Ted Kennedy Remembered as LGBT Hero

When Sen. Ted Kennedy's death was reported, the leader of the Human Rights Campaign, Joe Solmonese, said we mourned the loss of the nation's "greatest champion and strongest voice for justice, fairness, and compassion."

"There was no greater hero for advocates of LGBT equality than Sen. Ted Kennedy," Solmonese reflected. "From the early days of the AIDS epidemic to our current struggle for marriage equality, he has been our protector, our leader, our friend. He has been the core of the unfinished quest for civil rights in this country, and there is now a very painful void."

Senator Kennedy hailed from a famously influential family. Two of his brothers, President John F. Kennedy and onetime attorney-general and presidential candidate Bobby Kennedy, were tragically assassinated, in 1963 in and 1968, respectively. Years earlier he lost his oldest brother, Joe, who was killed in action during World War II.

Sarah Palin Resigns

Sarah Palin resigns as Governor of Alaska:

Sen. Dodd: Same-Sex Marriage OK

Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut (D) published an editorial in a Connecticut newspaper on Sunday where he announced that he has changed his mind on same-sex marriage. The editorial, which has also been published in full on Dodd’s senate web site, enumerates his reasoning for having opposed same-sex marriage in the past and why he’s changed his mind.

Where's the Action Mr. President?

Since his election, President Obama has been slow to make good on his promises to the LGBT community. Most of the communications (around repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, for instance) have been along the lines of actions will be taken when the time is right. Even prominent gay leaders have been making excuses for the administration noting either that there are too many issues on the plate right now, the administration is still new to office and change takes time, or that everything is being prioritized.

3 Simple Ways To Repeal Prop 8

The forces of fear and oppression never win in the long run.  Gay marriage is inevitable. The question before us is not if, but when? In the wake of the recent California Supreme Court ruling that upheld Prop 8, many in our community and our supporters are feeling angry and dejected.  While these emotions are understandable, they will only eat away at us if we don’t turn that emotion into action. 

Gay Marriage: The Next Civil War?

First Vermont allowed civil unions for gay couples. Then Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage. California followed (but we know what happened there; stay tuned for more), as did Connecticut and Iowa, and then -- oh, wait -- Vermont ended up going all the way, offering full marriage to same-sex couples. Illinois has a civil union bill on the legislative ballot, and New York Gov. David Paterson is pushing to give gay couples the same marriage rights as straight couples in his state. Lawmakers in Maine, New Hampshire and New Jersey are considering the same for their residents. Washington D.C.'s lawmakers have moved to recognize gay marriages performed in other states (a final legislative vote will take place on May 5).

Limbaugh Should Get Anal Poisoning

Why do people listen to -- and respect -- ThRush Limbaugh? The man is ridiculous. The only other person that makes my skin crawl listening to (other than our last president) is Ann Coulter. But last week, Limbaugh once again went too far. On his radio show, he commented on conservative-leaning UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown's genuine praise of Barack Obama during the G20 summit. Brown thanked Obama for helping change America's standing in the world and the global viewpoint of our country (following the bang-up job done by Bush). Brown said Obama has accomplished much in the first 70 days in office and was grateful for his leadership during this economic downturn.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell Update

Even though President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates have begun discussions with the Joint Chiefs of Staff on how and when to lift the military policy of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, don’t look for any movement on the issue any time soon.

Gay Anti-Discrimination: Good News From Gainesville

Gainesville, Florida, upon first glance, wouldn't be one of the cities at the top of my list known for much tolerance of LGBT issues. But, I'm happy that over half of the Gainesville residents who participated in the March 24th vote to maintain current anti-discrimination protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender residents just proved me wrong.

Almost 60% of the voters gave a thumbs down to a measure that would have stripped away an anti-discrimination ordinance, which also includes protections for transgender residents to use a male or female public restroom of their choice. Most importantly, the ordinance protects the city's LGBT community against job and housing discrimination.

Surrounded by notoriously conservative northern Florida, should Gainesville now be considered a "gay-friendly" city -- or was it simply the high turn out of liberal-minded University of Florida students who were responsible for swinging the vote more toward equality?

Vermont Senate Approves Marriage Bill

With a vote of 26 - 4, The Vermont Senate approved a bill on March 23 that would legalize same-sex marriage -- and now the bill goes to the Democratic-controlled House, where passage is expected.

However, Republican Governor Jim Douglas will most likely veto the bill, and stated last week: "I've made my position quite clear that I believe marriage is and ought to remain the union of a man and a woman, that our civil unions law affords equality of opportunities and rights under state law and that that should suffice."

Photo: Getty Images