Body Of Christ Pez Dispenser

Product description: "The Communion Host Dispenser offers a touch-free solution to preparing and serving communion, helping to prevent the passing of germs. The Dispenser can reduce the cost by as much as 50 percent by reducing the time and personnel needed to prepare and serve communion all year long."  Available in a 24K gold-plated version for only $313.20.  Hip and durable canvas messenger bag style carrying satchel (with gold cross): $129.95. Fitted cloth cover (with gold cross): $55.95. NOM's Thomas Peters is outraged: "Seriously. Worst thing ever."

Schlafly: Pray Against Gay Marriage

"The Supreme Court will hand down its decision in June, and I cannot predict what the Court will do. The Court could uphold marriage as God defined it and as we have respected it since before the Pilgrims landed on the Atlantic coast centuries ago. Or the Court could redefine marriage, which would dramatically change hundreds of U.S. laws and the whole character of our society. There is now nothing you and I can do to affect the decision except to pray that God will speak to the Justices and tell them to do the right thing. The only thing you and I can do is to pray that five of the nine Justices will listen to hear and heed the Lord's message. So I'm asking you to pray every day for this cause because there's nothing else we can do." - Phyllis Schlafly, sounding rather defeatist on her radio show.

Meet The New President Of The NRA

"The NRA was started, 1871, right here in New York state. It was started by some Yankee generals who didn't like the way my southern boys had the ability to shoot in what we call the 'War of Northern Aggression.'"

Source.

NYC Rugby Bachelor Auction: May 9th

The Gotham Knights Rugby Club will hold its annual bachelor auction next week as a fundraiser for the Ali Forney Center.

Gotham Knights RFC are proud to hold our Bachelor Auction X at the one and only Splash 50 W 17th Street, New York NY on Thursday, May 9th, 2013 featuring 15 of New York City’s sexiest rugby players and veterans and hosted by the hardest working woman in show business, Peppermint. Bachelor Auction X is from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM – so get to Splash early to get prime seating to clock our bachelors!

More details here.

Stereogamous - Face Love Anew

Chicago's Shaun J. Wright provides vocals on this tasty deep house track from Australia's gay DJ duo Stereogamous. The clip is by Leonardo Herrera.  Get it on iTunes.

Warren Buffett Joins Twitter

One tweet and 330,000 followers.

MN Marriage Votes May Come Next Week

The Grand Forks Herald reports that a key Minnesota House Democrat has indicated he will support same-sex marriage. The vote in both state chambers may come as soon as next week.

Rep. Joe Radinovich, of Crosby, had been undecided. He said he decided more than a decade ago that he personally supports letting same-sex couples legally marry, but was conflicted knowing that many residents of his Brainerd-area district are more skeptical.  "This was not an easy decision, but at the end of the day I'd rather protect my integrity than my job," Radinovich told The Associated Press. The 27-year-old lawmaker won his seat by just 323 votes last fall.

Passage in the state Senate appears assured, but a dozen House Democrats from rural districts remain uncommitted to supporting the bill.

President Obama Supports LGBT Inclusion For Immigration Reform Bill

Speaking tonight at a press conference in Costa Rica, President Obama endorsed including LGBT couples in the immigration reform bill currently before the Senate.

Obama says that recognizing same-sex relationships in the bill is "the right thing to do." But he says it would be premature to telegraph what he will or won't do before lawmakers send him a bill. Gay rights supporters are pushing for an amendment to the bill to allow gays to sponsor their partners to come to the U.S. But Republicans, including some who helped draft the bill, have made it clear that amending the legislation in that fashion would cost their support.

VIDEO: Antoine Dodson Explains How He's Always Loved The Art Of A Woman

Earlier today TMZ reported that viral video star Antoine Dodson has renounced his homosexuality and become a Jewish Black Israelite. Below is his interview with HuffPost Live. The crazy gets crazier as the clip goes on.

PHILADELPHIA: Boy Scouts To Vacate Rent-Free Local Headquarters

After years of legal battles, Philadelphia's local Boy Scouts group has agreed to abandon the city-owned building they've occupied rent-free for 85 years.  The city has agreed to pay the Boy Scouts $825,000 for physical improvements they made to the facility.

The group's rent-free use of the building came under fire after the Boy Scouts of America barred gays from membership. The city unsuccessfully sought to have the chapter evicted for violation of Philadelphia's anti-discrimination policies. Ultimately, the Cradle of Liberty Council decided that the battle was becoming a distraction and it was in the best interests of the city's boys who they were trying to recruit to put an end to it, the group's scout executive, Tom Harrington, said. "If anything, this is good news that will help us renew our focus on serving those youth," Harrington said.

