#1 This Week In 1965

Two months after she took it to #2 in the UK, this week in 1965 Petula Clark topped the U.S. pop charts for two weeks with Downtown, becoming the first British woman to have a #1 single in America. The first of 15 consecutive U.S. top 40 hits for Clark, Downtown won the 1965 Grammy for Best Rock And Roll Song and in 2004 was listed in the Grammy Hall Of Fame. Originally intended for the Drifters, Downtown was composed by British songwriter Tony Hatch after his first visit to New York City.

TRIVIA: Downtown has been covered by numerous artists, most successfully in the U.S. by Dolly Parton, who in 1984 took it to #27 on the country charts. The disco remix of Parton's cover was a particular favorite of gay T-dance DJs. In 2006, Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton took her version to #3 on the UK charts. Of course, the all time greatest cover of Downtown was recorded by the B-52s in 1978.

UPDATE: By popular demands in the comments, here's Mrs. Miller's cover of Downtown.

Ted Haggard Had A Boyfriend

Immediately after the Mike Jones scandal broke in 2006, officials at Ted Haggard's New Life Church learned that Haggard had also had a longtime relationship with a young man at the church. The church paid for the young man's silence with college tuition, but with suspicious timing, he has now come forward as the HBO documentary about Haggard is about to debut.

Brady Boyd, who succeeded Haggard as senior pastor of the 10,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, told the Associated Press that the man came forward to church officials in late 2006 shortly after a Denver male prostitute claimed to have had a three-year cash-for-sex relationship with Haggard.

Boyd said an "overwhelming pool of evidence" pointed to an "inappropriate, consensual sexual relationship" that "went on for a long period of time ... it wasn't a one-time act." Boyd said the man was in his early 20s at the time. He said he was certain the man was of legal age when it began.

Reached Friday night, Haggard declined to comment and said all interviews would have to be arranged through a publicist for HBO, which is airing a documentary about him this month. Boyd said the church reached a legal settlement to pay the man for counseling and college tuition, with one condition being that none of the parties involved discuss the matter publicly. Boyd said a Colorado Springs TV station reached him Thursday to say the young man was planning to provide a detailed report of his relationship with Haggard to the station. Boyd said the church preferred to keep the matter private, but it was the man's decision to go public.

New Life Church says they will not pursue legal action against Haggard's boyfriend for violating their agreement. Earlier this month, Haggard said that his sexuality doesn't fit into "stereotypical boxes" and that he never claimed that he was heterosexual. He also expressed support for marriage equality, although an HBO spokesperson immediately retracted that statement. The documentary, The Trials Of Ted Haggard, debuts Thursday at 8pm. Mighty convenient, publicity-wise, eh???

Comments Counter Not Updating

Haloscan is having its quarterly hiccup and the comment counters are not updating on today's posts. You can always use the "notify me" function and follow-ups to your comments will be emailed to you directly. We're all still waiting for Haloscan's much-touted upgrade, which was promised to us months ago.

UPDATE: The Haloscan glitch continues for all users. Your comments are being posted, but some of you may not see previous comments until you post one of your own. My apologies.

O'Donnell Responds To Gillibrand Pick

"I know Kirsten Gillibrand very well and worked for her election to Congress. She has been a steadfast supporter of equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and same-sex couples. I am optimistic that her appointment to the U.S. Senate and her voice in that body will further our community’s cause and bring us that much closer to full inclusion and marriage equality." - Openly gay NY Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell, who was also up for the job, responding to my request for a comment on Gov. Paterson's pick of Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand to replace Hillary Clinton.

GOP: Things Are GREAT!

Pam Spaulding points us to the homepage of the National Republican Congressional Committee. The Democrats tear in:

"It's stunning that the Republicans believe that ‘Thanks to Republican economic policies, the U.S. economy is robust and job creation is strong,'" said Jennifer Crider, the Communications Director at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Republicans' stunning claim flies in the face of all evidence that shows our economy is in crisis. At least the NRCC got one thing right - it's Republican economic policies that got us in this economic mess."

Politico asked the NRCC about their message and got this back:

"The site is currently under construction. We are looking forward to relaunching the site and fostering a discussion on just how Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic colleagues' plan to spend their way out of recession is absurd at best and financially ruinous at worst."

Under construction. Clearly they haven't found anybody who knows how to edit a website in, oh, about a year?

Aretha's Big Hat, Part 3

To the left, our own Dr. Jeff models Aretha Franklin's now-famous inauguration hat, which has caused a deluge of inquiries for its maker.

The calls began to flood Luke Song's hat shop not long after Aretha Franklin finished belting out "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" at President Barack Obama's inauguration. Franklin, who wore a gray felt custom-designed hat from Mr. Song Millinery, has inadvertently caused an economic boom for the South Korean immigrant's store. Song said he wasn't prepared for the hundreds of calls requesting the hat with a Swarovski rhinestone-bordered bow. "We even have a lot of men calling to get it for their wives, mothers and grandmothers," Song said.

The hat worn by the "Queen of Soul" was hand-molded and would cost upward of $500 — if it were for sale, the 36-year-old designer said. Customers instead were offered a satin ribbon version for $179. "They want the same hat, but they understand it's for the 'Queen' only," he said. "Ninety-nine percent said, 'That's fine. I'll get the next best thing.'" The family millinery has been in Detroit for about 25 years, and Franklin has been a customer for about 20 of those years. The store also sells to about 500 boutiques across the country.

A Flickr group has been created for photoshopped images of the hat. Unsurprisingly, most of the folks there appear to be gay men. Bears, to be exact.

Broadway Friday

---Barack Obama, the musical. Yup. Via Playbill:

"Celebrating the election and inauguration of America's first black president, Obama On My Mind takes a humorous look at the weird and wonderful world behind the scenes of a small Obama campaign office and the larger than life characters who make the wheels turn, the cogs whirr and bring in the votes. Pop, gospel, jazz and soft rock come together in a politically inspired romp featuring over 11 loyal, obsessive and downright peculiar personalities, striving to get their man into the White House."

Obama On My Mind opens in the UK in March.

