Lt. Dan Choi and Cpt. Jim Pietrangelo Arrested After Chaining Themselves to White House Fence in 'DADT' Protest

From Towleroad:



According to Tweets from Robin McGehee at GetEqual (see stream below) reporting from the Kathy Griffin - Human Rights Campaign "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" rally, McGehee, who is traveling with Lt. Dan Choi, asked Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese if Choi could speak at the rally and he rebuffed her, telling her it was Kathy Griffin's rally.

McGehee is the co-director of the National Equality March and the organizer of the Meet in the Middle 4 Equality rallies in California.

(above photo: Ty_DC twitter)

Choi took the stage anyway, told Griffin DADT is not a joke, and announced that he was marching to the White House. Choi then began leading hundreds on a march to the White House. Reports are now coming in that Choi has chained himself to the White House fence.

"Until we have full equality," Choi reportedly says.

Choi and Captain Jim Pietrangelo are reportedly both handcuffed to the White House fence.

1:10 pm: According to DC Agenda's Tweet, "Yellow police tape is being put up around Dan Choi, and Secret Service agents are standing with him. Choi remains chained."

Approximately seven Secret Service Agents are inside the tape with Choi.

Reportedly one woman has been arrested, and is being identified by DC Agenda as the co-chair of GetEqual - which would be Robin McGehee.

1:21 pm: According to D.C. Agenda, police are not attempting to disperse the crowd and 20 Secret Service are on the scene. A crowd of 50 is chanting "Keep your promise, Obama" and "Repeal DADT".

1:27 pm: DC Agenda reports that there appears to be a stand-off between Choi and security. No effort is being made to arrest him.

1:32 pm: DC Agenda says the crowd has shrunk to 30 people.

1:37 pm: DC Agenda reports that people have been directed to stand at Lafayette Square. Two Secret Service officers are speaking with Pietrangelo and Choi, and it's not clear what's happening.

GetEqual's Robin McGehee was the woman arrested, it is confirmed. According to @MichaelsThought on Twitter, McGehee was shouting, "Get equal! You want your rights?! The fight for them!"

Photo:

And here's a photo of Robin McGehee being arrested:



1:44 pm: DC Agenda reports a female woman "is kneeling in the crowd with hands raised, praying for the souls of gay people."

Here is the first video posted of the crowd:



Here's what Dan Choi said at the rally - HIS REMARKS - right before he took the crowd on the march to the White House.

1:48 pm: Joe Sudbay at Americablog reports via Twitter that the crowd in front of the White House is growing.

1:55 pm: Police just informed the crowd that everyone must leave the sidewalk in front of the White House or be arrested, according to MetroWeekly. Choi and Pietrangelo are the only two remaining.

1:58 pm: Lt. Dan Choi and Captain Jim Pietrangelo have been removed from the fence and arrested.

2:02 pm: Choi and Pietrangelo get cheers from the crowd as they are put into police van. Crowd applauds them as heroes.

Tweets Michelangelo Signorile: "Dan Choi took HRC's and @kathygriffin 's celebrity photo op and turned it into a real protest at White House. And they stayed behind."

CNN and MSNBC seem to have totally ignored this protest. However, as the protest was happening, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was holding a press conference in the Rose Garden. A reporter asked him if they were given a heads-up that there was civil disobedience happening outside.

Said Gibbs: "No heads up that I'm aware of, and I don't believe there's any meetings scheduled today."



2:19 pm: Kathy Griffin, who either disappeared or was advised not to follow Choi after the HRC rally, tweets...

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese was reportedly nowhere to be seen during the Choi action either.

BELOW: Robin McGehee's Twitter stream prior to her arrest, as the Choi White House action was getting underway:

Lesbian teen sues to force school to hold prom

By SHELIA BYRD, Associated Press Writer

A lesbian student who wanted to take her girlfriend to her senior prom is asking a federal judge to force her Mississippi school district to reinstate the dance it canceled rather than let the couple attend.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi on Thursday filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Oxford on behalf of 18-year-old Constance McMillen (left) View more images, who said she faced some unhappy classmates after the Itawamba County School District said it wouldn't host the April 2 prom.

"Somebody said, 'Thanks for ruining my senior year.'" McMillen said of her reluctant return Thursday to Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton.

The lawsuit seeks a court order for the school to hold the prom. It also asks that McMillen be allowed to escort her girlfriend, who also is a student at the school, and wear the tuxedo.

The district's decision Wednesday came after the ACLU demanded that officials change a policy banning same-sex prom dates because it said it violated students' rights. The ACLU said the district violated McMillen's free expression rights by not letting her wear a tux.

McMillen said she never expected the district to respond the way it did.

"A lot of people said that was going to happen, but I said, they had already spent too much money on the prom" to cancel it, she said.

McMillen said she didn't want to go back to Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Fulton the morning after the decision, but her father told her she needed to face her classmates.

"My daddy told me that I needed to show them that I'm still proud of who I am," McMillen told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "The fact that this will help people later on, that's what's helping me to go on."

The school board statement said it wouldn't host the event "due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events" but didn't mention McMillen. District officials didn't return calls seeking comment Thursday.

At least one supporter has offered to help McMillen and her classmates hold an alternate prom.

New Orleans hotel owner Sean Cummings told The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson he was so disappointed with the school board's decision he offered to transport the students in buses to the city and host a free prom at one of his properties.



"New Orleans, we're a joyful culture and a creative culture here and, if the school doesn't change its mind, we'd be delighted to offer them a prom in New Orleans," he told the newspaper. "Concluding your high school experience should be a joyful one. One shouldn't conclude that experience with all their friends on a negative note."

Same-sex prom dates and cross-dressing are new issues for many high schools around the country, said Daryl Presgraves, a spokesman for GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a Washington-based advocacy group.

"A lot of schools actually react rather than do the research and find out what the rights of these students are," said Presgraves.

In 2002, a gay student sued his school district in Toronto to allow him to attend a prom with his boyfriend. A judge later forced the district to allow the couple to attend and stopped the district from canceling the prom.

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., said a bill he's introduced in Congress would make it illegal to discriminate against gay and lesbian school students. He said at least 10 states have such laws, and his bill is modeled after those.

"This situation with the prom is a perfect example of why we need to protect students from discrimination. In this case it's a prom. It other cases, it's getting beaten up or killed," Polis said.

The school district had said it hoped a privately sponsored prom could be held.

Southside Baptist Church Pastor Bobby Crenshaw said he's seen the South portrayed as "backwards" on Web sites discussing the issue, "but a lot more people here have biblically based values."

