Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois State Treasurer and the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Illinois (we've mentioned him here before), was in New York recently and sat down with Towleroad's Corey Johnson for a brief interview. Giannoulias discussed his positions on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell', marriage equality, and what he plans on doing to move LGBT legislation forward in Congress if he's elected. Giannoulias also discusses whether he thinks outing candidates in political races is fair play. You may recall that in the Illinois Republican Senate race primary, Giannoulias' opponent Mark Kirk was the target of an ad from ...

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    ::: A key committee of the Pennsylvania state senate is expected to vote tomorrow on bill that could start the process of amending the commonwealth’s constitution to define marriage as a special right of heterosexual couples, PennLive reports. The measure, proposed by Sen. John Eichelberger (R-Blair County), would add these words to the constitution: “Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid and recognized as a marriage in this Commonwealth.” In a debate last June with a senator who was sponsoring a bill that would have recognized marriage equality in the state, ...

Charles LiMandri (NOM and Carrie Prejean's attorney) is a man who is on visual record sharing his belief that gays are all abused as kids, that drawing pictures of army tanks could possibly turn gay kids "normal," that LGBTs have a higher rate of violence, that gays are incapable/nondesirous of monogamy, and that the LGBT community's true goal is to attack religion; a man who created a Powerpoint presentation which links to uber-disgraced researcher Paul Cameron to support anti-gay claims, and even refers to "sodomy" as a "crime against nature"; and someone who has referred to marriage ...

James St. James got a special treat over the weekend when he stumbled upon California gubernatorial candidate Prince "Freddy" Von Anhalt at a sidewalk cafe in Beverly Hills. James chatted with the prince about the health of his wife Zsa Zsa Gabor, and his political campaign. Never mind the bit of scandal he's run into in recent years - Prince Freddy may be the fiercest advocate for LGBT marriage equality rights! BTW, this interview occurred during James' day shooting a new "Daily Freak Show" episode with "chicken cutlets" herself, wowlebrity Phoebe Price - coming soon! ...

The Washington D.C.- and Princeton, NJ-based National Organization For Marriage wants to tell Californians how to vote in the Republican primary/general election: Weird, we always thought peas were a good thing. When exactly did we start placing a premium on the kind of empty calories that NOM serves up? Don't fall for this, CA. Peas (and peace) grow in organic California grass, not in dubious astroturf. *** **Karen Ocamb has more on Campbell: CA GOP Senate candidate Tom Campbell – pro-marriage equality, opposes Prop 8 court challenge [LGBT POV] **SEE ALSO: NOM is also targeting D.C. with anti-equality robocalls: ...

Okay, so we're about to show you a couple of things, and we're not exactly sure what it is that we're showing you. But here are three things that we do know. (1) There's a company called Vemma, which involves the marketing and selling of "health and wellness" drinks: (2) The company, as well as the multi-level marketing plan attached to it, is nothing if not controversial. The internet is filled with sites questioning the legitimacy of the plans, with the words "pyramid scheme" even tossed around by some. Detractors are direct, but so are supporters: Report: Vemma Corporation Is ...

The National Organization for Marriage has been robo-calling D.C. residents this week and polling them on same-sex marriage. With, as DailyKos reports, a trick question:  Ordinarily, I hang up on all telemarketing calls, but today I got a robocall survey from the National Organization for Marriage. It consisted of two questions. First "Are you a registered voter" Answer -- Yes Second -- Do you believe that marriage between only one man and one woman should be legal? My answer -- No Now this is obviously a trick question. Take out the word "only" and the answer is obviously "yes". But stick in ...

Site: DC Agenda  Article:  ‘Today was like a dream’ and others Author: Lou Chibbaro Jr, Joshua Lynsen DC residents Angelisa Young, 47, and Sinjoyla Townsend, 41, who have been a couple for 12 years, celebrated their wedding Tuesday, March 9 at Human Rights Campaign headquarters. DC Agenda video capture by Steve Fox Lesbian and gay couples have been getting married in the District of Columbia since March 9. Over 100 gay and lesbian couples waited for hours on March 3 to sign up for marriage licenses at a DC courthouse. The city’s LGBTQ newspaper, ...