---Continuing the singing politico theme: "Rod Blagojevich Super Star!, a new musical spoof incorporating themes from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar and Stephen Schwartz's Godspell, will premiere Feb. 3 in the Windy City. A press opening has been set for Feb. 10."

---Liza With A Z will be signing copies of the CD of her recent Broadway run, Liza At The Palace, at the Lincoln Center Barnes & Noble on February 3rd at 6pm. She'll also perform, so get there early.

---Sienna Miller makes her Broadway debut in After Miss Julie at the Roundabout Theater this fall. Mark Brokaw will direct.

---After a raft of post-holiday closings, Broadway will rebound this spring with 20 shows set to open between this Sunday and April. First up is Hedda Gabler with Mary-Louise Parker, followed by Will Ferrell's one man show, You're Welcome America, A Final Night With George W. Bush on Feb. 5th. P.J. Harvey did the Hedda Gabler score!

---Current American Idol contestant Joanna Pacitti is under attack because she appeared on Broadway in Annie at age 11 and has already recorded an album for Geffen Records. She'll have to go because she's actually good, apparently. Fans of the show complain that she's a semi-pro with the unfair advantage of an existing fan base.

AIDS Activist Martin Delaney Dies

Poz.com's Peter Staley reports that noted AIDS treatment activist Martin Delaney died at his home today. Staley:

What a terribly sad day this is. A huge, huge loss for people with HIV, and all those who fight for them. This country's most accomplished and influential AIDS treatment activist, Martin Delaney, died just minutes ago at his home in San Rafael, California. Marty was the founder of Project Inform, and I blogged last year about how much he meant to me and so many others.

Among his many accomplishments, Marty was the father of the "parallel track" policy, developed by Anthony Fauci at the NIH in 1989, which allowed patients with AIDS whose condition prevents them from participating in controlled clinical trials to receive promising experimental drugs.

Although not HIV positive himself, Marty's tireless activism with the FDA, NIH and pharma helped save my life, and the lives of thousands of people with HIV/AIDS. He died from inoperable liver cancer stemming from a history of hepatitis B virus infection. On Monday, Marty was presented with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director’s Special Recognition Award for his many contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Along with Larry Kramer, for more than 20 years Martin Delaney has been one of my heroes in the battle against AIDS. His loss is a terrible blow to the AIDS activism community.

No Strange For A Piece Of Change

It's not the bit I mentioned yesterday, but here's a clip from Tyra Banks "gay for pay" episode in which a completely heterosexual gay porn star claims he only does it for the money. His bisexual girlfriend isn't so sure.

Sam Adams Mulling Resignation

Beleaguered Portland mayor Sam Adams has announced that he will make a decision on whether to resign within a few days.

Portland Mayor Sam Adams, who admitted lying about a 2005 sexual relationship with an 18-year-old boy, says Portlanders should know "within days" whether he will resign. Adams did not appear in public Thursday but told The Oregonian he spent much of the day with his pastor and with his mentor, former Portland Mayor Vera Katz. "It's important that I learn the lessons that need to be learned regardless of what I decide," said Adams, who apologized at length to Portlanders Tuesday. Four Portland newspapers have called on him to quit but supporters have planned rallies on his behalf for Friday. Portland is the largest city in the United States with an openly gay mayor.

Note that although Beau Breedlove was reportedly 18 at the time of his relationship with Adams, the above-quoted Portland paper still refers to him as a "boy." Dan Savage wrote me last night pointing out that Breedlove was not in fact a direct subordinate of Adams, despite what was widely reported when the story broke. Savage points us to this Facebook group of Adams supporters, which already has more than 1000 members. He also notes this amusing Wonkette headline: Openly Gay Mayor Once Had Sex With Adult Male!

We were all thrilled when Adams was elected, and while this mess is quite disappointing, I think it's survivable. (Barney Frank, anybody?) I hope Adams sticks around.

Gillibrand Comes Out For Marriage Equality In National Press Conference

Putting aside any doubts some may have had, Senator-to-be Kirsten Gillibrand just announced her support for marriage equality during a nationally televised press conference with NY Gov. David Paterson.

Sweden Likely To Allow Gays To Marry Civilly And In Lutheran Church

The Swedish parliament has been presented legislation that will allow gays to marry in civil ceremonies or in the Lutheran Church, which until 2000 was the official church of Sweden.

"The main proposal in the motion is that ... a person's gender will no longer have any bearing on whether they can marry. The marriage law and other laws concerning spouses will be rendered gender neutral according to the proposal," a statement from Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's conservative Moderates said.

The proposal has wide backing in parliament and is expected to be adopted, though a date has yet to be set for a vote. While heterosexuals in Sweden can choose to marry in either a civil ceremony or a church ceremony, homosexuals are currently only allowed to register their "partnerships" in a civil ceremony. Civil unions granting gays and lesbians the same legal status as married couples have been allowed in Sweden since 1995. If the new legislation is adopted, Sweden, already a pioneer in giving same-sex couples the right to adopt children, would become the first country in the world to allow gays to marry within a major Church.

Under the proposal, Lutheran pastors will be able to opt-out of performing gay marriages if they have personal objections.

Drunken N-Word Cookies

I guess this guy is going to be taken off the Sex And The City tour. Via Gothamist:

At at a time when any decent baker should have been selling racially harmonious black and white cookies by the truckload, one Greenwich Village bakery popular with celebrities and shows like Sex and the City has outraged neighbors by selling a "Drunken Negro Face" cookie in, um, "honor" of President Obama. A shocked customer tells My Fox NY that Ted Kefalinos, proprietor of Lafayette French Pastry, asked her, "Would you like some drunken negro heads to go with your coffee? They're in honor of our new president. He's following in the same path of Abraham Lincoln; he will get his." Later, her friend stopped by the bakery and said Kefalinos corrected her about the name of the cookies—they're actually drunken "N-word" cookies. She says the backwards baker then repeated the dark suggestion that, like Lincoln, President Obama "will get what's coming to him." Go Secret Service, go!

And this is in the West Village, the supposedly most liberal part of our commie/anti-American town.

Maryland Cops: Gay Activists Are Terrorists

The Washington Post reveals today that the Maryland state police considered the LGBT activism group Equality Maryland to be terrorists.