The 17,000-member Philadelphia Boy Scouts group attempted to ban anti-gay discrimination in 2003, but was ordered to rescind that ban by the national organization.

Rhode Island Gives NOM The Sadz

"Children deserve to know and be cared for by a mom and a dad. This law will intentionally deny children one or the other. The full impact may not be seen next week or next year, but our children will be the ones who pay the price for this decision. Without robust legal protections to allow these faithful people and groups to maintain fidelity in the public square to their religious beliefs, we’re likely to see a raft of lawsuits and governmental action such as license revocations, fines and denial of governmental contracts to these faith-based groups and individuals." - NOM Rhode Island director Christopher Plante, riding the waambulance for Focus On The Family.

At Westboro's NBA Protest

Happy Place reports:

Meet homophobia's nemesis. All the anti-gay bigotry in the world is no match for the sheer fabulousness of a cute, skinny boy with ripped abs and tiny shorts wearing an American flag for a cape. In response to Jason Collins coming out, the irritating vermin of the Westboro Baptist Curch showed up on Wednesday to protest in Oklahoma City, where the Houston Rockets were playing the OKC Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Quarterfinals.

(Via JMG reader Danny)

Janelle Monae - Q.U.E.E.N.

2.1M views in 48 hours. I posted the lyric clip last week.

Edith Windsor On Her "Ex-Gay" Therapy

"Nobody wanted to be queer. Right before we met, Thea had seen a great therapist, who thought, 'Well, maybe you could become heterosexual, but only with an awful lot of work and maybe never happily.' When I finished college, I went into therapy, and my father said, 'Honey, what’s wrong? I said, 'Daddy, it’s like graduate school, only the subject is myself.'" - Edith Windsor, interviewed by the New York Times.

Alan Keyes: Gay Scouts Will Force Other Boys To Be Gay Themselves

"The latest proposal for ending the BSA’s ban on homosexual participation in Scouting is a strategic ploy. What is most disturbing is that it uses the young participants in the Scouting movement as cannon fodder in the battle against the natural family. Some youngsters will be positioned to draw other youngsters into situations where, because they react against sexual advances according to the moral precepts of the faith of their fathers, they will be viciously accused of unrighteous bigotry. Or else their vulnerable adolescent emotions will impel them to betray the tenets of conscience derived from their faith, and slip into a whirlpool of compulsive sensual indulgence, moral guilt and spiritual confusion." - Three times failed presidential candidate and three times failed Senate candidate Alan Keyes, writing for World Net Daily.

SUNDAY: Oprah Interviews Jason Collins

Here's the teaser clip for Oprah's 90-minute interview with Jason Collins, which airs Sunday at 7:30PM on OWN.

Gay NY State Reps Endorse Quinn

New York state Assemblymember Deborah Glick and state Sen. Brad Hoylman have endorsed Christine Quinn for New York City mayor.  Via their joint press release:

“Christine Quinn has remained a stalwart advocate of civil rights, driven by a passion for equality and justice,” said State Senator Brad Hoylman. “She is a ‘do-er’ not a ‘say-er’—her commitment to improving housing and employment rights, increasing public safety, ensuring reproductive freedom and fighting against discrimination in the workplace shows Christine is true leader who will move New York City forward. As a grassroots organizer, I know what it takes to get the job done and Christine Quinn is the candidate I can count on to make sure New York City is just and fair, for residents of all races, genders, sexualities and backgrounds.”

Hoylman was first elected in November and is the only openly gay member of the state Senate. His district includes Chelsea, Hell's Kitchen, and the West Village. Glick's district covers the West Village and much of lower Manhattan. She was the first ever openly gay New York state legislator and is in her eleventh term in the Assembly.

Where's Walid?

Via Upworthy, British satirist Charlie Brooker delivers a great takedown of the media's handling of the Boston bombing. Watch this.

Making The Rounds In Teabagistan

Right wing sites like Michelle Malkin's Twitchy are posting the above flow chart which supposedly describes how the lamestream media handles stories about protests.

