Provide The Tea Party Caption

Take That, Putin

Russia can tear down their monument to Steve Jobs because Apple CEO Tim Cook has come out, but that won't save their stock market. Via the Telegraph:

Apple is now worth more than Russia's stock market, new data have revealed. The US technology giant's market capitalisation has overtaken the combined value of all Russian public companies for the first time in history, Bloomberg reported. Apple, the world's most valuable company, has added $147bn to its market cap this year and was worth $652bn as of November 12. The shares closed up 1.2pc to $114.18 each on Friday. Russian equities have fallen $234bn to $531bn in the same period, Bloomberg data stated. Apple, led by Tim Cook, has being going from strength to strength in recent months, culminating in the release of the company's latest smartphones in September - the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Mr Cook revealed earlier this year that his company is also working on products that "haven't been rumoured about yet". Meanwhile, Russia has been struggling to cope with a falling ruble and tough Western sanctions as a result of its conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Just let that sink in. An out gay man oversees the company whose value exceeds all of the companies on the stock market of the world's most famously anti-gay nation. I think that calls for a "neener, neener." At least.

RELATED: In other gay-related business news, pro-LGBT Microsoft has unseated ExxonMobil as the world's second-most valuable corporation. The energy giant's slide to third place comes as oil prices continue to sag worldwide. For 17 consecutive years the shareholders of ExxonMobil refused to enact workplace protections for its LGBT employees. Only in July of this year did the company grudgingly agree to comply with President Obama's executive order protecting the LGBT employees of companies that contract with the federal government. Fourth place Google, not incidentally, is now poised to overtake ExxonMobil. If that happens, the world's top three corporations will be aggressively pro-LGBT tech firms. Neener.

HomoQuotable - Andrew Caldwell

"First of all, I'm delivered. And when I was a homosexual, I never looked at an old man. I would never touch an old man. Like I said, I dated a couple of football players, I dated church people. So I would never ever date a old person. That's not my type. That's nasty. If folks want to know if I'm sleeping around right now and stuff, let me tell you something, I have no tastes for those desires. You know how people were smoking and they stop smoking for years? God took the taste out of my mouth. Trust me, I would NOT ever, ever in my life, touch an old man. Cuz you know why? If you could see me when I was a homosexual, I was a very attractive person. I would never touch - what do I see in an old person? I am delivered, I am set free." - Andrew "I'm Not Gay No More" Caldwell, after being asked if he is romantically involved with the older man with whom he lives. The older man was also on the call.

The above interview was posted yesterday on YouTube by the website Pimp Preacher, which has also published a multi-point refutation of the apparently spreading rumor that Caldwell was paid for his "ex-gay" performance at last weekend's COGIC convention. Included in the post is a declaration of the "truth" about Caldwell's May arrest for insurance fraud:

Truth About The Arrest - A local pastor was invited to Andrews church to preach and lay hands, but Andrew became alarmed when he noticed who the pastor was (because Andrew knew the man to frequent gay bars). To prove his point Andrew tried to get a picture of the man leaving the bar and when the man noticed Andrew trying to get pictures of his car he swerved the car in Andrews direction - thus running over his foot. A police report was filed and Andrew tried to sue the man’s insurance - but the insurance company sided with their customer under the grounds that “Andrew was stalking him.” As a result Andrew was arrested and charged with filing a false insurance claim with specified injuries. Andrew will receive a plea to a lesser charge with 80 hours of community service (non felony) – and this incident will not appear on his record as a felony. This Case was closed today at of 11:10 am cst.

The author of the above-linked Pimp Preacher post goes on to declare that he does not support COGIC, noting that "for four consecutive years I have been their number one critic."

TEXAS: Exorcism At Starbucks

Via Raw Story:

An exorcism performed outside a Starbucks coffee shop in Austin, Texas, was caught on video, mySA reported on Wednesday. In the video, a group of men can be seen with their hands placed another man, who is spewing saliva into a red plastic cup. “All your legions of poison. All your legions out! Out! All your legions of poison out! In Jesus’ mighty name,” the apparent leader of the exorcism says. “You have no legal ground to be in here.” “We ask you to hug this man with your love, God,” he adds. A Reddit user Umgar took credit for uploading the video to YouTube, and insisted the bizarre scene was not “a student film project, prank, or social experiment.” “Just the Bible belt,” the user remarked.

(Tipped by JMG reader Jay)

ALASKA: Independent Bll Walker Defeats Incumbent GOP Gov. Sean Parnell

Alaska's gubernatorial race has finally been called.