Equality Maryland, the state's largest gay rights group, was among the peaceful protest groups to be classified as terrorists in a Maryland State Police database. The group was designated a "security threat" by the Homeland Security and Intelligence Division, which also kept dossiers on dozens of activists and at least a dozen groups. Police kept files on Equality Maryland's plans to hold rallies outside the State House in Annapolis to press for legislation reversing the state's ban on same-sex marriage. Police plan to purge the files.

The files were revealed yesterday at a news conference, where a dozen Democratic lawmakers announced plans to introduce legislation to prevent future surveillance of nonviolent groups. Police would need "reasonable articulated suspicion of actual criminal activity" before they could conduct surveillance, the legislation's sponsors said. Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) also plans to call for a similar bill. The measure also would prevent police from keeping files on citizens, unless the information is part of a legitimate criminal investigation.

Just unbelievable.

NSA Whistleblower: Bush Administration Spied On Journalists, Regular Citizens

Via Wired:

NSA whistleblower Russell Tice was back on Keith Olbermann's MSNBC program Thursday evening to expand on his Wednesday revelations that the National Security Agency spied on individual U.S. journalists, entire U.S. news agencies as well as "tens of thousands" of other Americans. Tice said on Wednesday that the NSA had vacuumed in all domestic communications of Americans, including, faxes, phone calls and network traffic.

Today Tice said that the spy agency also combined information from phone wiretaps with data that was mined from credit card and other financial records. He said information of tens of thousands of U.S. citizens is now in digital databases warehoused at the NSA. "This [information] could sit there for ten years and then potentially it marries up with something else and ten years from now they get put on a no-fly list and they, of course, won't have a clue why," Tice said.

In most cases, the person would have no discernible link to terrorist organizations that would justify the initial data mining or their inclusion in the database. "This is garnered from algorithms that have been put together to try to just dream-up scenarios that might be information that is associated with how a terrorist could operate," Tice said. "And once that information gets to the NSA, and they start to put it through the filters there . . . and they start looking for word-recognition, if someone just talked about the daily news and mentioned something about the Middle East they could easily be brought to the forefront of having that little flag put by their name that says 'potential terrorist'."

"English First" Defeated In Nashville

Yesterday voters in Nashville defeated an "English First" referendum which would have made English the mandatory language for all city business.

Nashville voters rejected a proposal to make English the mandatory language for all government business, easing fears that the measure could damage the city's reputation and cost agencies millions in federal funding. With 100 percent of precincts reporting early Friday morning, unofficial results showed the "English First" proposal losing with about 57 percent of voters against it and 43 percent in favor. Proponents said using one language would have united the city and saved money.

The city would have become the nation's largest to pass such a measure. Similar measures have passed elsewhere, though business leaders, academics, the city's mayor and Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen opposed the "English First" proposal, which the governor has previously called "mean-spirited." "The results of this special election reaffirms Nashville's identity as a welcoming and friendly city, and our ability to come together as a community," Mayor Karl Dean said in a news release. The referendum's leader, city Councilman Eric Crafton, had promoted it as a way to unite Nashville and prevent the kind of extensive translation services — and the associated expenses — provided by cities like New York or Los Angeles. He has pushed for English only since 2006 and got the issue before voters through a petition drive.

One of the referendum's backers appeared on CNN this morning to complain that immigrants should not be allowed to live an "English-optional" life in the United States. It's unlikely the referendum would have survived a court challenge as many federal funds are tied to free translation services for immigrants.

Matt Foreman On Prop 8 Battle

Former National Gay & Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Matt Foreman sends us the below Op/Ed piece on the Proposition 8 battle. Foreman is now program director at the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. This essay is rather long and I have linked below to other LGBT blogs where it can be read in full, which I recommend.

California's Proposition 8 - Ours to Lose?
Nope - It Was Always an Uphill climb.

By Matt Foreman

A lot of people have been saying that Prop 8 was our side's to lose and that missteps by the No on 8 Campaign snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Those analyses ignore hard core obstacles and fundamentals underlying the contest, including how hard it is to hold and move opinions on marriage in the narrow confines of a campaign.

I need to start by saying that I had nothing to do with the No on 8 Campaign. Because the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, where I work, has been so deeply involved in public education work in support of marriage equality, the law literally precluded any contact or coordination with the electoral campaign. So, as a purely armchair quarterback it's pretty easy for me to catalogue things I - in my infinite wisdom - would have done differently. But I also know that even if everything- every single thing - had gone our way, it still would have been incredibly hard to win by anything more than a tiny margin. Here's why.

Putting Minority Rights Up to a Popular Vote: the Difficulty of Winning

First off, it's nearly impossible for minorities to win or defend their rights at the ballot box. Californians have demonstrated that time and again, voting to outlaw affirmative action, to deny grade school education and non-emergency medical care to undocumented children, and to specifically permit race discrimination in housing. This profound disadvantage was exacerbated by the fact that marriage is in a class by itself as an issue. Everyone has an intimate, personal relationship with marriage and has an opinion - usually visceral - about it. True, over time people are moving toward marriage - we've quite amazingly gained about one point per year since 2000. But within the narrow time constraints of a campaign - under 90 days - it is pure fancy to think there's a "movable middle" on marriage. At best there was movable sliver. More on that in a bit....

JMG: Please continue reading Matt Foreman's essay at Pam's House Blend or Towleroad. Blogger doesn't provide that fancy "after the jump" technology that allow lengthy posts to continue on a full page.

Yo Yo Vanilli

It turns out Yo Yo Ma and crew were only miming their widely cheered inauguration performance.

The classical music played for millions of people watching President Barack Obama's inauguration was not the live performance it appeared to be. Unless you were one of the fortunate few sitting within earshot of the celebrated performers, what you heard was a recording made two days earlier. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriella Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill made the decision a day before Tuesday's inauguration to use a previously recorded audio tape for the broadcast of the ceremonies. Carole Florman, a spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, said the weather was too cold for the instruments to stay in tune. "They were very insistent on playing live until it became clear that it would be too cold," said Florman in a telephone interview Thursday night.

Gov. Paterson Picks Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand To Replace Clinton In Senate

And here it is. U.S. Rep. Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik Gillibrand (D-NY), 44, is Gov. David Paterson's pick to replace Hillary Clinton in the U.S. Senate.

