So here I am - back again seething and frothing at the mouth with frustration at the state that I live in - Indiana. As I've said before, I'm so happy for the LGBT people in these states and countries - but I always feel as if I've been stabbed in the stomach because Indiana is no closer to marriage equality than we likely were in the 1800's.

In the last post I wrote for Bilerico, I included a video the Indianapolis PFLAG chapter made to educate Hoosiers about marriage equality. Well, tonight someone I follow posted a video created by the Indiana Family Institute.

For those of you who don't know, the IFI claims to be an organization whose aim is to strengthen the family and preserve "traditional" marriage. They work closely with Focus on the Family (and that should tell you something right there), and, according to their website:

Preserve pro-family policy already within State Government, push for additional policies that will strengthen Indiana families and educate voters on where their elected offials stand on issues that affect Hoosier families.

To translate, one of the aims of the IFI is to ensure that HJR-6 - the proposed state ban on same-sex marriage, gets written into our state constitution.

So I watched this video, and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry (or both). It was created by Ryan McCann, one of the "leaders" of IFI. Now, I have no idea if he saw the video that the Indy PFLAG chapter created, but this video is definitely an attack on those of us who are working to bring about marriage equality in Indiana.

Today I saw a video taken as the New Zealand Parliament voted 77-44 to approve marriage equality. Following the vote, the spectators in the gallery and some of the lawmakers broke into a New Zealand love song called "Pokarekare Ana." I watched this with tears running down my face - first, because I was so happy for the people of New Zealand, but also because I am so extremely frustrated by what is happening here in Indiana.

It seems that every day another state and another country is joining the other states and countries that realize that everyone deserves the right to legally be with the person they love. I don't want to come off as sour grapes - I honestly am happy that marriage equality is moving forward - faster than I ever expected - but every time I read another story, I feel as if Indiana is going nowhere fast and we will be left behind.

Will we be a small pocket of intolerance as the rest of the world embraces equality?

Last month, LGBT students at Sullivan High School in Sullivan, IN, a small town near the Illinois border, asked the school administration if they could attend the prom. The school had no problem - sure, the kids could attend. That was great! However, this is when things went downhill in Sullivan.

Some teachers, parents and students decided that they did not want the gay and lesbian students to attend the prom. So they received permission to hold a meeting at a local church. They decided that they would hold a "traditional" prom. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, it seems the media was at that meeting and one Sullivan citizen decided to exercise her free speech rights.

Ms. Diana Medley is a Special Ed teacher in North Central Jr./Sr. High School. At this meeting, she made some statements about LGBT kids, one of them that the LGBT community doesn't have a purpose in life.

Well, that set off a firestorm! A Facebook page and a Change.org petition were started to get Ms. Medley fired. People got confused and thought Ms. Medley worked at the high school. The secretary at the church where the meeting was held received pornographic e-mails. Threatening letters have been sent to Sullivan High School.

In response to all of this, Northeast School Corporation, where Ms. Medley works, issued a statement. "I would like to clearly state that the Northeast School Corporation has never denied any student the right to attend prom or any other Northeast School Corporation-sponsored event due to their race, gender, or sexual orientation," the statement reads in part. "The Northeast School Corporation employee that was interviewed was exercising her First Amendment rights. The views expressed are not the views of the Northeast School Corporation and/or the Board of Education."

This statement set off another outcry by some who felt that the school administration should have either fired Ms. Medley or at the very least discipline her. Many weighed in, each with a different opinion or idea.

Now, on one hand, the fact that so many people are angry about Ms. Medley's words is, to my mind, a good thing. These are people who felt that LGBT kids were being discriminated against unfairly. But instead of focusing on the kids, they focused more on what should be done to Ms. Medley.

I was a teenager when Jodie Foster first appeared on shows such as "The Life of Eddie's Father." She played a little tomboy, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. She was blonde and scrappy. She stood up for herself in a world of boys and men. As she grew up, it seemed that no matter what role she played, she had guts and didn't take crap from anyone. I thought that was really cool. I wasn't very surprised when she "came out" in 2007. She always seemed like she knew who she was and again, didn't take crap from anyone.

So as I sat watching her the other night, she got to the part of the speech where she said, "So while I'm here being all confessional, I guess I have a sudden urge to say something that I've never really been able to air in public. So, a declaration that I'm a little nervous about but maybe not quite as nervous as my publicist right now, huh Jennifer? But I'm just going to put it out there, right? Loud and proud, right? So I'm going to need your support on this."

Well, I held my breath and hoped. I just knew she was going to say something important. I knew she had come out, but I thought maybe she'll take a stand for equality, make some sort of statement. So when she began her remarks about being single, I was so taken aback! I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

In his letter, Major Turner told me that The Salvation Army believes that all people are equal, regardless of sexual orientation or any other factors, including race, gender and ethnicity. He also said that their Mission is to "preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name without discrimination." He said the only requirement to receive service is to demonstrate need.