Concerned Women Head Penny Nance: Atheism Brought The Holocaust

Concerned Women head Penny Nance is super concernstipated because Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx endorsed the National Day Of Reason, an atheist response to this week's National Day Of Prayer. Earlier this week President Obama nominated Foxx to be Secretary of Transportation. Via Crooks And Liars:

When normal people think of the Enlightenment, they think of Newton, Locke, Voltaire, Spinoza, Montesquieu, Goethe, Paine, Jefferson -- and the ideas that helped launch the American Revolution. When crazy right-wing Christians think of the Enlightenment, they apparently think of...Nazis. See what happens when you advance science, cast off the monarchy and separate church from state? Hitler. Sure, it sounds crazy -- but Nance's rant is of a piece to what Rick Santorum said during the presidential campaign.

(Tipped by JMG reader Ted)

Viral Video Star Antoine Dodson: I'm Now Totally Straight Because I Love Jesus And I'm A Jewish Black Israelite

TMZ reports that flamboyant YouTube viral star Antoine Dodson has renounced his homosexuality and now wants a wife. Because he loves Jesus. And he's now apparently a follower of the racist Black Israelites, an SPLC-certified hate group. Dodson returned to the headlines last year when he denounced gay people that refuse to patronize Chick-Fil-A.  From his Facebook page:

I have to renounce myself, I'm no longer into homosexuality I want a wife and family, I want to multiply and raise and love my family that I create. I could care less about the fame and fortune, I've giving all that up to know the true history of the bible. For I am the True Chosen Hebrew Israelite descendant of Judah. And as True Israel I know that there are certain things we just can't do. And I totally understand that now. I don't need a Mercedes Benz, I don't need a big house in Beverly Hills all I need is the Most High and my family (Israel). I have been awaken by the great and so should you. Let's be delivered from the wickedness of the world and live the way we should. The Most High bless all and have a beautiful evening. Israel wake up and take full power of who you are. I'm ready are you?

Stand by for Dodson to appear in Times Square wearing an Earth Wind & Fire costume.  I can't wait to see if Porno Pete applauds THIS "conversion."

Google Recognizes Palestine

Via BBC News:

Internet giant Google has changed the tagline on the homepage of its Palestinian edition from "Palestinian Territories" to "Palestine". The change, introduced on 1 May, means google.ps now displays "Palestine" in Arabic and English under Google's logo. Using the word Palestine is controversial for some. Israeli policy is that the borders of a Palestinian state are yet to be agreed. In November, the UN gave Palestine the status of "non-member observer state". The decision by the General Assembly was strongly opposed by Israel and the United States. Previously, Palestine only had "observer entity" status.

The wingnuts are gonna flip.

Brand New Heavies - Sunlight

Lovely nu-disco with occasional member N'Dea Davenport on lead vocals. The new album Forward will be released on May 21st. One of the best concerts I've ever seen was Brand New Heavies at Manhattan's Marqee in 1991, a show also memorable because I was knocked on my ass by the late rapper Heavy D as he and his entourage barreled towards a side exit. Anyway, play loud.

(Tipped by JMG reader Jeff)

FRANCE: Bullets Mailed To Gay Mayor

The openly gay mayor of the French town of Sigolsheim was mailed bullets this week in yet another death threat about same-sex marriage. Via The Local:

Speitel, who is gay himself, said he was “shocked” by the incident and described the act as “odious”. The threat comes after Speitel gave a recent interview to the local newspaper Derniers Nouvelles d’Alsace in which he talked about the probability he would marry his partner and the prospect of them adopting children. He also slammed the homophobic incidents that have taken place in France over recent months, that have been blamed on the poisonous atmosphere created by some of the more extreme opponents of gay marriage. Along with the bullets, Speitel, a practicing Catholic, was sent a copy of his newspaper interview, which contained scrawled handwritten homophobic insults.

This is just the latest incident in the campaign against pro-gay French politicians. Last month the head of the French Assembly was mailed gunpowder and two Socialist legislators were sent letters containing threats to murder them and their families. According to the above-linked article, a poll released today shows that 67% of the French public wants the protests to stop because "France is ready to move on."

One Million Moms Againt Manscaping

Via press release:

The new Norelco commercial goes beyond a close facial shave to body grooming well below the chest and back. This commercial went WAY TOO FAR! During the commercial, it shows a man trimming hair in different areas of his body. Toward the end, it shows him standing with his boxer shorts down with hair falling to the floor as he uses the hair trimmer. It is implied that he is shaving in his private area. The dialogue in the ad is equally offensive. "I'd wink at me; I'd hug me," he says. Then he looks in the mirror, admires himself, and says, "I'd F*** me." The F-word is bleeped out. But then they display their website, www.IdFAQme.com. This is clearly a play on the F-word. The excuse Philips Norelco gave by phone was equally dismissive, saying, "We are trying to reach a certain audience and would pass along these concerns." Their response isn't good enough. The ad shouldn't run at any time. It is not only inappropriate for children; it is offensive to adults also. The company's response to people's concerns is in poor taste.