New York City television station WPIX is reporting tonight that the state's Democratic governor, David Paterson, has settled on Democratic Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand as the successor for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's now vacant U.S. Senate seat.Democratic New York Representative Kirsten Gillibrand.

Quoting unnamed sources, the station reported on its website moments ago (Hat Tip Don Surber) that the governor would make the announcement at noon Friday in Albany. He has reportedly invited the state's entire congressional delegation to attend then, but asked Gillibrand to arrive at 11.

The governor's office would not confirm or deny the report. Gillibrand is a moderate Democrat, the 42-year-old mother of two young children who lives in Hudson, N.Y. and is in her second House term. Most importantly, perhaps, for Paterson, Gillibrand (pronounced JILL-a-brand) gives him not only a female on his ticket in next year's statewide elections, when she must run to fill the remaining two years of Clinton's term. But Gillibrand's an upstater to balance the dominant downstate power of New Yorkers like himself and Clinton that arouses such traditional resentment in the north. She's known as a Blue Dog Democrat, not always popular with liberals for her support of the National Rifle Assn. in her significantly rural 20th District, but said to be Clinton's favorite as her replacement.

Gillibrand is the lowest rated on LGBT rights of the entire New York delegation to Congress, which, admittedly, in almost any other state, would make her a superstar. In their most recent ratings, Gillibrand has an 80% score from the Human Rights Campaign and a 100% rating from the ACLU. She supports civil unions on the federal level and believes that marriage itself should be won state-by-state. A Blue Dog Democrat, Gillibrand is an ardent supporter of the NRA, but also supports stem cell research.

UPDATE: The Empire State Pride Agenda sends us this statement.

January 23, 2009, New York City – Last night likely Senate pick Kirsten Gillibrand spoke to Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle about issues important to New York’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

“After talking to Kirsten Gillibrand, I am very happy to say that New York is poised to have its first U.S. Senator who supports marriage equality for same-sex couples,” said Van Capelle. “She also supports the full repeal of the federal DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) law, repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) and passage of legislation outlawing discrimination against transgender people. While we had a productive discussion about a whole range of LGBT concerns, I was particularly happy to hear where she stands on these issues.”

Should Governor Paterson name her today to fill the seat held by Hillary Clinton, she will join Governor Paterson, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith and numerous other elected officials in the New York State Legislature and across the state who support the freedom to marry for same-sex couples.

UPDATE II: The Human Rights Campaign sends us this clarification of Gillibrand's rating on the HRC scorecard.

There has been some discussion about the record of Kirsten Gillibrand, New York Governor David Paterson’s pick to replace Hillary Clinton, regarding her stance on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and additional LGBT issues. In particular, we’d like to clarify references to the Human Rights Campaign Scorecard for the 110th Congress. Although Kirsten Gillibrand did not co-sponsor legislation to repeal DADT, non-cosponsorship does not mean support for the policy or opposition to repeal. In fact, in conversations with her office the Human Rights Campaign has confirmed Gillibrand is in favor of repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and supports full marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples. Additionally, HRC confirmed with Gillibran’s staff additional points regarding her LGBT record:

· Supports marriage equality
· Cosponsored and voted in favor of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act
· Cosponsored inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and supports enactment of inclusive bill
· Voted in favor of ENDA
· Supports repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell
· Supports repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act
· Supports equal tax treatment of employer provided domestic partnership benefits
· Voted against allowing discrimination in hiring for the Head Start program
· Voted in favor of allowing Washington, DC to fund needle exchange programs with local funds
· Supports the Early Treatment of HIV/AIDS Act (ETHA) to allow states to provide Medicaid coverage for HIV-positive persons
· Voted against procedural attempts to derail ENDA and hate crimes
· Endorsed by HRC PAC in 2008

Quote Of The Day

"We don't do this just for the money. We do it to entertain gay men and keep them out of the clubs and away from drugs and from having unsafe sex." - Some idiot porn "star" on Tyra Banks' "gay for pay" episode today.

Yeaaaaaah. That's why they do it.

UPDATE: Check out this hilarious liveblog (NSFW) of the episode.

No On 8 Executive Committee Names Revealed By Activist Michael Petrelis

Throughout the Proposition 8 battle, the No On 8 campaign refused to publicly identify its executive committee members, much to the consternation of many in the LGBT press. In December, San Francisco-based activist/troublemaker Michael Petrelis filed one of those fancy liberal Freedom Of Information requests with the state. And yesterday he got the names. According to Petrelis, the names were on a public state site all along, but were so effectively cloaked from any search, nobody could find them. The names were hiding in plain sight, all legal and shit.

"No on 8" Executive Committee, Principal Officers:

-Geoff Kors, executive director, Equality California
-Lorri Jean, chief executive officer, Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center
-Kate Kendell, executive director, National Center for Lesbian Rights
-Michael Fleming, executive director, David Bohnett Foundation
-Marty Rouse, national field director, Human Rights Campaign
-Heather Carrigan, ACLU of Southern California
-Oscar De La O, Beinestar Human Services in Los Angeles
-Sue Dunlop, Los Angeles
-Maya Harris, ACLU of Northern California
-Don Howes, Los Angeles
-Dennis Herrera, City Attorney of San Francisco
-Dr. Delores Jacobs, chief executive officer, San Diego LGBT Community Center
-Joyce Newstadt, San Francisco
-Tawal Panyacosit, director, Asian and Pacific Islander Equality in San Francisco
-Rashid Robinson, Los Angeles
-Kevin Tilden, communications/political consultant, San Diego
-"No on 8" treasurer, Steve Mele, founder of ML Associates in West Hollywood

Petrelis: "May they all spend the next year sweeping the streets of their gay neighborhoods and doing many acts of penance for squandering $45 million of gay community dollars and losing gay marriage quality in California."

I wouldn't go as far in condemning the No On 8 folks as Petrelis does, although he's never been known for subtle criticism. Mistakes were made, definitely. But keep in mind that these are all good people, in some cases, our very best. Rather than destroy them, we need to help them be more effective in the next fight.

Another Win For Marriage In NY

Basing its decision on an earlier win for gay couples married out of state, a New York appellate court today reaffirmed that the state will recognize those marriages.