Itawamba County is a rural area of about 23,000 people in north Mississippi near the Alabama state line. It's near Pontotoc County, Miss., where more than a decade ago school officials were sued in federal court over their practice of student-led intercom prayer and Bible classes.

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Anti-Homosexual Bill In Uganda Causes Global Uproar

The Proposed Bill Could Punish Homosexuals Who Marry With Life In Prison

By DAN HARRIS, KATIE HINMAN and
ALMIN KARAMEHMEDOVIC
ABC News


Standing onstage in black velvet robes, despite the stifling heat in the open-air church, Pastor Martin Ssempa's face is a mask of disgust.

"Anal licking!," he shouts, directing the crowd's attention to the images of hardcore gay pornography that he's projecting via his laptop. "That is what they are doing in the privacy of their bedrooms."

"Everything having to do with eating of poop…heterosexuals do not eat poop," Ssempa said. "And if they do, they are misguided, they are not real heterosexuals. We don't practice, that's an abomination. It's like sex with a dog, sex with a cow; it's evil."

Homophobia In Uganda

Ssempa's animated style has made him one of the most popular preachers in the African nation of Uganda. But it's his virulent homophobia that's put him at the center of an international uproar. The pornographic images, which reduced some of the churchgoers to tears, were meant to whip up support for a bill under consideration in Uganda that would make some gays and lesbians eligible for the death penalty.

The bill was introduced several months after a visit by several American evangelicals, who spoke at a conference called the "Seminar on Exposing the Homosexual Agenda."

One of them was Scott Lively, a pastor from Springfield, MA, who believes that countries like Uganda can still protect themselves from what he sees as the scourge of the gay agenda.

"These are good Christians; better Christians than there are here in the states," says Lively. "They care about each other. And I think the reason they're pushing so hard on this law is that they don't want to see what happened to our country happen over there."
He told the conference's audience, made up of teachers, social workers, and politicians that "even though the majority of homosexuals are not oriented towards young people, there's a significant number who are. And when they see a child from a broken home, it's like they have a flashing neon sign over their head."

Lively, who is the president of Defend the Family, is also the author of a book called "The Pink Swastika", which argues that the Nazi Party was a homosexual movement.

Uganda to Consider Passage of The Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009

"If you deny and reject the design of your own body," he told the conference, "and you engage in conduct that is self-evidentiary wrong and harmful to you, then you're going to receive in your body the penalty which is appropriate. Can anyone say AIDS?"

Also at the seminar were two American men who claim gays and lesbians can be healed, including Caleb Brundidge, a minister who says he lived as a gay man for ten years.

"I say that no one is born gay and anyone who wants to change can," said Brundidge, who works for the International Healing Foundation. "No one that has same sex attraction, they didn't choose to have that. I'm living proof. Change is possible. I changed from that lifestyle to the one I'm in now. That's not a gay lifestyle, it's a straight lifestyle."

Brundidge was joined by Don Schmierer, who serves on the board of Exodus International, another group that works with people who want to reverse their homosexual attractions. Schmierer declined to be interviewed by ABC News.

While there, the three American Christians also met with members of the Ugandan parliament.

Months later, a bill was introduced called The Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009.

The bill creates a new category of crime called "Aggravated Homosexuality," which calls for death by hanging for gays or lesbians who have sex with anyone under 18 and for so-called "serial offenders."

The bill also calls for seven years in prison for "attempt to commit homosexuality," five years for landlords who knowingly house gays, three years for anyone, including parents, who fail to hand gay children over to the police within 24 hours and the extradition of gay Ugandans living abroad.

The bill's sponsor, David Bahati, now insists the death penalty only applies to homosexual pedophiles.

"The whole thing has been distorted, " he said. "And we know that some copies of the bill have been circulated on the Internet, which are incorrect."

Bahati defends the bill's stringency. "Well it can sound tough to some people but it's acceptable to our community here. Remember that here in Uganda, 95 percent of our population does not support homosexuality."

"But also we know that we live in a global family where in America they accept homosexuality as a human right. In Uganda we don't. In America, it is illegal to be a polygamist. Here in Uganda, it is cherished in some cultures. So that is the nature of the global family," he said.

"So things that are acceptable in some societies are not acceptable in others. But we have mutual respect. But this bill was proposed by Ugandans for Ugandans. We think it is good for us, we think it is good for Uganda."

Gay Ugandans Speak Out

Val Kalende, a lesbian, said it's dangerous just to walk down the street. "Just the other day a colleague of mine was detained and questioned by police," she said. "Every time you come back home safe, you thank God you are safe. But then you don't know what's going to happen the next day."

Kalende said that while Uganda has always been a homophobic country, things got worse after the conference the American evangelicals spoke at.

"So those guys should be held accountable for what is happening to us," she said. "And I hope that the people in America can hold these guys accountable for what is going to happen to us if this bill ever passes."

Gay-rights groups and governments all over the world are up in arms over the proposed bill. President Obama has called it "odious", and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a call to the Ugandan president urging him to table it.

The American evangelicals who spoke at that event in Uganda back in March are now rushing to distance themselves from the bill.

"I do not agree with that bill at all," said Brundidge. "That's not why I went there at all."

Lively also claims he had no idea the bill was coming, and denies any responsibility for it, despite the fact that he compared his visit to Uganda to a nuclear bomb exploding.

"I'm proud of that, and I hope that the nuclear bomb spreads across the whole world, against the gay movement " he said. "Against this attempt to overthrow the family-based society and replace it with sexual anarchy. That's harmful to everyone. That doesn't mean I hate homosexuals. That doesn't mean I want everyone to be thrown in jail."

And he repudiated the notion that he empowered the Ugandan parliament to introduce the legislation. "Do you think that these people did not already have an opinion, a strong opinion, on homosexuality?" he asked. "It's a very racist perspective. It's the colonial mind-set all over again."

That's an argument echoed by the main proponents of the bill in Uganda.

It's offensive to me," said Ssempa. "It's offensive to me that every time a black man does something good, you have to say that a white man told us to do it. That's really offensive to me. We feel that even those Americans who came here, they are wimps. And they have been blamed for this law. They've all screamed no, we have nothing to do with it. Why don't we accept that Africans can make an anti-homosexuality law? Why do you have to blame somebody else?"

The Blame Game

Among those caught in the blame game: American evangelical megastar Rick Warren, who was once a friend of Ssempa's, and who invited him to California to speak at his Saddleback Church.

Warren has since ended his relationship with Ssempa, and has also repudiated the bill, delivering this message to Ugandan pastors on YouTube.