Here's the ad. OMM is asking their followers to complain on Norelco's Facebook page.

Church Sign Of The Day

Two-time Grammy winning Slayer lead guitarist Jeff Hanneman died of liver failure yesterday at the age of 49. Source.

Tired Old Queen At The Movies #115

Clip recap:

GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953) Jane and Marilyn have a comic field day together aided by a supporting cast which includes; Tommy Noonan, Charles Coburn and precocious little George "Foghorn" Winslow, who may be the youngest millionaire on the boat, but has an eye for a good looking girls. Adapted from the hit Broadway show with musical numbers staged by legendary choreographer and Marilyn confidante Jack Cole, it's a lush Technicolor eyeful that will have you laughing hysterically and humming for days.

Rep. David Scott (D-GA) Backs Marriage

Two days ago JMG reader Rob sent me this note: "Dear Joe, My partner & I met with our congressman, Rep. David Scott, yesterday and he told us that he completely supports marriage equality. He stated that he was a guest at Barney Frank's wedding. He said that he would be willing to look at the Respect for Marriage Act as a co-sponsor if it is reintroduced in this Congress."

I immediately wrote to Rep. Scott's office and yesterday I received this short but welcome response from his spokesman: "Congressman Scott fully supports marriage equality." In 2004 and 2006 Scott had voted in support of a federal constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, but told Rob that he had "only been trying to represent the wishes of his constituents at the time." (Rob's phrasing.) Thanks to Rob, the HRC has now updated their entry on Rep. Scott.  And that makes ten Democrats that I've lined out on last month's post on marriage holdouts in the House. Please check the list and see if I've missed anybody.

No Hetero

NFL Player: Gays Shoudn't Flaunt It

"Straight people are not announcing they're straight, so why does everybody have to announce their sexuality or whatever? You know, what they prefer. So that's just how I see it. That's my opinion on things. All respect you know, I have nothing but respect for the people whoever decisions they make and whatever, but you know, you don't have to show it and flaunt it like that. You know what I'm saying, we have kids out here too." - Atlanta Falcons cornerback Asante Samuel, speaking to Fox Sports Radio.

RNC On Obama's First 100 Days

The first 100 days of his second term, that is.

TUESDAY: Final Delaware Marriage Vote

Delaware Liberal reports that the full state Senate will make the final vote on same-sex marriage on Tuesday. Last week one state Senator flipped into the "yes" column, but a win is still not in the bag.   Delaware readers, please reach out to your state Senator this morning even if their "yes" vote has already been predicted.

NEXT THURSDAY: Broadway Cares To Host Public Meeting On AIDS Survivorship

Last night I went to the Broadway Cares planning session for next week's public forum on AIDS survivorship where I'll be one of the panelists. In the left foreground of the above photo is Tony winner Stephen Spinella, who will be the evening's host. On the right is famed activist and panelist Peter Staley. At the head of the table is HIV researcher Dr. Perry Halkaitis, the panel's moderator, and to his right is event organizer John Voelcker.  More details:

The Medius Working Group presents a free community forum to assess what it’s like to be part of the “AIDS Generation,” to have lived through the epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s and how those experiences have affected the lives we’ve led since then. The evening begins at 7 pm with an excerpt from the Oscar-nominated documentary How to Survive a Plague, followed by a panel at 7:15 pm and an open discussion at 8:30 pm.  

We've been told that over 400 people have already registered for the event, which will be held at 7pm next Thursday at Baruch College's Mason Hall in Gramercy Park. Hit the free registration link. It would be great to have a lot of JMG folks in the house.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee Celebrates On MSNBC

Photos Of The Day

All of New England is now officially on the side of equality.  Congratulations Rhode Island!

LIVE: Final Rhode Island Marriage VoteUPDATE: Marriage PASSES 56-15!!!

Watch it live here.

RI Bishop: Don't Go To Gay Weddings

"At this moment of cultural change, it is important to affirm the teaching of the Church, based on God’s word, that 'homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered,' (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2357) and always sinful. And because 'same-sex marriages' are clearly contrary to God’s plan for the human family, and therefore objectively sinful, Catholics should examine their consciences very carefully before deciding whether or not to endorse same-sex relationships or attend same-sex ceremonies, realizing that to do so might harm their relationship with God and cause significant scandal to others." - Rhode Island Bishop Thomas Tobin, in a crybaby pastoral letter published today.

