Your Morning LGBT News Roundup

Warning! Lots of marriage ahead... with some other stuff sprinkled in.

• The ACLU is threatening to sue Tennessee school districts if they do not restore access to LGBT educational websites. Tennssee has a statewide blanket blocking software that individual districts can click in or out for certain topics. A recent check indicates that upwards of 80% of school districts have blocked non-sexual, gay-themed websites.
• Rudy Giuliani is against gay marriage -- although we're not quite sure if he's making waves for a 2010 run for NY Governor, or a 2012 run for President. Regardless: Giuliani is a loser who could only win an election for NY Mayor. Seriously, folks. His best gay friends, with whom he lived with for six months, thinks that the opinion is ok -- it comes from political and religious views, not personal ones. *raises hand* I have questions!
• The Maine legislators is set to hear arguments from both sides on equal marriage. A poll released yesterday indicates 43.3-49.5-3.3 pro-con-maybe split in the state. Actually, that's not bad.
• Headline-grabbing Republicans endorse gay marriage to the (what we thought was) defunct Log Cabin Republicans (LCR)! Steve Schmidt, former NJ Governor Whitman, and Meghan McCain all said gay is OK this week.
• The NY Assembly has passed the Gender Equality Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA -- clever, folks) that would extend protections to cover gender identity and expression, and expand the current hate crimes statutes the same. Considering the recent announcement by the LCR that the state Republicans would allow representatives to "vote their conscience," people are wondering whether this once defeated bill will cause problems for marriage in the Empire State. (Take them both, I say!)
• Louisiana begins the fight: couples in New Orleans are suing for the right to marry after being denied licenses at their local county clerk's office.
• And Tango Makes Three, a children's book about gay penguins that adopted a pup, remains at the top of the "Challenged" book list by the American Library Association. Really? Really?
• Nevada's Senate passed a partnership bill giving most of the rights of marriage to same-sex couples, and it is expected to pass the Assembly. However, Gov. Jim Gibbons may veto it and the 12-9 vote is not enough to overturn the veto.
• The Church of Scotland has published an opinion asking parishioners to come to terms with gay relationships, noting conservatives' "selective" use of Biblical verses.
• Miss California says that her opinion on equal marriage cost her her crown. Yadda, yadda, yadda. Apparently, God was testing her faith. God does that for people a lot when it comes to two people loving each other, doesn't he?
• In the murder trial of Angie Zapata, which is the first under Colorado's gender-inclusive hate crimes statute, alleged killed Allen Andrade heard his own voice on a voicemail saying, "It's gay. Gay things need to die." It's in reference to a cellphone, btw. Also fun is that they found a vibrator... with Andrade's DNA on it, and not Zapata's. Strange, yes?
• John A. Farrell at US News and World Reports thinks that Reagan would not have spent as much time on social issues as the Republicans who are championing his name, these days, are. Yea, too bad he spent so little time on it that he completely ignored this thing we call "AIDS."
• Another pre-teen -- 11 year old Jaheem Harrera -- has killed himself over school bullying, some of which was focused on his supposed sexual orientation. But, you're right, Day of Silence was completely unnecessary. *rolls eyes* Nobody needs to hear more about bullying in school.
• The Florida Supreme Court hears arguments for and against same-sex partner adoption today. You can hear the arguments online here.
• Despite the US government promising to change the law, HIV+ individuals are still being denied access into this country. No word yet from the Obama administration -- which is something that I'm writing a lot these days.

And now you're all caught up! Don't you feel better?

PRESIDENT OBAMA's speech

It's nice to say that, isn't it? President Obama.

For the full work, go to the CNN article here:

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Oh, and to the text message I sent to people this morning... "Morning again in America" ... is it weird that I referenced Reagan when talking about Obama? 

And many many heartfelt thoughts to Senator Ted Kennedy and his family...