"It is my role to correct lies, errors, and false reports when others associate my name with a law that I had nothing to do with, completely oppose and vigorously condemn," he said.

"I think that Rick Warren is misguided," said Ssempa. "I think he is typical of some American Christians who are petrified of homosexuals in America."

But the outrage in the West may mean the bill gets watered down or even killed. The Ugandan parliament will hold hearings on it later this month.

As for Lively, he says if they drop the death penalty, he'll actually endorse it. Whether the bill passes or not, the culture wars – both at home and abroad – promise to continue raging on.

Republican State Sen. Ashburn says he’s gay, but won’t support gay rights legislation

By Susan Ferriss
The Sacramento Bee

In the end, Sen. Roy Ashburn said he decided he owed his constituents an explanation.

He went on a radio show first thing Monday morning to talk about his sexual orientation.

Then the Bakersfield Republican returned to the state Senate floor, where colleagues greeted him with handshakes and hugs.

"I'm gay. Those are the words that have been so difficult for me for so long," Ashburn, 55, told KERN conservative radio host Inga Barks.

Ashburn, who has voted consistently against gay-rights measures, last week refused to address reports that he was at a gay bar in Sacramento before his 2 a.m. arrest Wednesday for driving under the influence.

He told Barks he previously saw no reason for residents of his district to know details of his personal life.

But following his arrest, bloggers and public figures began openly discussing his visits to gay bars in Sacramento. He decided over the weekend to discuss the issue publicly.

"I felt with my heart that being gay did not affect, would not affect, how I do my job," Ashburn said on the radio. "Again, what happened through my own actions the other night changed all that."

Senate GOP leader Dennis Hollingsworth of Murrieta, a social conservative, spoke with Ashburn in the Senate. Hollingsworth did not return calls for comment, and Ashburn left the floor without talking to reporters.

On the radio, Ashburn, the divorced father of four, defended being secretly gay while voting against gay-rights proposals.

He said he voted the way he believed most constituents wanted him to vote.

"I have always felt," he said, "that my faith and allegiance was to the people, there, in the district, my constituents."

"As each of these individual measures came before the Legislature I cast 'no' votes, usually 'no' votes," Ashburn said, "because the measures were almost always about acknowledging rights or assigning identification to homosexual persons."

Ashburn has not been a vocal opponent of gay rights recently, but in 2005 he hosted a rally in Bakersfield, while running for Congress, and denounced gay marriage and domestic partnerships.

As a legislator, Ashburn has voted against bills to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation at work, in housing and public accommodations, among others.

California's first openly gay elected legislator, former state Sen. Sheila Kuehl of Santa Monica, was visiting the Senate floor Monday and spoke with Ashburn.

She suggested Ashburn was going through a "painful" process, and that she doesn't expect him now to vote for every gay-rights bill that comes up while he finishes his term this year.

"I think that if you are ashamed," she said, "that you often do not value the civil rights of the group you belong to because you're ashamed to be in that group."

"I hope that now that he has taken that first step," Kuehl said, "that he'll see that we're actually a pretty fabulous group and totally deserving of full civil rights."

Kuehl said coming out is "such an important step for your own wholeness."

"It's just like race or anything else, where you try to get away with being somebody else and then you can't," she said. "Then you find out how wonderful it is being yourself."

Leaders of gay-rights groups, including the gay Log Cabin Republicans, empathized with Ashburn but didn't absolve him of his votes.

"He needs to try another excuse. He wasn't reflecting his constituents last year when he voted for (increasing) taxes" to help fill a budget deficit, said Charles Moran, the national spokesperson for the Log Cabin Republicans.

"His votes impacted my life," the Los Angeles-based Moran said. "He did make life more difficult for those of us who are openly gay."

Moran said Ashburn's revelation is the latest example of politicians who admit they're gay only when caught in a scandal or arrest.

"In Sacramento and in Washington," Moran said, "there is still a shroud around homosexuality and a taboo. It's all about image. You can't be true to yourself. You can't be authentic."

Moran, 29, said he will urge acceptance of homosexuality at a GOP state convention this weekend in Santa Clara.

Benjamin Lopez, state lobbyist for the Traditional Values Coalition, said that the coalition's founder, the Rev. Lou Sheldon, is offering to counsel Ashburn to help him turn away from being gay.

"I don't know why Roy strayed," said Lopez, who appeared with Ashburn at the anti-gay marriage rally in 2005.

"I think it's more sad than hypocritical," Lopez said. "We hope he comes to terms with whatever is making him make a choice to be a gay man."

The gay-rights group Equality California issued a statement inviting Ashburn to "use his experience to educate the people in his district on why he deserves the same rights and privileges as a gay man as any other Californian."

"People elected him to lead," said Geoff Kors, the group's executive director.

Kors said other legislators in conservative areas have voted for gay-rights measures and gone on to win elections.

Bakersfield residents, Kors said, are not as uniformly anti-gay rights as portrayed.

"I would be shocked," Kors said, "to see if there is any polling that shows that most people in his district believe that anyone should be fired from their job because of their sexual orientation or kicked out of public accommodations because of their sexual orientation. And yet he voted against bills to prevent that."

Phot Credit: AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

Roy Ashburn ARRESTED: Anti-Gay State Sen. Got DUI After Leaving Gay Nightclub, Sources Say

Early Wednesday morning, State Sen. Roy Ashburn (R-Calif.) was pulled over and arrested for drunk driving. Sources report that Ashburn -- a fierce opponent of gay rights -- was driving drunk after leaving a gay nightclub; when the officer stopped the state-issued vehicle, there was an unidentified man in the passenger seat of the car.

Ashburn has issued an apology for the incident:
"I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did. I am also truly sorry for the impact this incident will have on those who support and trust me - my family, my constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate."

The Huffington Post

Vatican hit by gay sex scandal

Vatican chorister sacked for allegedly procuring male prostitutes for papal gentleman-in-waiting

John Hooper in Rome
guardian.co.uk

The Vatican was today rocked by a sex scandal reaching into Pope Benedict's household after a chorister was sacked for allegedly procuring male prostitutes for a papal gentleman-in-waiting.

Angelo Balducci, a Gentleman of His Holiness, was caught by police on a wiretap allegedly negotiating with Thomas Chinedu Ehiem, a 29-year-old Vatican chorister, over the specific physical details of men he wanted brought to him. Transcripts in the possession of the Guardian suggest that numerous men may have been procured for Balducci, at least one of whom was studying for the priesthood.

The explosive claims about Balducci's private life have caused grave embarrassment to the Vatican, which has yet to publicly comment on the affair.