Barkley & Shaq Chat With Jason Collins

Another School Win For ACLU

Via press release from Florida:

Just one day after 14-year-old Bayli Silberstein filed suit against the Lake County School Board to enforce her constitutionally protected right to establish a Gay-Straight Alliance at her school, today the School Board has ended months of delay and efforts to block the GSA, and will allow the club to meet. The consent decree entered today in federal court allowing Silberstein to finally establish the GSA settles a lawsuit filed only yesterday, May 1st, which was the result of months of the school board repeatedly delaying and thwarting the establishment of the GSA. “I’m just so happy that our club is finally going to be allowed to meet,” stated Silberstein, an 8th-grader at Carver Middle School. “There’s only about a month left of school, but that’s still a month we can use to start doing the work to make this school a safer and more welcoming place.”

One day. Don't mess with the ACLU.

Daily Beast Retracts Claim That Jason Collins "Didn't Come Clean" About His Engagement To A Woman

The Daily Beast has retracted a column that claimed Jason Collins "didn't come clean" about having been engaged to a woman in the essay Collins penned for Sports Illustrated.  The Daily Beast post has been widely trumpeted on anti-gay and right wing sites.  From the retraction notice:

In that piece, Collins wrote, “When I was younger I dated women. I even got engaged. I thought I had to live a certain way. I thought I needed to marry a woman and raise kids with her. I kept telling myself the sky was red, but I always knew it was blue." In his original blog post, [Howard] Kurtz incorrectly stated that Collins “didn’t come clean” about the engagement. In an amended version, Kurtz added that Collins “downplayed” the engagement and “didn’t dwell on it.” The Daily Beast sincerely regrets Kurtz’s error—and any implication that Collins attempted to hide or obscure the engagement.

UPDATE: Kurtz has "parted company" with Daily Beast.

An Australian Argument For Marriage

An Australian couple tells their three year-old son that he can't marry Mommy because "she already has a husband."  Boy: "I want a husband!" Father: "[Prime Minister] Julia Gillard says you can't have a husband." Much sobbing ensues.

Ken Hutcherson: Satan Loves Jason Collins

"The enemy has impeccable timing. Collins is being used as a pawn, in the most dangerous game of Russian roulette for his soul. Have you ever noticed that those who support the gay agenda don't like Christians in sports, entertainment, or media? They really don't like us anywhere at all. Let's take Tim Tebow as a classic example. Tebow was asked to keep his beliefs quietly to himself, while Collins is celebrated for the 'heroism' displayed for exposing his off-court activities. We need to unite now! It's time for us to draw our own line in the sand, sending a clear message to all who would listen. That message is, we are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, and this is our country. We won't let it be destroyed by a handful of anti-Christian people." - Wackadoodle preacher Ken Hutcherson, writing for the Christian Post.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG:  Hutcherson says God hates effeminate men. Hutcherson says that if you are gay, God will murder you. Hutcherson says that the only reason he played football was so he could hurt white people legally. Hutcherson says gay people are going to marry horses. Hutcherson says gay men are going to marry little boys. Hutcherson says the governor of Washington is like Lincoln's killer because she signed the marriage bill. Hutcherson says Christians are so oppressed, they are "the new Negroes."

From Minnesotans United For Marriage

New Zealand's List Of Banned Baby Names

New Zealand's government gets the final say on what you can name your baby. Just released is the latest list of banned names.

Lucifer cannot be born in New Zealand. And there's no place for Christ or a Messiah either. In New Zealand, parents have to run by the government any name they want to bestow on their baby. And each year, there's a bevy of unusual ones too bizarre to pass the taste test. The country's Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages shared that growing list with CNN on Wednesday. As the agency put it, acceptable names must not cause offense to a reasonable person, not be unreasonably long and should not resemble an official title and rank. It's no surprise then that the names nixed most often since 2001 are "Justice" (62 times) and "King" (31 times). Some of the other entries scored points in the creativity department -- but clearly didn't take into account the lifetime of pain they'd bring. "Mafia No Fear." "4Real." "Anal." Oh, come on!

