As Maryland’s Attorney General bucks marriage equality opponents with the release of a legal opinion to recognize “out-of-state” same-sex marriage licenses and our nation’s capitol solemnizes its first same-sex marriages, new research published in late February illustrates the attitudes of “movable middle” voters around the issue of marriage equality and raises new questions about whether marriage is electorally achievable for gays and lesbians.

Freedom to Marry, a non-profit committed to achieving marriage rights for same-sex couples on a national scale, commissioned research on a divergent set of outcomes from the Fall 2009 elections in Maine and Washington. In contrast, Mainers supported Question 1 53% to 47%, effectively overturning the right to marry for same-sex couples, while Washingtonians approved Referendum 71 by an identical margin, the most expansive domestic partnership law ever passed by an American electorate.

How is it that “movable” voters are overwhelmingly willing to support relationship recognition parity in all but name? And how are those who share the wholehearted belief in equal protection, able to simultaneously reconcile their disapproval of marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples?

The authors of the study explain this paradigm shift by coining a new catch phrase, Equality Plus: “The equality argument which advocates have focused on thus far has taken us a long way, but it does not sufficiently address the underlying fears that are keeping the middle from taking that final step to support marriage. We need something in addition to equality—we’ll call it “Equality Plus”—in order to bring the middle along faster,” the study outlines.

WASHINGTON – Wedding bells for same-sex couples began ringing today in the District of Columbia.

Angelisa Young and Sinjoyla Townsend, who have been a couple for 12 years, were first to get married today in a ceremony at the Human Rights Campaign headquarters, according to news reports and bloggers. About a dozen members of the media recorded the historic occasion.

The Rev. David K. North, pastor of Holy Redeemer Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in College Park, Md., was the officiant at the wedding.

Young, 47, and Townsend, 41, met as undergraduates in a constitutional law class at the University of the District of Columbia. Both women are lifetime residents of the Washington area, and both are D.C. government employees. They have two children.

D.C. is now the sixth place in the U.S. to permit gay weddings, joining Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Officials said about 150 couples are eligible to pick up marriage licenses today.

The Winter Olympics is not the only world sporting event this year; just as Vancouver extinguishes its flame, the eighth quadrennial Gay Games, in Cologne, Germany, is poised to set the gay sporting world alight.

Of the 35 sports on offer, running is one of the most popular. Those who can contemplate running a half-marathon — or a full one — will be pleased to know organisers are pulling out all stops to make the road race one of the best yet.

Games organisers have joined forces with local multi-sports club TuS Köln rrh and will use the club’s experience and expertise to make the race route a sightseeing journey through Cologne.

The race on August 7 will pass some of the city’s historic buildings.

Gay Games Cologne co-president Annette Wachter said she believes the running event will be a big success.

“With TuS Köln rrh, we found a wonderful partner who is more than able to execute such an event on a stunning race course,” she said.

A host of volunteers will help make the course possible and around 2500 runners are expected to take part.

For Australian athletes thinking of heading over, registrations for Gay Games events are still open.

The Cologne Games will be held from July 31 – August 7 with 35 sports competitions and five cultural events.

Games organisers recently announced registrations so far have exceeded expectations, with around 5000 registered participants.

Around 34,000 visitors will join in celebrations at the opening ceremony on July 31.

The first Gay Games was held in San Francisco in 1982. The Games is a sporting and cultural event based on the ideas of participation, integration and the achievement of personal records.

The Games aims to fight anti-GLBTI discrimination across the globe and includes participants from countries where homosexuality is still fiercely rejected.

info: You can register online at
http://www.gaygamescologne.com

Full Time Marketing and PR person

Must be:
-Focused, Self motivated, Outgoing, and Creative
-Work well in a office atmosphere
-Familiar with the Hillcrest, GLBT community, and our restaurants
-Have writing and grammar skills
-Comfortable with public speaking, social gatherings, and interviewing
-Have a flexible schedule

Knowledge of:
-Face Book and social networking
-HTML and basic computer knowledge
-Constant contact or e-mail programming
-YouTube, Vimeo, and Blip
Please email Chris Shaw at shawchris@mac.com your:
Resume
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Christians Riled Over Elton John's Remarks About Jesus to Parade Magazine
By SONIA GALLEGO
LONDON, Feb. 19, 2010

Pop legend Elton John is making waves again -- this time over remarks he made in a magazine interview, saying that Jesus Christ was a "super-intelligent gay man," causing fury among conservative Christians.

In an interview with U.S. magazine, Parade, the 62-year-old musician said, "I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems.

"On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving. I don't know what makes people so cruel. Try being a gay woman in the Middle East - you're as good as dead."

The remarks are provoking more ire within Christian groups and denominations amid debate over consecrating gay members of the clergy in the U.S., a topic so sensitive that bishops are considering breaking away from the Anglican church in the U.S. over the matter.