While Catholicism does not condemn homosexuality outright, its teaching is that homosexual acts "are intrinsically disordered". The Catechism of the Catholic church states unequivocally: "Under no circumstances can they be approved."

Balducci was arrested on 10 February, suspected of involvement in widespread corruption. A senior Italian government official, he is alleged to have to steered public works contracts towards favoured bidders. He has not been charged.

It was during this investigation into corruption that wiretaps revealed his alleged sexual activity. In one conversation, Ehiem tells Balducci: "I saw your call when I was in the Vatican, because I was doing rehearsals … in the choir … in St Peter's." He then suggests Balducci meet a man who he describes is "two metres tall … 97 kilos … aged 33, completely active."

Balducci is also a senior adviser to the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, the department that oversees the Roman Catholic church's worldwide missionary activities.

Since 1995, he has been a member of one of the world's most exclusive fraternities – the Gentlemen of His Holiness, or Papal Gentlemen, the ceremonial ushers of the papal household. In the words of a 1968 ordinance, they are expected to "distinguish themselves for the good of souls and the glory of the name of the Lord".

According to a report by the Carabinieri for prosecutors in Florence investigating the corruption scandal, there was a hidden side to Balducci's life. "In order to organise casual encounters of a sexual nature, he availed himself of the intercession of two individuals who, it is maintained, may form part of an organised network, especially active in [Rome], of exploiters or at least facilitators of male prostitution."

It named one as Ehiem, a professional chorister born in Nigeria. According to Italian press reports, Ehiem, a member of the choir that sings in St Peters when the pope is not officiating, lost his job on Wednesday after details of the Florence investigation became known to the Vatican.

In an interview to be published tomorrow by the news magazine Panorama, Ehiem said he had been introduced to Balducci more than 10 years ago. He claims: "He asked me if I could procure other men for him. He told me he was married and that I had to do it in great secrecy."

There were conflicting accounts of how the Vatican might respond. According to one source, there was no provision for the dismissal of a Gentleman of His Holiness. Another said: "We shall wait for the judiciary's definitive verdict."

The transcripts imply that over a period of around five months in 2008, Ehiem procured for Balducci at least 10 contacts with, among others, "two black Cuban lads", a former male model from Naples, and a rugby player from Rome.

Balducci's lawyer, Franco Coppi, said tonight: "I have no comment. First, because we have more serious questions to tackle. Second, if these claims are correct, they regard his private life. It is disgraceful that these transcripts, which have nothing to do with the case, should have been spread about."

In January this year, the Carabinieri recorded an exchange in which Balducci and Ehiem discuss a seminarian, or student for the priesthood. Balducci is said to have asked: "Listen, have you spoken with the seminarian by any chance?" Ehiem says he is "probably at mass or something". On 11 January, Ehiem calls again to recommend "a colleague, a friend" of the seminarian because the latter is unavailable. He says the colleague is "better, taller, a bit taller than you". Later, Ehiem asks: "Can I send [him] around straight away?"

He asks where Balducci is. The adviser says: "Up at the seminary … where the cardinal lives." Ehiem replies: "He could get there within half an hour … the time it takes to catch a taxi and get there."

Same-sex couples line up as D.C. gay marriage law takes effect

By Keith L. Alexander and Ann E. Marimow
Washington Post Staff Writers



D.C. Superior Court began accepting marriage license applications from same-sex couples Wednesday morning, a historic milestone for gay couples and activists that was made possible by the city's new gay marriage law.

About 45 couples with their coffee, newspapers and blackberries -- many dressed in blazers and slacks as they planned to go to work after filing an application -- were waiting in line when the court's marriage bureau opened its doors at 8:30 a.m. Employees allowed 10 couples to enter at a time, and had extra personnel on hand to accept the applications.

There were congratulatory hugs, commemorative pens and cupcakes to mark the moment. But it was also a somewhat subdued scene of quiet anticipation as the nation's capital joined five states that allow same-sex marriage.

"I didn't want to get married anywhere else. This is my city standing up for marriage equality," said Rocky Galloway of the District's Chevy Chase neighborhood, who was second in line with his partner of six years, Reggie Stanley.

There were couples from Maryland and Virginia, some who brought their children for the event.

"It means she gets a whole family, so she doesn't feel different from everybody else," said Karinne Providence of Severn, who was joined by her partner Shanic Davidson and the couple's 3-year-old daughter, Pahris Davidson.

A computer glitch slowed down the processing of the couples -- it took 40 minutes to handle the first two -- and the line had stretched to 60 couples by 9 a.m.

Processing the applications will take at least three business days, officials said, which means the earliest that any same-sex marriages will be performed is next Tuesday, March 9.

"I'm very excited. This is the love of my life," said Darlene Garner, 61, of her partner Candy Holmes, 53. The two women, who live in Laurel, were among the first in line to apply for a license. They met at the Metropolitan Community Church, a predominantly gay congregation where they are both ministers, and have been together for 14 years.

Court officials opened the building at 7, and handed out numbered tickets to the 11 or so couples who were already waiting in a chilly, light rain.

Many of the couples in line wore casual clothes and Human Rights Campaign buttons on their lapels.

Court officials are encouraging couples to complete the marriage license application before they arrive at the courthouse. They can download an application from the court's Web site. Applicants must also have the $35 application fee and $10 for the license (cash or money order).

The application fee is waived for couples who already are registered in the District as domestic partners. Those couples should bring their proof of registration and the $10 license fee.

Several of the couples who gathered early Wednesday said they were already registered as domestic partners. Michael Lavin, 55, and Joe Peters, 48, of Brookeville have been together for 17 years. The men said getting married was an "extra level of protection" for insurance and other policies to make sure each is covered.

Even before the courthouse doors opened, gay rights advocates hailed Wednesday as a victory for equal rights. The anticipated marriages of same-sex couples, said Mitch Wood, president of the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, were "the fruit of decades of public advocacy and organizing by gay citizens and our numerous allies."

D.C. court officials were expecting demonstrators and protesters to flock to the courthouse Wednesday as well.

Late Tuesday, opponents of the D.C. law passed in December that legalized same-sex marriage tried to seek intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court. But the court declined to intervene.

Same-sex marriage opponents appeal, advocates look to March 3

By Ann Marimow

Same-sex marriage opponents are running out of time as they try again to block the District's new law allowing gay couples to marry from taking effect next week.

Attorneys for Stand4MarriageDC and the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative legal organization, today appealed a court order that upheld a D.C. Board of Elections ruling against a referendum on the issue.

Opponents want to give residents a chance to vote on the new law in a ballot measure before it takes effect.