A New York State appellate court today ruled that the valid marriages of lesbian and gay couples entered into outside of New York must be recognized in this state. This decision comes in the case Lewis v. Department of Civil Service and follows a landmark victory by the New York Civil Liberties Union in Martinez v. County of Monroe.

“We commend the court on its just and fair decision,” said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman. “But we know that lasting progress requires leadership from both the judicial and legislative branches. It’s time for New York’s political leaders to support the core American value of fairness. New Yorkers should not have to leave the state to protect their families.”

Today’s decision in Lewis was issued by the Third Department and involves taxpayers who sued the state Department of Civil Service for recognizing same-sex spouses of state employees for purposes of health insurance benefits. The court affirmed that the state was following the law by granting all validly married couples eligibility for health insurance benefits. The NYCLU filed an amicus brief in the case. The Lewis decision relied on the same legal argument that the NYCLU used in Martinez.

Christianist groups like the Alliance Defense Fund have been handed their ass right and left by New York's courts. There's only one little detail left to go.

The Printed Blog

An interesting concept out of Chicago - the printed blog - a free daily newspaper that publishes posts from a wide variety of blogs.

Amid the din of naysayers who insist that newspapers are on the verge of death, a new company wants to start dozens of new ones — with a twist. Volunteers working for The Printed Blog on their personal laptops. About 300 blogs have given the paper permission to publish their work, saving the company the cost of paying reporters. The Printed Blog, a Chicago start-up, plans to reprint blog posts on regular paper, surrounded by local ads, and distribute the publications free in big cities. The first issues of this Internet-era penny-saver will appear in Chicago and San Francisco on Tuesday. They will start as weeklies, but Joshua Karp, the founder and publisher, hopes eventually to publish free neighborhood editions of The Printed Blog twice a day in many cities around the country. “We are trying to be the first daily newspaper comprised entirely of blogs and other user-generated content,” he said. “There were so many techniques that I’ve seen working online that maybe I could apply to the print industry.”

Bloggers are giving the paper permission to run their posts in exchange for a tiny cut of the ad revenue. I usually take the daily freebies handed out in my subway station and if this concept were to come to NYC, I'd probably take the blog-paper first.

Donors Rescue Log Cabin

A couple of weeks ago we learned that the Log Cabin Republicans were going into 2009 with a substantial debt. Today the Washington Blade reports that things are looking up for the LCR.

A number of donors have come to the rescue of the Log Cabin Republicans in an attempt to alleviate the group’s debt of at least $100,000, according to Patrick Sammon, the group’s outgoing president. Sammon confirmed earlier this month that his organization had at least $100,000 in consolidated debt. He told the Blade Wednesday that a number of donors have recently committed “upwards of $125,000” to the organization. “So I hope and expect that by the end of March, our long-term debt … will be all paid off,” Sammon said.

Sammon declined to identify any of the donors. He said he still expects 2009 to be a “very tight year” for Log Cabin. “We’re on the right track, but as I said, with the economy and with the nature of the environment right now, we’re still going to be proceeding very cautiously and conservatively as the organization moves ahead,” he said. At a national meeting in Atlanta last weekend, Sammon said the board also approved a “significantly” reduced budget in response to the organization’s financial woes. Sammon said he could not immediately provide any numbers for how much the budget was cut for this year. In an interview earlier this month, Sammon said he expected the board to approve a budget that would be about 35 to 40 percent less than what Log Cabin had in 2008.

According to the Blade, LCR head Patrick Sammon is presently their only full-time employee. Sammon is stepping down later this year, but his replacement has not yet been announced.

Police To Investigate Portland Mayor Sam Adams Over Relationship With Staffer

The situation for Portland's openly gay mayor Sam Adams has gotten more dire, as the state attorney general has begun a police investigation into his relationship with his then teenage staffer.

Oregon's attorney general has agreed to investigate Portland Mayor Sam Adams, who has admitted he lied to cover up an affair with a teenager in 2005. Adams took office this month, making Portland the largest U.S. city with an openly gay mayor. On Tuesday, he admitted he lied when he denied having sex with Beau Breedlove. Adams says the relationship began after Breedlove turned 18, Oregon's legal age of consent. Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer and Multnomah County District Attorney Michael Schrunk asked Attorney General John Kroger for an investigation. Kroger issued a statement Wednesday agreeing to look into "matters pertaining to Portland Mayor Sam Adams that have recently come to public attention."

Support for Adams has withered even in the gay community, with the local gay paper calling for his resignation.

Headed by publisher Marty Davis, Just Out newsmagazine is asking that Portland mayor Sam Adams resign from office. By his own admission, by committing the act of lying to the citizens of Portland, Adams has failed to show the principled character that this publication feels is a basic requirement for an elected official. Just Out acknowledges that over his two decades as a public servant Adams has risen to become one of Oregon’s most revered openly gay leaders. This publication has long admired Adams’ vision, his intelligence and his tenacity. Ultimately we have concluded that these qualities cannot overcome the weakness revealed in Adams’ recent admission.

Adams’ apology of yesterday, including specific reference to the gay community, while sincere, is not enough. The bond of trust and confidence has been broken. Adams has previously stated his hope that gay and lesbian youth might one day look to him as a role model and example. His own actions have now rendered this implausible. Adams must resign his seat as Portland’s mayor.

And just to ramp up the prurient interest in the case, gay porn site Unzipped (NSFW) has published a series of beefcake photos it harvested from the MySpace page of the staffer in question, Beau Breedlove.On Tuesday, Breedlove issued this statement:

The past day of news coverage regarding my brief 2005 relationship with Mayor Sam Adams has been stressful, to say the least. I would like to publicly apologize to those who were negatively affected by my mishandling of the situation during the 2007 mayoral campaign. Reflecting back, I regret misleading anyone about the nature of the relationship. When the subject first surfaced during the campaign, I was living out of state and I did not anticipate the impact it might have on Portland’s mayoral campaign. While my first instinct was to tell the truth, I also wanted to protect Sam Adams' reputation, considering our valuable friendship.

