(Photo credit: Jag Studios)

This writer and his husband certainly thank you.

GLAD press release:

GLAD Celebrates Connecticut’s Marriage Equality Anniversary

CT Married Couples to be Surveyed about DOMA

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, which won marriage equality in Connecticut through their court victory in Kerrigan & Mock v. Department of Public Health, will mark the first anniversary with a little celebration and a little investigation.

“The past 12 months have seen amazing progress, with Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Iowa all achieving marriage equality,” said GLAD attorney Bennett Klein, who argued the Kerrigan case before Connecticut’s Supreme Court. “As we share the joy and happiness of lesbian and gay couples in Connecticut, we know we have more to do to end discrimination, in other states and at the federal level.”

GLAD and Love Makes a Family will join married couples, including many of the lawsuit’s plaintiffs, at the State House for an anniversary photo at 3:30, followed by cake, champagne, and a toast in the Old Judiciary Room.

In addition to joining the festivities in Hartford at the State House, GLAD is rolling out a survey of Connecticut’s married same-sex couples to find out how they are affected by the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

“All the couples who marry in those states will sooner or later run into federal discrimination because of DOMA. It may be when they try to file their taxes jointly, or are denied their spouse’s Social Security benefits, or try to sponsor their spouse to immigrate to the U.S. or try to put their spouse on their health care plan,” said Klein.

There are 1,138 federal laws that distinguish based on martial status when conferring benefits, obligations, and protections on married couples. Because of DOMA, married same-sex couples have access to none of the protections and responsibilities set aside for married couples.

In March of this year, GLAD filed Gill v. Office of Personnel Management on behalf of eight Massachusetts married couples and three widowers, who have all been penalized by DOMA.

GLAD’s survey is being mailed out to Connecticut couples, and can also be filled out on its website at http://www.glad.org/doma/survey.

Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders is New England’s leading legal organization dedicated to ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status, and gender identity and expression.

# # #

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn't change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.
...
Several D.C. Council members said the Catholic Church is trying to erode the city's long-standing laws protecting gay men and lesbians from discrimination.
Catholic Church gives D.C. ultimatum [WaPo]

And why, exactly, do their faith-based concerns about something (namely: discrimination) that they think will affect "tens of thousands of people" somehow trumps our civil-based concerns that demonstrably affect many more than that?!?! Ugh. It's so damn nervy of them!

God forbid they have to be compassionate to both the homeless and the gays (with overlap there, of course). Or actually, we always thought God would forbid the exact opposite. But hey, what do we know? We're just immoral perverts.

State Rep. Stacey Campfield, the Britney Spears of state government (Oops! He did it again!) was tossed out of a UT football game on Halloween, according to news reports this week. The story of what happened is bizarre, as are most things Campfield.

You can bet on this: He'll blame the media. His wacky actions are never his doing, you see, but always that of his oppressors. Except when he is craving attention. Then you can't shut him up.
Campfield should blame himself for bizarre antics [Tennessean]

Funny. Although we have to say that when he was suggesting an all-out ban on "gay" in Tennessee schools, our first thought wasn't Britney. Anita Bryant or Pat Boone, maybe.

It remains to be seen if Campfield will respond to Kerr's poppy charge. Though if Kerr is right, don't expect his to perform the response live.

*Last year's edition: You can sell dreidels, just as long as you mention Jesus [G-A-Y]

You can watch the former here: Carrie Prejean flips out on 'inappropriate Larry King Live' [Towle]

And you can read about the latter here: Prejean's Ex BF: Carrie Wanted Me to Lie [TMZ]

We're thinking that we're done with his one. It's way past time to return the Prejean name fame back to Sister Helen.

Len Deo Part 1 [YT]

This just shows us how vigilant we are going to have to be in New Jersey over the next few months, as the state legislature debates whether to finally do the right thing and bump up the state's civil unions to full marriage equality. We knew NOM was well-connected in the Garden State, but Len Deo's words show us just how strong their ties to the turnpike really are. It's a near certainty that Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown are going to work these ties for all they're worth (as we've already heard with their "Jayla" ad). We have to stand up for our own worth in even greater ways!

Turn to Garden State Equality for the ways that you can help!