"We are appealing because the District's marriage redefinition law shouldn't go into effect until voters have the opportunity to vote on a critical matter that affects everyone in the District," senior legal counsel Austin R. Nimocks said in a news release.

Meantime, same-sex marriage advocates are moving ahead. Council member David Catania, the bill's sponsor, has a countdown clock on his website to March 3, the anticipated first day when gay couples will be allowed to apply for licenses in the District.

While couples will be able to apply next Wednesday, the three-day waiting period in the District means that couples will not be able to formally marry until the following Tuesday, March 9.

Source: DC Wire

Michigan Churches Stop Serving Homeless Because of Homosexuality

by Michael A. Jones, Change.org

So much for that Biblical principle of "Blessed are the poor." For a few churches in Kalamazoo, Michigan, that passage has been rewritten to say, "Homeless people shouldn't get any food because of homosexuality."

It what is becoming one of the grossest maneuvers by the religious right in this country, three churches in Kalamazoo have severed their ties with an ecumenical homeless ministry due to disagreements about homosexuality. This comes in the wake of the Archdiocese of Washington D.C.'s threat to stop serving needy families and the poor should gay marriage become legal in the District.

In Michigan, the three churches at the center of this storm are Agape Christian Church, Word for Life Church of God, and Centerpoint Church. They were part of a ministry known as Martha's Table, which brought together eight different faith congregations to provide meals and worship space to the homeless. Only for these three churches, the fact that some of the other participating faith bodies take a progressive stand on homosexuality is enough to say to Kalamazoo's homeless, "We don't want you."

How very Christian.

Speaking to the Kalamazoo Gazette, a lay pastor from Agape Christian Church, Kim Sandelin, said that her church couldn't work together with other churches to fight homelessness because they don't want to stand next to faith traditions that look kindly on LGBT people.

"An immoral lifestyle has eternal ramifications in Scripture," said Sandelin. Another pastor from Agape Church added that for their church, they couldn't tolerate working next to people of faith who violate their biblical worldview, even though the homeless ministry itself has seemingly nothing to do with the issue of gay rights.

What is it with conservative churches who feel they can barter the lives of the poor in order to wage political warfare on the issue of gay rights? How do you justify that morally and spiritually?

That's where the reasoned comments of another Kalamazoo pastor, who also happens to be conservative, comes into play. Rev. Ken Baker of the Third Christian Reformed Church, told the Gazette that his church would still participate in the homeless ministry, because theological viewpoints about homosexuality shouldn't be a factor when it comes to taking care of the poor and needy.

"I feel very sad about the decision of three partner churches to pull out," Baker told the Gazette. "Everything about the ministry of Martha’s Table reflects the heart of Jesus, who came to preach good news to the poor. Surely, all our churches would agree that mercy and compassion were at the heart of the ministry of Jesus."

In theory that last statement of Rev. Baker's should be correct. But not for the three Churches pulling out of serving the homeless. They're willing to use homeless folks as political pawns in a chess game over whether governments and churches can respect the civil rights and celebrate the inclusion of LGBT citizens or faith members. Their homophobia might run deep, but their committment to the biblical principles of mercy and compassion run pretty damn shallow.

Again, how can this story also not be a reminder of the Archdiocese of Washington D.C.'s threat to bail on the poor should same-sex marriage become of the law of the District. Yesterday the Human Rights Campaign launched an action calling on the Archdiocese to keep serving needy families, the homeless, and those without health care in the District no matter what theological differences the Church may have with civil government. If you haven't signed the Human Rights Campaign's petition to D.C. Archbishop Donald Wuerl, mosey on over this way and sign up.

Churches can take varying viewpoints on homosexuality -- nobody is really arguing that. But using the poor as a political weapon? That's what you call moral bankruptcy.

(Photo courtesy of JOE M500's photostream on Flickr.)

D.C. Council Votes Yes on Marriage Equality

The Advocate

The D.C. council held its final vote Tuesday on a marriage equality bill, passing it by a wide margin. Mayor Adrian Fenty has pledged to sign the bill, which will go into effect this spring.

The bill passed the council by a vote of 11-2, identical to the vote in November. After Fenty signs the bill, it will have to withstand a 30-day congressional review period.

“I have been making laws on behalf of the citizens of this city for 12 years, and until now, have never been a fully enfranchised citizen,” council member David Catania, the lead sponsor of this bill, said during today’s vote. He thanked several colleagues and gay rights activists who helped him get this bill passed.


Council member Kwame R. Brown also made a passionate speech in support of the bill, pointing out that he has a mother who disagrees with him on the issue — and said as much in TheWashington Post. He said this vote is for the "unborn— future generations who will benefit.

Council member and former Washington mayor Marion Barry ran down his longtime support of LGBT rights before casting a no vote on the marriage bill, saying, “I’m not voting not against the LGBT community, I’m voting no against this particular act.”

Barry says he supports domestic partnerships and will continue to stand behind LGBT citizens, but says it was a difficult “decision of conscience” that led him to disagree.

Barry commended Catania twice during the vote and even acknowledged that this must be “a proud moment” for him.

Council member Yvette Alexander also voted no on the bill, but she thanked Catania and the LGBT community for continuing to stand with her despite this "difficult" decision. "We all have to be tolerant ... and we need to be open to some of the changes," Alexander said, before reaffirming her no vote.

In recent days, “the only suspense... has been about whether the council would consider amendments the bill to try to assuage some of the concerns the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington has raise about the proposal,” reported the Post. “Under the bill, church officials are already exempt from having to participate in same-sex wedding ceremonies or celebrations. But if gay couples are allowed to marry, church officials worry Catholic Charities would be forced to extend spousal benefits and adoption services to same-sex couples."

D.C. to hold final vote on whether to legalize gay marriage

By Tim Craig, Washington Post

The D.C. Council will hold its final vote Tuesday on whether to legalize same-sex marriage in the District, capping a debate that has gone on almost all year.

Most members of the 13-member council have said they will support the legislation. The vote is expected about midday. If the bill passes, it will be sent to Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), who is expected to sign it before Christmas. The bill will become law this spring if, as expected, it survives a 30-day congressional review period.

"We are on the verge of history," council member David A. Catania (I-At Large), the lead sponsor of the bill, told about 350 same-sex marriage supporters at a pre-vote rally Monday night in Shaw. "For the world to see gays and lesbian couples equal to straight couples in the nation's capital, that is an important message."

Council member Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5), who also addressed the crowd, said the council is poised to send a signal to the nation that "this is a human rights issue for justice and equality."