Sam Adams has always been a positive influence and a friend to me. He has many outstanding qualities to bring to his position as mayor of the city of Portland, and I wish nothing but the best for him. I hope this subject can ultimately be put to rest, and I sincerely believe in Sam Adams and what he can do for the city of Portland as mayor. Again, I truly apologize to those were affected by my mishandling of the situation in 2007.

Sincerely,
Beau Breedlove

New York Broke From Jobless Claims

So many people have filed for unemployment in 2009, the state of New York has had to borrow money from the feds to pay the claims.

Despite paying lower benefits to its jobless residents than other Northeastern states, the state’s unemployment fund has been borrowing about $90 million a week from the federal unemployment trust fund, state officials said. The deficit has already reached $212 million and is expected to exceed $2.5 billion by the end of 2010, they said. State officials say that the deficit does not threaten the continued payment of benefits. But the loans could wind up costing the state’s unemployment fund more than $100 million in interest and could result in a punitive tax on all employers across the state two years from now, state officials and experts on the unemployment insurance system said. More than 500,000 people were collecting unemployment checks in New York State in the first week of this year, nearly three times as many as a year before.

Yesterday one of my closest friends lost his job of nine years. Several others lost their jobs between October and January. It's a dark time for Gotham.

The New Golden Girls

The group is called Pistol Youth.

(Tipped by JMG reader Carlos)

New Study: 16% Of Iranian Men Have Had Gay Relationships

Things in Iran aren't as uptight as Imadinnerjacket wants us to believe.

A sociologist at an Iranian university has presented a new study that shows high levels of homosexual experiences among the country's population. Iran has strict laws against sex outside marriage and other sexual acts such as masturbation. Adultery and same-sex acts are punishable by death. Startling new research from sociologist Parvaneh Abdul Maleki found that 24% of Iranian women and 16% of Iranian men have had at least one homosexual experience. 73% of men and 26% of women surveyed said they had masturbated.

Ms Maleki presented her findings at the Third Conference on Well-being in the Family and the story has been reported in the Iranian press, albeit as a report on sexual deviance in need of treatment. The report also revealed that more than 75% of those who grew up in a conservative religious environment have watched pornography, 86% have had a heterosexual relationship outside of marriage and just over 4% have had gay or lesbian relationships.

Human rights groups estimate that 3000-4000 people have been executed for homosexuality in Iran since 1979.

Tonight: Task Force Cocktail Reception

The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force holds a cocktail reception tonight in the West Village to kick off the 2009 New York Leadership Awards. The event takes place at Design Within Reach at 408 W.14 Street from 7pm - 9pm. More details here, where you can RSVP. This here website thingy will be a media sponsor of the awards, so you'll see more about it here in weeks to come. My coverage of last year's event is here.

The First Dance

Canadian Polygamists Cite Gay Marriage In Their Defense

The legality of gay marriage is being cited as a defense in the case against Canadian polygamists.

Canada's decision to legalize gay marriage has paved the way for polygamy to be legal as well, a defense lawyer said Wednesday as the two leaders of rival polygamous communities made their first court appearance. The case is the first to test Canada's polygamy laws. Winston Blackmore, 52, and James Oler, 44, are each accused of being married to more than one woman at a time. The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison, British Columbia Attorney General Wally Oppal said.

But Blackmore's lawyer, Blair Suffredine, said during a telephone interview that marriage standards in Canada have changed. "If (homosexuals) can marry, what is the reason that public policy says one person can't marry more than one person?" said Suffredine, a former provincial lawmaker. Canada's Parliament extended full marriage rights to same-sex couples in 2005. Suffredine said the case is also about religious persecution.

And the wingnuts of North America scream "We told you so!"

Eight Oscar Nominations For Milk Including Best Picture, Director, Actor, Screenplay

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button lead the list of 2009 Oscar contenders with 13 nominations, but the big news for us here is Milk's eight nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director - Gus Van Sant, Best Actor - Sean Pean, Best Supporting Actor - Josh Brolin, and Best Original Screenplay - Dustin Lance Black.

BEST PICTURE: Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Reader, Slumdog Millionaire, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.

BEST ACTOR: Richard Jenkins -The Visitor, Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon, Sean Penn, Milk, Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler, Brad Pitt -The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button.

BEST DIRECTOR: David Fincher - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Gus Van Sant - Milk, Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire, Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon, Stephen Daldry - The Reader.

BEST ACTRESS: Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married, Melissa Leo - Frozen River, Meryl Streep -Doubt, Kate Winslet - The Reader, Angelina Jolie - The Changeling.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger - Dark Knight, Josh Brolin - Milk, Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt, Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder, Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Viola Davis - Doubt, Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler, Amy Adams - Doubt.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: In Bruges, WALL-E, Frozen River, Milk, Happy-Go-Lucky.

Milk was also nominated for Best Costume, Best Film Editing and Best Score.

First Gay Divorce Case For Texas

A gay couple in Dallas may create precedent-setting law with their petition to divorce.

A gay Dallas man who married his husband in 2006 when they lived in Massachusetts has filed what is believed to be Texas’ first same-sex divorce petition. The petition, filed Wednesday, Jan. 21 in Dallas County’s 302nd District Court, sets up a legal fight over whether Texas courts can grant divorces to same-sex couples who’ve married in other states. Texas, which has a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union between a man and a woman, doesn’t recognize same-sex mariages from other states. In 2003, the state Attorney General’s Office ruled that a same-sex couple from Beaumont couldn’t use a Texas court to dissolve the civil union they obtained in Vermont.

But Dallas attorney Peter Schulte, who’s representing the man who filed the divorce petition, argued that a marriage is not the same as a civil union. Schulte noted that his client can’t obtain a divorce in Massachusetts or elsewhere because all 50 states have a residency requirement for divorce. “We can maybe understand that the state [Texas] doesn’t recognize the right for same-sex couples to marry — fair enough,” Schulte said. “But if other states recognize the right, there has to be a way for those couples to dissolve their relationship under the laws of any state they choose to live in. This is a fundamental rights issue for gay couples in this state. Gay couples should not be restricted on what state they live in.”

Laast year Lambda Legal had warned Texas gay couples not to marry in California because of the inability to divorce.

(Via - Dallas Voice)

Open Thread Thursday

During the oath of office: Where were you? Who were you with? What was the response?