Other names on the banned list: Duke, Major, Majesty, Queen Victoria, Emperor, and Lord. Names that have brackets around them and names that feature a backslash are also banned.  One poor child was allowed to be named Number 16 Bus Shelter. A set of twins was allowed to be named Benson and Hedges.  (Tipped by JMG reader Win)

Gay Soccer Player May Return To Game

In February pro soccer player Robbie Rogers came out and announced his retirement on the same day.  But hang on, Rogers was spotted training with the Los Angeles Galaxy this week.

The 25-year-old, who has 18 caps for the U.S., accepted an invitation from Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena to train with the team, which posted pictures of Rogers in action on their social media sites. Californian Rogers made his name in MLS with the Columbus Crew but under league rules, his rights would be held by the Chicago Fire if he was to return to play. Chicago head coach Frank Klopas told the team's website on Tuesday that they would be interested in signing Rogers. "The only thing I can tell you is he's a very good player and the first option is to always look to bring him to our team if he decides to play," said Klopas. "It's great that he's back into it. He's a young man with a lot of years left and it's something he loves doing. You can never get that back when its past."

It's not clear if Rogers' possible return to the sport has anything to do with the positive public reaction to the coming out of Jason Collins.

POLL: 44% Of GOP Voters Believe An Armed Revolution May Be Coming

Talking Points Memo has the startling result:

Three in 10 registered American voters believe an armed rebellion might be necessary in the next few years, according to the results of a staggering poll released Wednesday by Fairleigh Dickinson University’s PublicMind. The survey, aimed at measuring public attitudes toward gun issues, found that 29 percent of Americans agree with the statement, “In the next few years, an armed revolution might be necessary in order to protect our liberties.” An additional five percent were unsure. Eighteen percent of Democrats said an armed revolt “might be necessary,” as compared to 27 percent of independents and 44 percent of Republicans. Support levels were similar among males and females but higher among less educated voters.

An overall 25% also believe that the government is lying about the Sandy Hook shooting.

Your Balls Are Beautiful

An amusing parody of the Dove Real Beauty campaign.

Quote Of The Day - RI Gov Lincoln Chafee

"When I sign the Marriage Equality Act into law, I will be thinking of the Rhode Islanders who have fought for decades simply to be able to marry the person they love. I will be thinking of how Rhode Island is upholding its legacy as a place founded on the principles of tolerance and diversity. But I will also be thinking, as all governors must, about the economy. With marriage equality becoming law tomorrow night in Rhode Island, we are sending a clear message that we are open for business, and that all are welcome. I hope that leaders in capitals across the country — including Washington — will soon realize that marriage equality is an issue where doing the right thing and the smart thing are one and the same." - Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, writing for the New York Times. Hit the link and read the full essay.

Probably Gay: The Homophobia Song

This hilarious clip from Broad Comedy was posted in March last year, but somehow I missed it. Thanks to JMG reader Aaron for tweeting us the link.

Barber On Collins

The news about Tebow getting cut by the New York Jets was totally squashed by the Collins story and that has the haters very, very upset.

NOM Begs RI Legislators To Legalize Anti-Gay Discrimination With Marriage Bill

"At a bare minimum, the [marriage] legislation should be amended to provide all the provisions of the Corvese amendment to our civil union law and to ensure that individuals, small businesses and religious-based charitable and educational groups are not targeted by government or others with lawsuits, fines, denials of contracts and other forms of punishment for refusing to accept this radical redefinition of marriage." - Christopher Plante, head of NOM Rhode Island.  The bill will finalized today by the state House and signed by Gov. Lincoln Chafee late this afternoon.

From JetBlue's Facebook Page

Nike and Absolut Vodka have also expressed support on social media. Details.

NY Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell Delivers Epic Rant On Transgender Rights

On Tuesday the New York state Assembly approved GENDA, the transgender rights bill, for the sixth time. But not before openly gay Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell delivered an epic rant against the idiots who characterized the item as a "bathroom bill."  O'Donnell: "Spare me your lectures about GOD DAMN bathrooms!"

ETHIOPIA: Gay Death Penalty Coming?

An Ethiopian anti-gay religious group claims to be "making progress" in their campaign to convince the government to institute a death penalty for homosexuality.  The news comes from a workshop just held by the group.