"I will stand with you until the day I die," Thomas said. Earlier this year, he wasn't sure whether he would vote for the bill. But two weeks ago, he joined 10 of his colleagues to give tentative approval to the same-sex marriage bill by a vote of 11 to 2. An identical vote total is expected Tuesday.

The only suspense in recent days has been about whether the council would consider amendments to try to assuage some of the concerns the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington has raise about the proposal.

Under the bill, church officials are already exempt from having to participate in same-sex wedding ceremonies or celebrations. But if gay couples are allowed marry, church officials worry Catholic Charities would be forced to extend spousal benefits and adoption services to same-sex couples.

Gay rights activists, who hold considerable sway in city government, counter that by opposing parts of the bill, the church is asking the city to sanction discrimination.

As of Monday night, Catania and council member Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) both said they had been unable to reach an agreement with the church. But Catania and Mendelson, chairman of the committee that oversaw the bill, would not rule out the possibility of a few minor amendments to the bill Tuesday.

Even before the vote, opponents of same-sex marriage were gearing up to try to fight the bill in Congress and the courts.

"The city council's action today is not the final word. The issue is far from over," Bishop Harry Jackson, pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, said in a statement Monday.

Jackson has aligned with Robert King, a longtime Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in Northeast, the Rev. Walter Fauntroy, a former civil rights leader who was a longtime pastor at New Bethel Baptist Church, and several other religious leaders to try to force a referendum to outlaw same-sex marriage.

But at Monday night's rally, gay men and lesbians were already celebrating.

The Rev. Robert M. Hardies, one of more than 200 local religious figures to endorse same-sex marriage, told the crowd they should be proud of what they have accomplished.

"We have united the community around this issue in ways that people said we could not do," said Hardies, senior pastor of All Souls Church, Unitarian, near Mount Pleasant. "And let me tell you, no matter what happens down the road, that is one victory the United States Congress cannot take away from us."

Watch the vote live here

Bishop bans Kennedy from Communion

And this is why we don’t let government and religion mix! One person’s religious beliefs impressed onto all – IT’S JUST WRONG!

Watch the interview with Chris Matthews and Bishop Thomas Tobin, who has banned Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., from receiving Holy Communion due to his views on abortion, talks about the line between public and private life for politicians.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

'We love you, this won't change a thing'

By John Buccigross, ESPN

"I hope the day comes, and soon, when this is not a story." -- Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke

Imagine this.

Well before you are born, your dad plays college hockey at Providence College and wears the "C" for Friars coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello. Your dad is then a member of the Calder Cup-winning Maine Mariners AHL team. He admits to having little skill, but contributes rough and tough qualities. You know, like pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence. He's a man, baby.

Dad is also driven. And smart. He quickly retires from pro hockey. He knows he will make the NHL only with his brain and mental brawn. He earns a law degree from Harvard in 1981, then practices law in Boston for the next six years, representing professional hockey players before joining the Vancouver Canucks in 1987 as vice president and director of hockey operations. He has made the NHL. You are born a year later in Vancouver, British Columbia, in December 1988.
Dad is GM of the Hartford Whalers for a season as a 37-year-old before joining the NHL front office as senior vice president and director of hockey operations under commissioner Gary Bettman in September 1993, staying until 1998. Dad and Mom divorce in 1995, and, as a 9-year old, you move to Boston with Mom in 1997.

Dad then begins a six-year stint on the other side of the continent as president and general manager of the Vancouver Canucks. Meanwhile, you play hockey while growing up in the Boston area, and you are a goalie. You love Dominik Hasek and still believe he is the best of all time. Dad tries to see you play whenever he can. Goalie is a comfortable position for you on the ice, looking out and hiding behind a mask.

You eventually attend Xaverian Brothers High School, a prep school in Westwood, Mass., and make the competitive varsity hockey team as a senior, but choose not to play. You say it is because you don't think you would get enough playing time and you are upset at the coach. But you actually don't play because you don't think you can go another season without someone finding out your secret.

Your hockey career is over.

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"Middle school and early high school is the first time I remember thinking that I could be gay, but I definitely tried to ignore it and didn't want to seriously consider it. It's pretty easy to try and convince yourself that it's not true, but it won't work, ever." -- Brendan Burke

You go on to attend Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, after your guidance counselor recommends the school. Miami is well known for being academically challenging and having one of the more visually idyllic campuses in the country. It doesn't disappoint. The brick buildings and brand-new hockey rink make the small town feel like what college should feel like. Like an old Hollywood movie set. Ohio is a friendly place with warm people who smile a lot and like to get together in groups and laugh. You fit right in. You've made a great decision.

You especially enjoy the Miami hockey program constructed by coach Enrico Blasi. You are involved as a student manager. Blasi demands his program and its culture be grounded in family. He calls it the Miami hockey brotherhood. The mission is to be the best one can be every day with a vision to become a champion in everything one does, on and off the ice. Miami's focus is on three things: relationships, daily behaviors and accountability. You watch and break down the pre-scout videos. You also keep most of the goalie statistics and prepare all the best clips for highlight videos.

While you're at Miami, Dad is now in Southern California as executive vice president and general manager for Anaheim and the Ducks win it all in 2007. You drink out of the Stanley Cup with Pops in the Anaheim dressing room. You love your father, you're proud of him, but you are hiding something from him that you will soon hide no more.

In 2008, Dad is chosen as general manager of the 2010 U.S. Olympic hockey team and named a recipient of the 2008 Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. His résumé is relentless. Today, Dad runs the most profitable NHL team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and is, without question, one of hockey's more magnetic and interesting characters along with Don Cherry and Alex Ovechkin. Dad televises well.

So, imagine, this is your father. You? Probably destined to be "Burkie's boy" in Canada even if you resurrected George Harrison and John Lennon and reunited The Beatles. Imagine.

"Brendan is an incredible kid. He and I are incredibly close, even for brothers. In most families, the older brother overshadows the younger brother, but not ours. We went to the same high school and people there still refer to me as "Brendan's brother."

He's exceptionally smart, funny, motivated, successful and happy. He has an incredible way with people.

There's a genuine kindness about him that really resonates with people. It's a gift I'm very jealous of." -- Patrick Burke, Brendan's brother, now a scout with the Philadelphia Flyers

Your dad thinks through everything. Dad is big, confident and continuously radiates a persona that is rough, gruff, unrelenting and unapologetic. He has a cold, expressionless poker face straight out of a Clint Eastwood movie. Yet, he does this all with the most subtle of Irish smirks that says there is more behind this thick skin. And there is. He calls you "Moose" because you have always been a big kid. He cares very deeply about you and your happiness. You say he has always been there when you needed him. And he has a great sense of humor. Imagine that.
But on this night in 2007, you are petrified of your dad. Because you, Brendan Burke, at 19 years old, are about to tell your dad, Mr. Testosterone, that you are gay.