Attached to the letter were two pages which addressed the Internet rumors. Included was their statement that The Salvation Army does not condone turning anyone away who needs assistance. He said that they take very seriously any allegations of discrimination.

Other items addressed was that they do not employ lobbyists at the national level, that they do provide benefits to same-sex partners of employees, and that in 2004 they did not threaten to stop providing services in New York City rather than abide by a new city ordinance requiring all city contractors to provide employee benefits to same-sex partners.

Also included in this list of items was this statement: "Scripture forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same sex. The Salvation Army believes, therefore, that Christians whose sexual orientation is primarily or exclusively same-sex are called upon to embrace celibacy as a way of life."

On November 26, 2012, on Talking Liberally - Live Chat with Stephanie Miller, Salvation Army Major George Hood stated that discriminating against gay men and lesbians would violate the organization's mission. He said that being gay was "a personal choice that people have the right to make. But from a church viewpoint, we see that going against the will of God."

He also said that a statement the group issued calling on gay Christians to "embrace celibacy as a way of life" was removed from The Salvation Army's website last year. Hood said it was a theological statement not meant for an external audience and it was creating a lot of confusion.

I'm not sure, but it seems to me that The Salvation Army did a bit of damage control and no one told Major Turner here in Indiana. I expect they removed this statement from their webpage to keep outrage to a minimum. But it is what it is. I resent the idea of anyone expecting any group of people to be celibate (except nuns and priests who apparently want to live that way). So I wrote a letter back to Major Turner, explaining how I feel. It is included below.

Maurer was addressing the Tea Party Republicans and said that we should enact legislation requiring immigrants and homosexuals to wear purple hats so we would know who they are on sight. Joshua took this quote and turned it into a movement! Thus was born The Purple Hat Project.

Indianapolis PFLAG worked with the PHP on a few projects and events. We wore purple shirts and were photographed with our LGBT loved ones for a photo display. We were interviewed and shared our stories.

Joshua put his heart and his soul into The Purple Hat Project. He reached out to so many people and taught Hoosiers what love and acceptance are really about. I will never wear purple again without thinking of Joshua and The Purple Hat Project. And even though Joshua will be moving on, I know that he will always be an advocate and that we will see more of his creativity and ingeniousness down the road as he works to show the world what love is really about.

Check out Joshua's goodbye letter to his fellow Purple Hatters after the jump.

When Mr. Cathy opened his mouth and said he opposes same-sex marriage, I was angry. Now, I don't eat fast food anymore, and I wouldn't eat at Chick-fil-A for the obvious reasons. But the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if Mr. Cathy knew exactly what he was doing.

I certainly can't say for sure, but it seems to me that he made that statement knowing full-well what would happen. I think he wants this controversy.

Dynasty had been taunted with homophobic slurs and had rocks thrown at him as he walked home from the school bus. When Dynasty's mother, Chelisa Grimes, appealed to school officials, she was told that Dynasty was too flamboyant.

Last week, Ms. Grimes gave Dynasty a stun gun to take to school for protection. He was surrounded by a group of boys who threatened to beat him up, so he shot the gun into the air. No one was hurt, but the police arrived, and Dynasty was expelled from school.

Weapons are not allowed in any school, but I can only imagine how frustrated and angry Dynasty and his mother were. School officials once again refused to protect a student who was put in a dangerous situation.

Right after this incident occurred, a pro-LGBT rally was being held in Danville, Indiana by the Unitarian-Universalist Church. Rick Sutton from Indiana Equality and I drove Dynasty and his family to the rally giving me an opportunity to meet and spend time with them.

Chelisa Grimes has 5 children. Dynasty and his identical twin brother Darrell are delightful, and they have an older brother and two younger sisters. At one point in the rally Dynasty, Darrell and one of their sisters performed a dance routine - they are all quite talented.

When the rally was over, we went out for pizza. Before we ate, Chelisa asked us all to hold hands and the family said grace. They are a very close, warm family and totally support Dynasty.

Word of this incident spread not only throughout Indianapolis, but all around the country. National PFLAG called me to offer Dynasty help through the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Early on GLAAD offered assistance, and many attorneys offered their legal expertise. Dynasty appeared in TV interviews and in newspaper articles. It seemed that his story touched many hearts and everyone wanted to meet him.

Dynasty's story also resonated with the young LGBT kids here in Indianapolis, and they arranged to hold a Anti-Bullying Rally yesterday in support. Following the rally, they planned to march to a meeting of the IPS Board of Education. They wanted the school board and IPS School Superintendent Eugene White to know that the schools must adopt a no-bullying policy, and that they are responsible for their students' safety.

In the meantime, Dynasty endured another violent incident. A few days before the Anti-Bullying Rally, he was attacked at Circle Centre Mall by a 34-year-old man. The man recognized Dynasty from news articles and shouted homophobic slurs at him and then hit him in the face. He was arrested, but the damage was done.