Iowa Family Policy Center's Chuck Hurley, the state's most ambitious anti-gay wingnut, who organized rallies to pressure the state Supreme Court over its ruling on marriage equality, says giving gays marriage rights is facilitating disease, citing a report this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that showed gay men have higher rates of HIV and syphilis.  Said Hurley in a statement:  "The Iowa Legislature outlawed smoking in an effort to improve health and reduce the medical costs that are often passed on to the state. The secondhand impacts of certain homosexual acts are arguably more destructive, ...

At a debate on Thursday night in Queens between anti-gay former state senator Hiram Monserrate and the challenger for his seat, Jose Peralta, several gay activists slashed their faces with lipstick, referencing Monserrate's conviction last year for cutting his girlfriend's face with broken glass.The NYDN has another report on the debate and protest.Monserrate is currently the target of a recently-former political action committee, Fight Back NY, targeting state senators who voted against last year's marriage equality bill. Actress Cynthia Nixon recorded a spot for the group earlier this week. Watch it here.(image via natasha dillon) ...

The first same-sex marriages took place in Mexico City yesterday as their marriage equality law went into effect, the L.A. Times reports: "Vazquez and Lol Kin Castaneda on Thursday became the first gay couple to marry in Mexico under a new law that allows same-sex couples to wed and to adopt children. The law was passed by the Mexico City legislature in December and applies only to the capital. It is the most far-reaching gay-rights law in Latin America and one of several measures that have put the city and its leaders at odds with the more conservative country. 'This ...

Fight Back New York has found a new supporter in Cynthia Nixon. If you would like to support Fight Back New York, please click on this link - or visit fightbackpac.com.I love her. Below is a segment of a video that I shot at a marriage equality rally last year in which she talks about her desire to marry her girlfriend in New York. ...

New Hampshire Marriage Equality Threatened Olson, Boies and the NYT The Prop 8 pair were at the NYT headquarters to discuss the future of the Prop 8 trial More African homophobia: Anti-gay protests heat up in Senegal Can Senator Ashburn Keep His Job Now That We Know He Is Gay? Chief exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth says Devil is in the Vatican. He sure is. Oklahoma Senate passes amendment to opt out of federal hate crimes protections. The bill moves on the House. ...

Earlier this week, Janice Shaw Crouse wrote that marriage equality for same-sex couples constitutes "a sham that will devalue all marriages, and said that gay couples "live together to form a household in defiance of the prevailing moral codes to render meaningless an institution that has been the bulwark of the family and society throughout history." And of course last month we all saw Janice at CPAC, suggesting that progressives' goals should be likened to those who created Hilter Youth. Because as a Concerned Woman For America, she must protect the world by ad hominem denunciations of ...

Gay couple to marry at Ben & Jerry's in Georgetown today:  "Keith Spangler and Andreas Vellios plan to exchange vows inside the Georgetown Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop on Thursday. Father Lance Ornoff of Ward 1's All Souls Unitarian Church will officiate the ceremony, but the couple will also be celebrating with the actual Jerry -- Jerry Greenfield, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry's -- who plans to be in attendance to offer a toast and say a few words about his company's history of promoting social justice."The new marriage equality law went into effect in Washington D.C. ...

Jose Peralta a progressive democrat is running for New York state senate against anti-gay incumbent Hiram Monserrate. Fight Back New York an advocacy group committed to ousting all the senators who voted against marriage equality is urging all in the 13th district of Queens (Jackson Heights, Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst and Woodside) to vote in the special election on March 16th.Monserrate was convicted of domestic violence for slashing his girlfriend in the face and was consequently expelled from the Senate. Anti-gay right-wingers are supporting him for his efforts to deny marriage equality to same-sex couples.Jose ...

• Looking forward to: The hubby and I will be part of a 1pm online chat @ marriage equality c/o WaPo. Come join in! ( http://bit.ly/byX0XH ) #

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• Looking forward to: The hubby and I will be part of a 1pm online chat @ marriage equality c/o WaPo. Come join in! ( http://bit.ly/byX0XH ) #

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• First gay marriages in District performed – washingtonpost.com (tags: marriage dc marriage-equality)
• ''My Rock, My Life, My Love'': Marriage equality arrives with a string of same-sex weddings, the first to be performed in and legally recognized by D.C.: News section: Metro Weekly magazine, Washington, DC newspaper (tags: dc marriage equality)
• Same-Sex Weddings Begin in D.C. | NBC Washington (tags: marriage washington dc marriage-equality)
• "Love Won Out" | NBC Washington
• Gay weddings come to US capital (tags: marriage dc marriage-equality)
• Gay marriage in America: Tying the knot | The Economist

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