Submitted Without Comment

Caroline Kennedy Withdraws From Clinton Seat Consideration

UPDATE: Although this is the top story on the NYT site at this writing, other news outlets are saying Kennedy may still be a candidate.

Citing health concerns for her uncle Sen. Ted Kennedy, who collapsed yesterday during the inauguration, Caroline Kennedy is withdrawing her bid for Hillary Clinton's seat.

On Wednesday she called Gov. David A. Paterson, who will choose a successor to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Her concerns about Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s deteriorating health (he was hospitalized after suffering a seizure during President Obama’s inaugural lunch on Tuesday ) prompted her decision to withdraw, this person said. Coping with her uncle’s condition was her most important priority, a situation not conducive to starting a high profile public job.

Ms. Kennedy believed that the job was hers if she would accept it, the person said. A spokeswoman for Mr. Paterson had no immediate comment. Ms. Kennedy was planning to issue a statement on Wednesday evening. Ms. Kennedy’s decision comes nearly two months after she, along with several members of Congress and leading political officials, began auditioning to replace Mrs. Clinton in the coveted position. Her decision to withdraw is certain to startle the political world. Ms. Kennedy had gained the support of some powerful backers in the state, including several labor officials and a top aide to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Kevin Sheekey.

NY Gov. Paterson had said earlier today that he would announce his pick by Saturday, but it's not clear if he knew of Kennedy's withdrawal at that time.

Tonight: HBO Re-Airs Inaugural Concert WITH Gene Robinson

But tonight's re-airing is for subscribers only.

HBO says it will telecast “an updated version” of Sunday’s inaugural-related concert tonight (Wednesday) at 11:30 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time. By “updated,” the premium cable network means it will include the invocation that had been delivered by the Rev. V. Gene Robinson, the openly gay New Hampshire Episcopal bishop, at the ceremony’s start. HBO’s Sunday telecast had not included the invocation and the premium telecast had exclusive TV rights to the event, which meant no one watching the concert on TV saw the invocation. They did catch celebrities like Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, and Garth Brooks. Obama addressed the crowd near the end of the bash.

Clinton Confirmed As Secretary Of State

Hillary Clinton was just confirmed by the Senate in a 94-2 vote.

New York Senator Hillary Clinton has been officially confirmed as secretary of state this by way of a roll call vote in the U.S. Senate. Sources tell NY1 that the actual swearing-in will be private. Clinton's confirmation was held up yesterday by a lone Republican senator. Jon Cornyn of Texas says important questions have yet to be answered about foreign donations to former President Bill Clinton's global foundation, and whether it presents a conflict of interest for his wife. Cornyn raised his concerns again during a Senate hearing this afternoon.

Former presidential rival Senator John McCain and Senator Susan Collins of Maine spoke in the former first lady's favor. McCain even asked for unanimous consent on Clinton's confirmation before the lunch break. Other senators lavished praise on the former president's foundation, saying the Clintons should not be punished for continuing to help communities worldwide after leaving office. While most spoke in support of Clinton, there were a handful of Republicans who questioned her values.

NY Gov. David Paterson said today that he'll announce his pick to replace Clinton by Saturday.

UPDATE: Pam Spaulding notes the dissenters:

Hillary Clinton was confirmed as Secretary of State today. Two senators voted against her. Who were they? FMA supporter Diaper David "DC Madam" Vitter and 0% HRC-rated Jim "Fetus Americans" Demint.

Beard Song

I thought this was too silly for the blog yesterday, but this morning I found myself singing "beard and soup, beards and soup, they don't go together, beards and soup." What's that bit at the end about "beards and man dates"? Apparently they do go together.

Reminder: SiriusXM 3:30 Today

A quick reminder that I'll be on Michelangelo Signorile's show on SiriusXM's OutQ channel today at 3:30pm EST to talk about Peter LaBarbera and the Americans For Truth About Homosexuality. You can listen free online if you register for a 3-day pass at the Sirius site.

PhoboQuotable - Matt Barber

"Well, the high-sheen veneer and ‘cult of personality’ euphoria surrounding Barack Obama looks to be dissolving rather quickly. While millions had hoped for a political ‘messiah,’ it’s rapidly becoming evident that, instead, we’ve stuck ourselves with an extreme leftist ideologue whose brand of ‘change we can believe in’ is, in reality, ‘change we never imagined.’

"For all the talk of ‘hope,’ ‘change’ and ‘coming together,’ it’s becoming abundantly clear that Barack Obama’s administration will likely be the most leftist, divisive and discriminatory in recent memory. I suspect the immediate, stark and ‘in your face’ changes made to the White House website are a metaphor for what we can expect, in terms of policy, from his administration.

"The gravity of this situation cannot be overstated. Right out of the shoot, Obama has told the world that he is signing off, without exception, on every demand of the extremist homosexual and transsexual lobbies. The radical homosexual agenda and religious and free speech liberties cannot occupy the same space. It’s a zero-sum game. When 1 - 2 percent of the population is granted special rights based on deviant sexual proclivities and changeable sexual behaviors, to the detriment of everyone else, that’s called tyranny of the minority. People of faith and those of you with traditional values: hold on to your hats – it’s going to be a bumpy four years." - Liberty Counsel douchenozzle Matt Barber, writing for Americans For Truth About Homosexuality in response to the commitment to LGBT rights posted on the White House's official site yesterday.

Psst, Matt. "Right out of the shoot"? Perhaps you meant "chute", as in "poopchute", which you are, and in which you should place this.

Portland Paper Call For Adams Resignation

The Portland Oregonian today published an editorial calling for the resignation of openly gay Mayor Sam Adams in the wake of his admission of a sexual relationship with a then teenage former staffer.

Adams said this week that he lied because he did not think voters would believe him if he said that his relationship with Breedlove was not illegal. Perhaps he was right, but it was not renewed faith in the judgment of Portlanders that prompted the mayor to come clean with them. It was simply that he was being pressed by the Willamette Week newspaper, and the lie was not sustainable on any of several levels.