However, today we just learned that the Indiana PTA has taken a giant step forward and passed a resolution at their state conference which says that all schools in Indiana should adopt anti-bullying policies for LGBT students and that these same students deserve to learn in a safe environment.

When I read the resolution, it actually brought tears to my eyes. After too many suicides of LGBT students in Indiana due to anti-gay bullying, and the recent incident involving Dynasty Young being bullied and not being listened to, which ultimately led to his mother giving him a stun gun to take to school in order to protect himself, I can only applaud the Indiana PTA because they have been listening.

The resolution is after the break.

Jonathan Warus, one of the medical students, began with some statistics. Lesbians, gay men and bisexual people comprise 3.8% of the Indiana population. He said that many LGB people suffer from minority stress, which is the effect of discrimination on minority populations. Minority stress will result in a higher prevalence of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and alcoholism. LGB people begin to internalize the prejudices that others have towards them, and they can begin to hate themselves and, as a result, indulge in harmful behaviors.

Jonathan said that at least 47% of LGBT teens think about suicide, and that 36% have attempted it. They also will begin smoking, and using alcohol and drugs, which leads to heart disease and other health problems. He also said that when LGBT kids are rejected by their families, they are 3.4 times more likely to engage in unprotected sex, which also leads to health problems.

Regarding marriage, there is an increase in the likelihood of mental disorders in LGBT citizens who live in states that passed constitutional amendments which ban same-sex marriage. The marriage state provides support that leads to lower rates of stress and mental disorders. And without marriage benefits, the cost of healthcare of LGB couples transfers to taxpayers.

Just wait... There's more after the break.

Are they worthy of my membership, or are there other national LGBT organizations that I should send funds to instead? I'd like Bilerico readers' insight.

NOTE FROM BIL: Keep in mind that Annette is a PFLAG mom so let's do this mom-style. Don't just say something negative about HRC. If you don't think she should donate there, tell her where you think she should donate and tell her why. Sell her on the merits of your chosen organization instead of telling her why other groups stink. Keep it positive.

In 2009, they arrived in Indianapolis to protest the production of The Laramie Project at North Central High School, as well as at the Jewish Community Center. So when I learned last week that they would be returning to Indianapolis, I decided to make a sign and join other counter-protesters.

Sunday morning was cold and sunny. The Phelps clan first "invaded" my own city of Carmel. They split up and made appearances at the East 91st Street Christian Church and Carmel Lutheran Church. They were upset with the East 91st Street Church because they allow women ministers and with the Carmel Lutheran Church because they are an LGBT-affirming church.

They claimed they were picketing the Super Bowl because they feel that people spend too much time watching football when they should be in church instead.

Pictures and more after the jump.

Yesterday I read that you are upset with the gays and feel that what they are doing to your husband is backyard bullying. Well, Karen, I feel your pain. I can only imagine what it must be like for poor Rick to get up every day knowing that so many people don't like him for who he is.

It has to be difficult standing up in front of the TV cameras knowing that at any minute, someone he doesn't know might rush up to him and push him or throw something at him for no good reason. I wonder if he has to use back doors to leave a building so the gay bullies won't be able to find him, follow him home and beat him up.

Does he hide under the covers in bed at night, crying about the injustice of it all and feeling that no one else in the world understands? What would you do if one night your husband didn't come home? What if he just couldn't take it anymore and ran away to another city where no one knew him, only to find that no one would take him in and he had to sell drugs on the streets or prostitute himself just to be able to feed himself?

And Karen, it must not be only the gays who bully Rick, but the pro-choice people too. Given his stance on abortion, he must cower thinking that women who have been raped or been the victims of incest might be after him too.

Does he run down alleys when he leaves a debate, hoping these women, heavy with babies they didn't ask for, don't come lumbering after him, ready to shove him into a garbage can or knock him down and stomp on his face, leaving him half-dead in the alley? What if these "sinners" reached him and tied him up to a tree, and beat him senseless?

However, I am not so foolish or socially rigid to not know that many marriages don't end up like mine or my parents and grandparents. Things happen and people find that their marriages just aren't working. But I also try not to make assumptions or judgments about what these people do in their personal lives or how they end up in the situations in which they find themselves.

I will say that I do believe in the "institution of marriage." But I don't look at marriage in a biblical sense. I feel that marriage is personal - between each partner in that union, as well as the children and other family members of the couple. I know that the accumulative affect of divorce over the years does have an impact on society, and that many different things contribute to that, but I'm not a social scientist and don't care to address that at this time.

What interests me right now is the fact that there are many legislators in different states working diligently to save what they believe is the sanctity of marriage and they're going about it the wrong way. They feel that only one man and one woman have the right to be married. They talk about the "slippery slope" - that if LGBT people can get married, then that would lead to marriage with dogs, goats, small children and automobiles. However, it seems that while they're trying so hard to protect marriage for the rest of us, they don't work very hard to practice what they preach.