It is Dec. 30, 2007, and you are in Vancouver with Dad for the holidays to break the news. His new family lives in Vancouver, and his Ducks are in town. You go to the Canucks-Ducks game, and, obviously, Dad is pretty emphatic about wanting to beat Vancouver, his former employer. You root like hell for the Ducks to win so he is in a good mood. But the Ducks lose 2-1. Of course, Daniel Sedin scores a goal against Anaheim, and his brother Henrik adds two assists to help beat Dad, the man who traded for the twins' draft rights in 1999 while he was running the Canucks.
You almost don't tell your dad and stepmom as a result of the loss. But you are flying back to Boston the next morning and you want to tell them in person. You feel as if you are going to throw up as you pace the hallways of their condominium. Just as your stepmom is about to go to bed, your younger sister, Molly, grabs you by the wrist and directs you where to go and gives you a look that says, "You can do it. Get it done now. I'm here for you."

Just a week before, your older sister, Katie, is the first family member you tell. You had targeted telling your family at Thanksgiving but got salmonella and spent the entire week in the hospital. So you push back your announcement to Christmas.

You are driving home from a family event in Marlboro, Mass., when you decide you want to say it during the car ride. Finally, after a 45-minute ride, you pass the city limits sign of Boston and you know you have to tell Katie. It is incredibly difficult, but your sister is very supportive. Of course she is, you tell yourself, she's Katie. That same night, you tell Molly and your mom. Everyone is great. Mom tells you she isn't surprised and had expected it from the time you were a little kid. Moms.

You tell your brother, Patrick, a day or two later. Patrick turns off the car blaring "The Hold Steady" CD, and you tell him as you are walking out to the car to bring in bags. Patrick, like Dad, never one to be fazed, says something along the lines of, "I love you. This doesn't change anything. Now pick up that suitcase and bring it inside."

But, now, telling your secret to Dad is another story. Molly's reassuring hand guides you to the couch for the moment of truth. It's time to tell Dad, a most public example of hockey machismo, that you are gay.

Finally, you say it. Awkwardly. You basically stumble along trying not to make it a big deal before just blurting out, "And I love you guys and wanted to tell you that I'm gay."
There is a brief silence.

Dad is surprised when you tell him that you are gay. He never suspected at all.
Your stepmom speaks first: "OK, Brendan, that's OK." And gives you a reassuring smile. Then your dad says, "Of course, we still love you. This won't change a thing."

Your dad and stepmom both get up and hug you and say they love you. You and your dad then sit there alone for about 15 more minutes watching hockey. Your heart rate is still at a snow-shoveling level. You then hug Dad again, and you go to bed.

But now, questions arise:
1. What about Dad's reaction the next day and beyond?
2. How will Miami react to a young, gay man working on the hockey team?
3. Can an openly gay man play or work for a hockey team?


"I had a million good reasons to love and admire Brendan. This news didn't alter any of them.
I would prefer Brendan hadn't decided to discuss this issue in this very public manner. There will be a great deal of reaction, and I fear a large portion will be negative. But this takes guts, and I admire Brendan greatly, and happily march arm in arm with him on this.

There are gay men in professional hockey. We would be fools to think otherwise. And it's sad that they feel the need to conceal this. I understand why they do so, however.

Can a gay man advance in professional hockey? He can if he works for the Toronto Maple Leafs! Or for Miami University Hockey. God bless Rico Blasi! And I am certain these two organizations are not alone here.

I wish this burden would fall on someone else's shoulders, not Brendan's. Pioneers are often misunderstood and mistrusted. But since he wishes to blaze this trail, I stand beside him with an axe! I simply could not be more proud of Brendan than I am, and I love him as much as I admire him." -- Brian Burke

Reverse skate.

The real reason you choose not to play your senior year is because the atmosphere in the locker room gets progressively harder to deal with as you get older. Homophobic slurs become as commonplace as rolls of hockey tape. Pressure to hook up with girls gets more intense. You are really upset for a couple of months. Your mom later tells you she thought you were depressed. Back then, she keeps asking you if something is wrong, but you don't want to talk about it with anyone.

You say gay slurs have a direct impact on gay people in the area where they are said. You sincerely believe the majority of people who use gay slurs don't mean them to be offensive; they just don't realize the words' meaning and don't think there might be a gay person sitting right next to them. Questions 2 and 3 cause you some concern.

Miami, the No. 1-ranked team in college hockey right now, refers to itself as "The Brotherhood," and Coach Blasi means it when he says it. You say the players on Miami hockey teams are truly unlike most hockey players you've met. It's a group of genuine, intelligent, good guys. They don't have to, but they make you feel like a part of the team. Their families treat you as if you are one of their sons.

As you start to become better friends with the players and coaches, it becomes more difficult to hide your true sexuality. You are developing genuine friendships with many, and it feels like a huge part of it is missing because you aren't being honest with them. You feel, in some ways, as if you are disrespecting the Brotherhood philosophy Miami is based on.
The RedHawks take you with them to the NCAA regional tournament in Minnesota this past March, where they beat Minnesota-Duluth and Denver to advance to the Frozen Four for the first time in history.

As far as amazing life experiences go, being at the Frozen Four in Washington, D.C., is right up there with being in the locker room after the Ducks won the Cup. In between the first round and the Frozen Four, you tell one of the Miami players you are gay. Another player figures it out on the morning of the national championship game, and you have to pull him aside and tell him not to tell anyone before the game. You don't want it to be a distraction. You ask him to wait 12 hours after the game; then he can tell whomever he wants.

After the heartbreaking overtime loss to Boston University, and mainly by word of mouth, your news gets around to the whole team. There isn't a big emotional sit-down talk, although you do speak with some of the guys personally. The general response is "OK, Burkie's gay. Who cares? Pass the beer nuts."

About a week later, you approach your boss, the director of hockey operations for Miami, Nick Petraglia, and tell him. Then, a few days later, you tell Coach Blasi. You are pretty sure one of the players told them both in advance to give them a heads-up, but neither cares, and both are incredibly supportive.

Blasi says that having you as part of Miami's program is a blessing and everyone is much more aware of what they say and how they say it. He says he is as guilty as anyone and everyone needs to be reminded that respect is not a label but something people earn by the way they live their life. Coach Blasi says you are a great student and an even better person. You say Coach Blasi is a great coach and an even better person.

