[State Representative Jim] Splaine pushes for gay marriage in N.H. House, Seacoast Online, Karen Dandurant.

Judge: 2 adoptive dads belong on birth certificate [in Louisiana], The Associated Press, Janet McConnaughey.

Op-Ed: You’re likable enough, gay people, The New York Times, Frank Rich. A critical but considered piece on Warren’s inclusion in Obama’s inauguration. His piece hints at something I believe about the situation: Obama can invite Warren without endorsing or sharing Warren’s views, but he can’t invite Warren without in some way legitimizing them. I understand wanting to engage with people with whom we don’t agree, but there’s a line where wrong is just wrong.

Excerpts from the above headlines follow:

Research links poor health of LGB youth to family rejection

Researchers have established a correlation between the health of lesbian, gay and bisexual adolescents and how their families react to them coming out.

“For the first time, research has established a predictive link between specific, negative family reactions to their child’s sexual orientation and serious health problems for these adolescents in young adulthood—such as depression, illegal drug use, risk for HIV infection, and suicide attempts,” said Dr. Caitlin Ryan, Director of the Family Acceptance Project at the César E. Chávez Institute at San Francisco State University and lead author of the research.

[State Representative Jim] Splaine pushes for gay marriage in N.H. House

When legislators meet in 2009, there will be several bills to consider that deal with civil unions and gay marriage.

Judge: 2 adoptive dads belong on birth certificate [in Louisiana]

A same-sex couple in California has won a federal court ruling that their adopted son’s Louisiana birth certificate must bear the names of both adoptive fathers.

The facts are so clear that no trial is needed, U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey wrote.

Op-Ed: You’re likable enough, gay people

When Obama defends Warren’s words by calling them an example of the “wide range of viewpoints” in a “diverse and noisy and opinionated” America, he is being too cute by half. He knows full well that a “viewpoint” defaming any minority group by linking it to sexual crimes like pedophilia is unacceptable.

Source: Hulu.com

Click for more information.

• The nuclear family
• The Levirate family
• The polygamous family
• A man, a woman and her slaves
• A male rapist and his victim
• One man, one or more wives, and some concubines
• A male soldier and a female prisoner of war

Click to read more.

Related: Humor: If marriage were really based on the Bible.

Ms. Kennedy’s spokesman provided written answers to 15 questions posed by The New York Times.

…

she appears to support same-sex marriage, a significant difference between herself and Mrs. Clinton as well as president-elect Barack Obama, whose endorsement by Ms. Kennedy was a watershed event in the presidential race.

“Caroline supports full equality and marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples,” the statement said.

Source: Confessore, Nicholas. “Kenney offers hints of a platform, and a few surprises.” The New York Times. 20 December 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/nyregion/21kennedy.html?_r=2&ref=nyregion (retrieved 22 December 2008).

The “Light Up The Night For Equality” event on December 20, 2008 seems to have received substantially less mainstream press coverage than the November 15 Prop 8 protests. Here’s a sampling of the coverage I could find:

‘2nd-class citizens’ make stand against anti-gay legislation, The Orlando Sentinel, Jeff Kunerth.

Asheville [NC] event protests ban on gay weddings, Citizen Times, Mike McWilliams.

Marriage equality vigil today [in Santa Cruz], The Mercury News.

Light Up The Night For Equality vigil draws crowds [in Boise, ID], Fox 12 KTRV.

Here’s an interesting op-ed piece from Queerty which criticized the emphasis on keeping the event quiet and low-key.

Perhaps what’s so troubling about the Light Up the Night event is that it seems like a tacit admission that the criticisms made by Prop 8 supporters about the louder, abrasive protests in November were somehow justified. Frankly, if I were a Prop. 8 supporter, I would rather have the gays stand quietly than shouting and marching about how Prop. 8 is bigoted and wrong. I’m not sure we should be doing the homophobes any favors, or, at the very least, allow ourselves to literally become less vocal about our rights.

Join The Impact.com has posted videos from various cities.

Photo from Join the Impact.com’s photo albums.

Specifically, GayWallet.com wants us to print a “You Just Received a Gay Dollar” notice to pass out while shopping on December 23.

Click to download the notice and read more information at GayWallet.com’s “Gay Dollar Day” campaign site.

Apparently the boycott is working.

Hotel Marketing Manager Kelly Commerford said union protests have cost the hotel $2.4 million because of canceled bookings in conjunction with meetings at the property or the San Diego Convention Center.

Commerford, who said he is gay, argues that Manchester’s donation was personal and private, and it departs from the hotel’s own positive record with the GLBT community.

For a response to that position, read “When are your ‘privately held religious beliefs’ not so private anymore?”

Sources:

Lewis, Connie. “Union local fears loss of jobs if Grand Hyatt is sold.” San Diego Business Journal. 15 December 2008. http://www.sdbj.com/industry_article.asp?aID=77915344.420788.1719497.2939526.5791829.446&aID2=132260 (retrieved 20 December 2008).

Rottenstreich, Daniel. “Manchester Grand Hyatt boycott very effective.” Beyond Chron. 16 December 2008. http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=6389 (retrieved 20 December 2008).

In the wake of California’s passage of Proposition 8, a group of gay and lesbian families are taking to the airwaves, producing five 30-second commercials to air on daytime and prime time television throughout the state. These commercials will run in urban and rural markets on broadcast and cable channels during the Inauguration week in January 2009. Their purpose is to capture the hearts and minds of people who do not understand why marriage is so important to us.

The website is also soliciting homemade 30-second spots.

In addition to the television media campaign, this website will serve as an online archive for gay and lesbian stories. The issue of marriage equality extends far beyond California and we seek to add authentic voices to the broader conversation.

Click to visit the website.

I respect Obama’s desire to be inclusive. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, as they saying goes. Understanding and compromise is much more likely when opposing parties are mutually engaged in conversation. At the same time, there is inevitably a line that, when passed, means sacrificing one’s integrity.

Rachel Maddow stated in her commentary on this controversy that Obama did not invite Rick Warren into the President-Elect’s house, but into ours. Obama is legitimizing the viewpoint of a person who subscribes to some of the most hateful lies of the anti-gay industry; someone who not only claims things like the definition of traditional marriage has not changed in 5,000 years - it’s been the same in all cultures and religions - but continues to stubbornly adhere to that statement even when challenged.

I don’t object to Obama engaging with Warren in some format, but I do not think it is appropriate for such a person to deliver the invocation at such an important, historic and highly visible occasion.

What can you do?

First, express your opinion.

• parag.mehta@ptt.gov (Parag Mehta is Obama’s LGBT liaison in the transition team.)
• dnoble@barackobama.com
• bbond@barackobama.com

You can also contact Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office. She chaired the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies and made the announcement.

Second, you can sign the petition urging Obama to rescind the invitation at ThePetitionSite.com.

Third, support the Courage Campaign’s invitation to Rick Warren to debate Proposition 8 and marriage equality.

We’re asking you to give Pastor Warren a new invitation — a Courage Campaign invitation
to a public debate on same-sex marriage with Reverend Eric Lee, President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) of Greater Los Angeles.

If you agree, please sign your name to the invitation below:

Dear Rev. Rick Warren,

As Americans who believe in equal rights for all, we would like to invite you to a debate about Proposition 8 and same-sex marriage.

The Reverend Eric Lee, President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) of Greater Los Angeles, has accepted our invitation to debate you at a time and location to be determined.

While we strongly disagree with your views, we also strongly believe that your views must be debated in a public forum.

We hope you agree and accept this challenge to debate Rev. Lee as soon as possible.

The undersigned,

Click to visit the Courage Campaign website and add your name.