thomas FortKort granted a temporary injunction in favor of Dietz Development and ordered Perez to change parts of her online review to remove the reference to the stolen jewelry. 'I found my jewelry missing and Dietz was the only one with a key,' Perez wrote in the review.  A police investigation found no connection between the missing jewelry and Dietz or his company.

Free speech advocates say that businesses who receive poor online reviews are increasing turning to the courts. Several similar high-profile suits have been filed in recent years.  Legal experts say the law has not yet caught up with the advent of online defamation claims.

Sen. Marco Rubio: Gays Are Sinners

"I can tell you what faith teaches, and faith teaches that it is. And that's what the Bible teaches ... but it also teaches that there are a bunch of other sins that are no less. It teaches that lying is a sin, it teaches that disrespecting your parents is a sin, it teaches that stealing is a sin, it teaches that coveting your neighbor and what your neighbor has is a sin. So, there isn't a person in this room that isn't guilty of sin. I don't go around pointing fingers in that regard." - Sen. Marco Rubio, when asked if homosexuality is a sin.

Katy Perry: Trevor Project Hero Award

Walking Dead: Top Ten Zombie Killers

The National Post has counted the zombie bodies over the last three seasons of The Walking Dead and posted an exhaustive recapping of how all 349 zombies (so far) have been dispatched: shovel, spear, gun, crossbow, etc. Above is their graphic of the show's top ten most-prolific zombie killers. The ones still living, that is. Embiggen for details.

Israel Sees First Gay Divorce

Same-sex marriage is not legal in Israel, but this week a civil court ended the marriage of a gay couple that had wed in Canada.  Legal experts are flummoxed over what this might portend.  Via Daily Beast:

This week, when a family court near Tel Aviv dissolved the marriage of Uzi Even and Amit Kama, they granted Israel's first gay divorce and, effectively, its first civil divorce as well. And to that, we should all say mazel tov! The gay community cheered the decision as a major step for gay rights, but the ruling may also have implications for the broader cause of civil marriage and, by extension, the unresolved issue of the separation of religion and state in Israel. [snip] So the triumph of this week's ruling was side-stepping the Rabbinate altogether and getting the civil courts to settle the issue.

Practically speaking, this means that gay divorce has preceded gay marriage in Israel, which is kind of comically ironic. The question now is whether this case can be applied to matters of marriage for all couples, regardless of religion or sexuality. Now that a precedent has been set, some legal experts are saying, it may open the door for a heterosexual couple to do the same. And once civil divorce has been achieved, as backwards as it seems, then maybe civil marriage will follow.

The above-linked story notes that the divorce might be vetoed by the Interior Ministry.

REPORT: Gays Earn More, Owe Less

According to a study released yesterday by Prudential, gay people tend to make more and owe less that most Americans.

Respondents not only reported significantly higher annual incomes -- $61,500 compared with the national median of $50,054 -- but they also carried about $4,000 less in debt than the average American and had $6,000 more in household savings. They were even slightly more likely to have jobs in the first place, with an unemployment rate of 7% versus the national rate of 7.9%, Prudential found.

A combination of factors play into this, said Michele Meyer-Shipp, chief diversity officer at Prudential. To start, LGBT individuals are generally well-educated, with more than half of respondents receiving at least a bachelor's degree, and tend to live in higher-income areas, she said. "It flows down -- you have a higher level of education, access to higher paying jobs in areas where there are good salaries, and more disposable income to allocate to things like saving and retirement," Meyer-Shipp said.

Anti-gay groups already use the presumed relative affluence of the the LGBT community as "proof" that we do not suffer discrimination. This latest study will surely add to that claim.

Live Nativity Scene Held At Supreme Court To Protest Oppression Of Christians

Charisma News has the story:

The Nativity Scene, sponsored by Faith and Action and The Christian Defense Coalition, was held Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. in Washington, D.C. in response to other courts banning nativity scenes in some parts of the country.  “Sadly, we are seeing an erosion and hostility toward public expressions of faith in the public square. This is especially true during the Christmas season., the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition, said.

“'The Nativity Project' is a reminder that our Constitution provides freedom of religion not freedom from religion. By encouraging people of good will to publicly display nativity scenes all across America, we are not only supporting religious liberty and First Amendment freedoms but we are loudly proclaiming the powerful message of Christmas. That timeless message needs to be heard now more than ever: 'Peace on earth and goodwill toward man.'

Bolding is mine.

David Axelrod Shaves His Stache

Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod shaved off his famed mustache on national television this morning after donations pushed his epilepsy research fund over $1M. Axelrod hasn't been clean-shaven in over 40 years.

At The National Xmas Tree Lighting