"Brendan is a great guy, personable and caring. As student manager, he is involved in a lot of things for us -- video, stats and community service, to name a few of his duties.
To my knowledge, there has been nothing negative [since he came out to us]. I think it goes along the lines that Brendan is part of our family. Everyone respects Brendan, and that's all that really matters.

The players are awesome. They are very sensitive to language and how we talk in the locker room. Again, it goes back to our culture and working on relationships and behaviors.
[As far as whether a player could come out and be able to function like a normal college player], that's a tough one and I don't want to speak for any other program. As far as Miami is concerned, we are about the person. I believe we would be accepting and honestly not even think twice about it.

I think having Brendan as part of our program has been a blessing. We are much more aware of what you say and how we say it. I am guilty as anyone. We need to be reminded that respect is not a label, but something you earn by the way you live your life." -- Miami University hockey coach Enrico Blasi

The attitude across the team is pretty much the same: "Who cares?" or "I don't understand why this is even an issue." Players you don't even expect to be supportive are. You say it is proof this kind of thing can happen in other places, too. You wish you could say that gay slurs have been banished from the Miami dressing room. It hasn't happened yet, although serious progress has been made and one player in particular has made it a personal crusade.

But now that you are "out," can you successfully pursue a job in hockey, specifically in the NHL, if that is a wish?

You are applying to law schools right now. Hockey management and politics are two things you care about the most, and a law degree is required for both, so it leaves the door open for either. You say you would be lying if you said you don't think sexual orientation affects a job in pro hockey. You believe it would make some things more difficult. There are going to be people who aren't comfortable knowing they are working with a gay person.

"He's incredibly brave. He went back to our all-boys high school and gave a speech about the struggles gay teenagers go through and got a standing ovation from 200 kids who spend half their time insulting anyone different than them.

In so many ways, I look up to him for who he is and what he does.

Obviously, there are gay players in hockey right now, just no openly gay ones. And there are gay people in management, whether they're scouts or front-office people or coaches. We just don't have any openly gay ones right now. I think it will be a challenge for the first person that comes out, because they'll be putting themselves under a microscope.

The scary thing for me is that it might be Brendan, if he chooses to go into hockey. I don't think it's fair the face of homosexuality in hockey should be a 20-year-old college kid, but Brendan is more than willing to be the guy, which awes me. I think it's a matter of when, not if, players and management start coming out." -- Patrick Burke

At this point, you are still undecided about your career options. Although you think there definitely would be challenges to being openly gay and working in hockey, you also think hockey is ready for it. There has been a lot of discussion about when a current player will come out. You've always viewed most hockey fans as being very well educated and accepting of diversity. You say fans are much more focused on the on-ice product than on the sexual orientation of players or management, and you say hockey is too good to be dragged down by this.

You believe that if an NHL player came out today, he would face a unique set of challenges but would generally be supported. He might face more verbal abuse from opposing fans, but you believe the overwhelming sentiment would be, "If he can play hockey, who cares?" That's the perspective you've encountered at Miami. You say a good way to start would be for ex-NHL players who are gay to be more vocal and talk about their experiences and challenges.
Whatever happens in your life, whatever career path you choose, you know Dad is in your corner. His long shadow of a hockey résumé that once looked like a crutch might now prove to be just the thing you and others need -- a powerful and eloquent voice shouting from the mountaintops.

This is far and away more than what you personally expected from your hockey-famous Dad as you prepared coming out to him. When people ask you about your dad's reaction to your Vancouver sit-down, you initially say, "He's been great, but I don't think we'll see him at any gay pride parades any time soon. But he has been really supportive."

So, you are startled this past summer when you get a call from Dad saying, "Hey, Toronto Pride is this weekend, you should fly up." So, sure enough, you fly up, and you and Dad go to the Toronto Pride Parade together.

If someone had told you before coming out that your dad, Brian Burke, would be attending a gay pride parade with you, you wouldn't have believed it. You never suspected Dad would disown you or anything like that, but the way he has handled it and the way he talks about it now has, honestly, really moved you. He was a little awkward about it at first. Today, he doesn't even think twice about it.

You want it known that he has been 100 percent supportive of you. It's important to you that people know that even the president and GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who has a less than sunny public personality, has a gay son and is a firm supporter of gay rights.
Imagine that.

"Imagine if I was in the opposite situation, with a family that wouldn't accept me, working for a sports team where I knew I couldn't come out because I'd be fired or ostracized. People in that situation deserve to know that they can feel safe, that sports isn't all homophobic and that there are plenty of people in sports who accept people for who they are." -- Brendan Bur

Reparative Therapy - Can Gays Turn Straight

Bakersfield TV Channel 17 profiles Bakersfield Pastor Phillip Lee of His Way Out Ministries who claims to be an "ex-gay" who councils teens to exit the "gay lifestyle." But Professor Kathleen Ritter and LGBT Activist Whitney Weddell say this is, essentially, a crock of s--t.

'GMA' cancels Adam Lambert after racy performance on AMAs

By Jo Piazza, Special to CNN

(CNN) -- The fallout from Adam Lambert's risqué American Music Awards performance keeps coming with "Good Morning America" canceling the singer's live performance scheduled for Wednesday morning.

ABC was flooded with more than 1,500 complaints, and the network sent an e-mail to potential concert goers letting them know that Lambert would not be performing on Wednesday.

"Given Adam Lambert's controversial live performance on the AMAs, we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning," a spokesperson for the network said.

"The Early Show" on rival network CBS was quick to announce that they have booked Lambert to perform and discuss the controversy on Wednesday morning.

Lambert shocked viewers with his sexually suggestive dance sequence that included simulated oral sex as well as Lambert kissing his male keyboardist.



Video: Lambert makes red carpet buzz

Video: Adam Lambert does his thing

Video: Lambert: 'I had fun' The Parents Television Council, a Media watchdog group, also attacked the show as vulgar and urged its members on Monday to contact ABC, Dick Clark Productions and the show's advertisers with complaints about the content.

"Last night's 'American Music Awards' broadcast was nothing short of tasteless and vulgar. Adam Lambert, the second-place finisher in last season's 'American Idol' competition, chose to treat American families to simulated oral sex and other demeaning behavior," the PTC posted on its Web site.

Melissa Henson, director of communications and public education for the PTC, said the council wasn't concerned about Lambert's gay kiss. Its issue and focus are on the simulated oral sex, she said.

"The gender has nothing to do with it," Henson said. "It would be true if it had been a woman's face that was thrust into his crotch."

Henson also noted that this is not an anti-Adam Lambert campaign and said the council would have had no problem with Lambert performing live on "Good Morning America."

"As long as he keeps it clean," Henson said.