So now, Portlanders are left with a mayor whose election was built on a lie. Nobody knows how the election might have turned out if Adams' conscience had gotten the best of him in a more timely way. But he preferred not to put it to the test. Nobody -- not even the mayor -- knows if his sense of right and wrong will fail him again, but he is asking us to give him another chance. In his Tuesday news conference Adams responded to one question this way: "If it's no longer in the city's best interest for me to stay on, I will resign."

He's already said he doesn't plan to quit, but we submit that it is not in the city's interest to have a mayor who cannot vouch for his own character under fire.

He should resign.

The flap began in 2007 when Adams' also openly gay opponent Bob Ball began spreading rumors about Adams and the staffer, prompting Adams to publish a full page ad denying Ball's claim.

Flight 1549 Tribute Goes Up Near Hudson

Kenneth Cole has put up this billboard over the West Side Highway near where Flight 1549 went down. Interestingly, it's now being reported that the plane had engine trouble two days before going down in the Hudson and at that time the pilot (not Sullenberger) advised that an emergency landing might be necessary.

(Via - Gothamist)

LA ABC Station Refuses To Air PSAs About Gay Families: "Too Controversial"

Claiming the clips were too controversial to run during inauguration coverage, KABC-TV in Los Angeles refused to run public service announcements from Get To Know Us First, a group that promotes acceptance of LGBT families. From their press release:

Non-profit organization GetToKnowUsFirst.org produced five 30-second commercials featuring gay and lesbian families, with the message "Marriage promotes families. Support marriage equality." The ads, while not tied to any current election, are the result of California's passage of Proposition 8 in November. The group aired the spots in 42 of the states' 58 counties -- everywhere the initiative passed by 50% or more -- during Tuesday's coverage of the Presidential Inauguration. KABC is the only station that refused to sell the ad space. The rejected ad profiles two African American men raising five children ages 6 through 25. Ironically, the family lives in Los Angeles.

The media buy was attempted by the organization's ad agency, New and Improved Media. Its CEO, Keith Fisher, was surprised that KABC rejected the group's money. Fisher said, "We usually only see this with risque content, as in a trailer for a movie." He added, "If KABC thinks they have to protect the public from this family, something's obviously very wrong over there." Chris Yokogawa, the ad agency's media buyer, worked with the station, attempting to ease any concerns they might have. He said, "We went back and forth a couple of times. I explained that this family is far from controversial. They were firm in their rejection. They said it was too controversial to air during the Inauguration, since 'many families will be watching.'"

The ad aired across California on Tuesday -- before, during and after the Presidential Inauguration on Good Morning America, The Today Show, Despierta America (Univision) and Levantate (Telemundo) broadcasts, as well as on a wide range of regional news stations, CNN and FoxNews during evening coverage of the day's events. Project Coordinator John Ireland expressed astonishment at KABC's rejection. He said, "This ad is about families. I challenge anyone to watch the commercials at www.GetToKnowUsFirst.org and articulate what is inappropriate about airing it at any time of day."

Here's the clip.


(Tipped by JMG readers Adrian and Patrick)

Obama Headlines Around The World

Go here for clickable front pages of newspapers around the world covering Obama's inauguration.

Inauguration By Satellite

Via satellite, CNN provided some amazing shots of the massive crowds on the National Mall yesterday. Each of those black smudges represents probably hundreds of thousands of people. Try embiggening the photo here, click over to Popular Science for a huge version.

Shades Of Saddam

Except I don't think Saddam's statue got face-humped after it was pulled down.

Via Slog contributor Anthony Hecht, who was at the inauguration:

A father and son team brought the statue from Minnesota and set it up here without a permit. They told us they had asked authorities if they needed one, but police said they had no specific rules against inflatables, so it could stay. Some park police apparently even thanked them for it, thinking it a tribute to the outgoing president. They seemed as surprised as we were that it hadn't been removed. The statue was conceived by the 20-year-old son as an art project.

According to Hecht, passersby also pelted the inflatable with shoes and water bottles.

Scotland: Firefighter Wins Damages Over Gay Pride Event

In a case similar to the one in San Diego, a Scottish firefighter has won damages after being disciplined for refusing to work a gay pride event in Glascow.

A Roman Catholic firefighter has received damages and an apology from his employers after he was disciplined for refusing to work at a gay Pride event. Nine firefighers refused to work at Pride Scotia in Glasgow in June 2006 where they were supposed to be distributing fire safety leaflets. All the officers were given written warnings and ordered to undergo diversity training. One claimed that his religious beliefs should excuse him from duty at a Pride event. John Mitchell lost three internal appeals then went to an employment tribunal. Before the tribunal was about to begin Strathclyde Fire and Rescue said: "We reached an agreement without the need to go to tribunal." As part of the settlement, Mr Mitchell is not allowed to discuss the case. The fire service has apologised and admitted they had failed to take account of his religious beliefs.

Can atheist or gay firefighters now refuse to work at religious events?

Obama's First Act: Undo Bush Regs

A perfect beginning:

President Obama has wasted no time handling the Bush administration's unfinished business. White House officials tell CNN Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel sent a memo Tuesday to all agencies and departments of the federal government. The memo halts further consideration of pending regulations throughout the government until a legal and policy review can be conducted by the Obama administration.

On The Flubbed Oath Of Office

Andrew Sullivan notes that it didn't take very long for the wingnuts to start wondering if Obama is legitimately our new president because of the flubbed oath of office. This one won't have any legs though, even the Freepers are fighting amongst themselves over it. The birth certificate nonsense, however, continues.

Gay Marching Band In Inauguration Parade

The Lesbian and Gay Band Association received good coverage on C-SPAN last night as they passed the Inaugural Parade presidential reviewing stand. However coverage on other networks was slim to none. CNN mentioned them by name and provided a brief shot, but then cut away. Still, it was a thrilling and historic appearance for the band.

More On Aretha's Hat

It cracked me up yesterday to watch my post about Aretha's hat become one of the most searched items in almost five years on writing JMG. Aside from zillions of Google hits, the post was top ranked over on BuzzFeed's viral videos chart, where readers went into a photoshopping frenzy. My favorites are my SF pal Ggreg Taylor's creation below (pulled from his Facebook profile) and the US Airways jet.UPDATE: That didn't take long. JMG reader Tate has given Father Tony and myself the Aretha treatment.