Last week Equality California announced their decision to wait until 2012 to pursue a repeal of Proposition 8. Other groups such as the Courage Campaign have not signed on, saying they are still studying the issue, having raised $135K to “invest in research, polling and focus groups.” Yesterday the Los Angeles Times published an editorial advising the Courage Campaign to …

Towleroad provides a transcript excerpt: “You know, I grew up in a religious family, in a religious community and it just doesn’t make sense to me. It just doesn’t work for me in the long run. I never wanted to step on anyone else’s religion and their beliefs — that’s what’s great about our country — until I started seeing …

The Obama administration filed court papers today saying that DOMA discriminates against gays, but that they must continue to defend it in court. Justice Department lawyers are seeking to dismiss a suit brought by a gay California couple challenging the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. The administration’s response to the case has angered gay activists who see it as backtracking …

A law requiring the offering of Bible education in Texas public schools is about to go into effect. Books are a common sight in classrooms around the nation, but the Bible is one book that is not. Come this fall, a Texas law says all public schools must offer information relating to the Bible in their curriculum. “By the end …

Human Rights Watch will today call on the Iraqi government to do more to protect gay men, saying that hundreds of suspected homosexuals may have been killed there in recent months. Although the scope of the problem remains unclear, hundreds of gay men may have been killed this year in predominantly Shiite Muslim areas, the report’s authors said, basing their …

In San Diego, activists invaded Doug Manchester’s Grand Hyatt.

Director of Homeland Security and former Arizona governor Janet Napolitano denied rumors about her sexuality to the New York Times yesterday. NYT: Men don’t know what to make of women who choose to be single. Rumors of lesbianism have dogged women in politics like you,Condoleezza Rice and Ann Richards.JN: Right. I think the more people get to know a person, …

Two dozen marriage equality supporters protested outside the gates of Rhode Island’s Aldrich Mansion yesterday as NOM held an anti-gay “family picnic” in which a reported 100 couples renewed their opposite marriage vows. “Their goal is marriage as an exclusive institution and our goal is marriage as an inclusive institution,” said Wendy Becker, who joined in the protest outside the …

On yesterday’s Meet The Press. Things get going around the 5:00 mark.

Over the last seven days…Ohio: Pastor Dwight Smith charged with hiring a prostitute.Alabama: Pastor John Picard charge with 42 counts of sexual battery on parishioners.Virginia: Pastor John Duffer charged with taking indecent liberties with a minor.New Jersey: Pastor Robert Carlino confesses to possession of child pornography.Texas: Pastor Matthew Wood resigns after being accused of sexually cyber-stalking a parishioner.Ghana: Pastor Kwame …

As longtime readers know, there are a handful of short stories from my archives that I repost annually. Today is Madonna’s 51st birthday and this story makes its fourth appearance in memory of a departed friend. Ricky Loved MadonnaToday is August 16th. It’s Madonna’s 48th birthday. That’s not something of which I’d ordinarily make note……… Twenty years ago today, August …

What many progressives consider to be the most vital plank of the Obama administration’s health care reform plan, publicly funded health insurance, appears to be dead. Bowing to Republican pressure, President Barack Obama’s administration signaled on Sunday it is ready to abandon the idea of giving Americans the option of government-run insurance as part of a new health care system. …

JMG reader Sean Chapin sets his own music and lyrics to his video of yesterday’s Kiss-In in San Francisco.

Put on your cherry chapstick and head out to the Great Nationwide Kiss-In today. Why, you ask? Why are you doing this? After incidents in San Antonio, TX, El Paso, TX and Salt Lake City, UT – where different gay and lesbian couples were harassed or detained by law enforcement or other people for the simple act of kissing in …

– Spider-Man: The Musical, the most expensive spectacular in Broadway history, is in trouble. The NYT reports that opening day has been put on hold and that stars Alan Cumming and Evan Rachel Wood have been released from their contracts. Producers insist the show will open as planned on February 25th once “cash flow problems have been resolved.” – Equity …

At the World Congress of Families in Amsterdam, Christian activists from the U.S. warned yesterday that homosexuals are planning to squelch religious expression in the name of marriage equality. The comments came from attorney Ben Bull of the Alliance Defense Fund. He warned it is common for Christians and pastors to suffer at the hands of homosexual activists, simply for …

Scritti Politti, Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin), 1984. Their first single to chart in the U.S., although it only got to #91. Scritti was much more successful with Perfect Way, the fifth single from Cupid & Psyche ’85, which topped out at #11 here. I’ve always liked Wood Beez better, possibly because of its similarity (especially the bassline) to …

Early this week, local news stations around New York delivered many heartwarming stories of low-income families reacting to a $200 per child windfall posted to the bank accounts of families receiving food stamps or welfare. The money, intended to buy back-to-school supplies, was authorized by Gov. Paterson and came from federal stimulus funds. Billionaire progressive George Soros contributed $35M of …