Government officials, religious leaders, leading heath professionals, charities and members of the public attended the event at the Bethel Teaching Hospital in Addis Ababa, last week. In the workshop police alleged ‘homosexual family members and neighbors’ have sexually abused 117 boys last year. Participants agreed that the Western gay motto ‘born this way’ is unacceptable to Ethiopia, stating that not only has homosexuality nothing to do with nature, but the ‘condition’ runs against it.  A representative, from the Ethiopian Inter-Religious Council Against Homosexuality (EICAH) organization, underlined to workshop participants that gayness is not natural and has nothing to do with human rights, but ‘a result of a result of inappropriate upbringing, identity crisis and moral decay. At the conclusion of the workshop, the EICAH representative stated that the council is ‘making progress’ in convincing the government to be stricter on homosexuality and introduce the death penalty to punish ‘such acts’.

(Via Gay Star News)

Church Sign Of The Day

Source.

Matt Gold - Void

WISCONSIN: Church Cancels NFL Player's Speaking Gig Over Pro-Gay Tweet

A Wisconsin church has canceled a paid speaking engagement by former NFL player LeRoy Butler because he tweeted congratulations to Jason Collins.

Butler posted to his Twitter account “Congrats to Jason Collins” on Monday afternoon, after the story broke of the NBA player coming out in a Sports Illustrated cover story. Citing a morals clause, that was enough for a church Butler wouldn't name to pull his $8,500 speaking engagement -- an anti-bullying presentation -- scheduled for this summer. Donations collected during the event were earmarked for the church's youth. Butler said he refused to retract the statement and ask God for forgiveness as the church demanded if he wanted to keep the speaking appearance. “FYI, the fee was 8500$,then I was told if i removed the tweet and apologize and ask god forgiveness, I can have the event,” Butler said via Twitter (@leap36). “I said no.”

Open Thread Thursday

Tell us about your musical talents. Videos?

National LGBT Groups Threaten To Derail Immigration Bill Over Gay Exclusion

From a press release jointly issued by the National Center for Lesbian Rights, GLAAD, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, United We Dream and Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project:

Our primary goal is to pass a commonsense, compassionate immigration reform bill that puts our nation's undocumented men, women and children on a pathway to citizenship. That pathway would provide at least 267,000 LGBT undocumented people the opportunity to become full participants in our economy and our democracy.

We do not believe that our friends in the evangelical faith community or conservative Republicans would allow the entire immigration reform bill to fail simply because it affords 28,500 same-sex couples equal immigration rights. This take-it-or-leave-it stance with regard to same-sex binational couples is not helpful when we all share the same goal of passing comprehensive immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship.

We all deserve a chance to live with dignity, to pursue our dreams, and to work for a better future and better quality of life. Our current immigration system is broken. It dehumanizes, scapegoats and vilifies all immigrants, including LGBT immigrants, and their friends and families. Comprehensive, compassionate immigration reform is an urgent priority for our nation and the LGBT community. We stand firmly that the following principles must be included if we are to truly have comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

NOM reacts with the below headline.

Sen. Marco Rubio says that the bill will fail if the proposed gay-inclusive amendment is attached.

“It will virtually guarantee that it won’t pass,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a member of the Gang of Eight negotiating group, told POLITICO in a brief interview. “This issue is a difficult enough issue as it is. I respect everyone’s views on it. But ultimately, if that issue is injected into this bill, the bill will fail and the coalition that helped put it together will fall apart.” As the legislation moves through the Judiciary Committee and on to the Senate floor, many people will make pronouncements about things that must be kept in or kept out of the bill — but few issues worry the Gang of Eight as much as same sex partner rights.

The proposed amendment may be familiar to you as the Uniting American Families Act, which was first introduced by Rep. Jerry Nadler in 2000 as the Permanent Partners Immigration Act.  As a stand-alone bill, it has failed in the last seven consecutive Congresses and has never advanced out of its House or Senate committees.

Sarah Palin For Senate?

A Tea Party group has launched a "Draft Palin For US Senate" campaign.  And they want her to run in Alaska.

Could Sarah Palin make a political comeback in 2014? That is the goal of the Tea Party Leadership Fund, which is trying to draft the former vice-presidential candidate to run against Senator Mark Begich (D-AK) in his 2014 re-election campaign. The group revealed its plan in an email sent to supporters this week. “You and I both know that Sarah Palin is a fighter who will stand up to Harry Reid and his pals in the Senate to protect our Constitution in issues like amnesty, gun control and our nation’s crushing debt,” the email reads, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. “We know that, with Sarah in the Senate, conservatives across America can rest a little easier at night knowing that she’s at the watch.”

And every politics blogger said YES YES YES.

DELAWARE: Senate Committee Hears Marriage Equality Bill TodayUPDATE: The Bill Has PASSED 4-2

The Delaware Senate Executive Committee will hear its marriage equality bill today at 2:30pm at a special session where it's the only item on the agenda. The bill is expected to pass 4-2 in committee, but faces a tight vote in the full chamber. Last week we got some good news when one state Senator flipped into the "yes" column, but the latest head count shows the bill only squeaking by 11-10 in the full chamber, with three Democrats opposed. That's not guaranteed, of course. The bill passed 23-18 in the Delaware House last Tuesday and Gov. Jack Markell has promised to sign it. Delaware readers, please reach out to your state Senator this morning even if their "yes" vote has already been predicted.

UPDATE: The debate has begun. Listen live here.

UPDATE II: The committee has PASSED the bill by 4-2. Onward to the full Senate!

May The Fap Be With You

May is National Masturbation Month.

God H8s The NBA

Heather Has Two Cigarettes

Another repulsive clip from Janet Porter's Faith2Action, which last week put out that shitastically lame gay = adultery video. UPDATE: YouTube removed the clip as a violation of its hate speech policy. Below is a mirror posted by Gaily Grind.

(Via Good As You)

Jason Collins' #98 Jersey: Top Seller

The Washington Wizards announced today that 100% of its online custom jersey sales in the last 48 hours have borne the name and number of Jason Collins.

Washington Wizards center Jason Collins’ jerseys got a boost in online sales after he became the first openly gay athlete on a major U.S. team sport. Team spokesman Scott Hall told ABC News that 100 percent of custom jerseys ordered from the team’s online store bore Collins’ name and number, 98, on the back, after Collins revealed his homosexuality in an article published on Sports Illustrated’s website on Monday. While Hall could not reveal how many custom Collins jerseys were sold, he said that the team’s general merchandise sales and online traffic spiked following Collins’ announcement. In a statement, the Wizards said they were proud of Collins and “his decision to live his life proudly and openly.”

The parents of Matthew Shepard revealed yesterday that they were "brought to tears" by the news that Collins chose his jersey number as a secret memorial to the year that Shepard was murdered. Customize your Collins jersey here.

TRAILER: The History of Future Folk

"Best alien-folk-duo sci-fi-action romance-comedy ever."

16 Of 30 NBA Teams

Via Freedom To Work.

Jesus Hates Immigrants

"Scripture is clear on many things, but a sovereign nation’s immigration policy is not one of them. There is no biblical mandate for mass Amnesty for illegal aliens. Make no mistake, the current Senate proposal allows all illegal aliens to come forward to receive 'Registered Provisional Immigrant' legal status within six months after President Obama signs the bill. That is Amnesty. Scripture clearly commands individuals and the Body of Christ to show kindness and compassion to 'strangers' or 'sojourners,' terms that imply a person is in a foreign land temporarily. However, that is not a command to the government. Government is charged with protecting its own citizens and administering justice so its citizens remain free to exercise compassion and generosity." - From a mass email sent by Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum. (Via Right Wing Watch)

Manif Pour Tous Promotes Next Hate Rally

Headline Of The Day

Via Mashable:

The magazine's website, SI.com, drew 3.713 million unique visitors Monday. Its previous high came on Feb. 9, 2010, when the site drew 3.663 million unique visitors for both its Winter-Olympics coverage and launch of its annual swimsuit issue. The site also reported a record-setting mobile day, with 740,000 unique visitors generating 1.5 million pageviews via smartphones and other devices. The company says that's three times the site's normal mobile pageview number, and five times its average number of unique visitors since relaunching for mobile last October.

KENTUCKY: Two Year-Old Killed By Five Year-Old With Gun Sold As "My First Rifle"

A two year-old Kentucky girl has been shot and killed by her five year-old brother, who was playing with a gun sold as "My First Rifle."

Cumberland County Coroner Gary White told the Lexington Herald-Leader the family had not realized a shell was left inside the gun. The boy picked up the gun from where it was kept in the corner of the house and it accidentally fired when he began playing with it. The siblings' mother was home when the shot was fired. The toddler was rushed to Cumberland County Hospital but pronounced dead. "It's a Crickett," White said. "It's a little rifle for a kid. ...The little boy's used to shooting the little gun."

My First Rifle sells for $229 and comes in "a variety of vibrant kid-friendly colors and designs."

Three New Arrests In Boston Bombing

Story developing...

UPDATE: Early details.

Three college students have been arrested in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings, a Boston police source said this morning. The Boston police official Twitter account said that three additional “suspects” had been taken into custody. The source said the three had been arrested by federal authorities.