Bill Walker [above right], an attorney and former mayor of Valdez, is the first candidate unaffiliated with a party to be elected governor since statehood. Walker's mentor, Wally Hickel, served a term as governor with the Alaskan Independence Party, a recognized third-party in the state, before going back to the GOP. Walker, who finished second to Parnell in the 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary, bypassed this year's primary by gathering signatures to support an outside run. But Walker didn't change his party affiliation from Republican to undeclared until forming a "unity ticket" on the November ballot with Democrat Byron Mallott as the candidate for lieutenant governor. Mallott won the Democratic nomination for governor in August, but a Walker-Mallott ticket was seen as more competitive to Parnell, who ran with Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan, a fellow Republican. Walker and Mallott joined forces in early September at the urging of labor interests and others.

Walker was endorsed by Sarah Palin even though Parnell was her lieutenant governor.

MICHIGAN: State Argues That Sixth Circuit Ruling Invalidates Existing Marriages

The state of Michigan yesterday filed an attempt to void the 300+ same-sex marriages that took place there  during the brief period that it was legal. According to the office of Gov. Rick Snyder, last week's ruling by the Sixth Circuit invalidated those marriages.

"Consequently, from a legal standpoint, because the marriages rested solely on the district court's erroneous decision, which has now been reversed, it is as if the marriages never existed, and Plaintiffs' requests for benefits attendant to a legal marriage must be denied," lawyers for the state wrote in the six-page brief. It was filed with U.S. District Judge Mark Goldsmith, who heard oral arguments in the case in August from both sides in a suit filed by eight of the affected couples. That case, Caspar v. Snyder, is pending. Marsha Caspar, the lead plaintiff in the case, and Glenna DeJong were the first same-sex couple in Michigan to be married March 22 in Ingham County. Attorneys for the couples in that case have until Nov. 21 to file their supplemental briefs. Among the plaintiffs are Frank Colasonti Jr. and James Ryder, the first same-sex couple married in Oakland County on March 22. "Jim and I are shocked and angry that the state of Michigan would continue to argue that our legal marriages are null and void," Colasonti said Friday.

Truly disgusting.

FLORIDA: AG Pam Bondi Files Marriage Ruling Appeal With Eleventh Circuit Court

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi tonight filed an appeal with the Eleventh Circuit Court of the August ruling in the ACLU / SAVE Dade suit that overturned that state's ban on same-sex marriage.   On November 5th, US District Court Judge Robert Hinkle denied the request to immediately lift the stay on his ruling while the appeals process goes on. Hinkle left in place his order for that stay to expire on January 5th, 2015. Bondi's notice of appeal to the Eleventh Circuit was filed more than two months ago and today's appeal is the first same-sex marriage case to reach that court, whose jurisdiction includes Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.

From the summary of Bondi's appeal:

Florida has long defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman. In 2008, voters amended the Florida Constitution to reaffirm that policy. The United States Constitution does not prohibit Florida or its voters from making that choice, and the district court’s contrary conclusion was wrong. As the Supreme Court has recognized, States have the virtually exclusive authority to define and regulate marriage. Consistent with that authority, States may choose to allow same-sex marriage, as several States have. But States may also choose to maintain a traditional definition of marriage, as several other States have. Principles of federalism leave the choice to the States.

The United States Supreme Court’s decision in Baker v. Nelson is consistent with these principles. In Baker, the plaintiffs claimed the Fourteenth Amendment required States to allow same-sex marriage, the same claim the plaintiffs present here. The Supreme Court’s summary dismissal was a decision on the merits that rejected those claims, and it is binding on this Court. None of the more recent Supreme Court cases undermine Baker, much less overrule it. In fact, the Supreme Court’s most recent decision regarding same-sex marriage, United States v. Windsor, is fully consistent with the principle that federalism allows States to define marriage.

No fundamental right is at issue here because same-sex marriage is not deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition. The decisions recognizing marriage as a fundamental right, including Loving v. Virginia, all turned on the historical understanding of marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Because no fundamental right is at issue, and because there is no other basis for applying heightened scrutiny, only rational basis applies. Florida’s laws satisfy this deferential standard. Florida’s laws therefore do not violate the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. Nor do they violate the right to travel, the Establishment Clause, or a right to intimate association. This Court should reverse.

In addition to the above-cited Baker, Loving, and Windsor cases, among the other cases that Bondi's appeal cites is Lawrence V Texas, the landmark 2003 Supreme Court ruling that invalidated anti-sodomy laws nationwide. Essentially, Bondi argues that just because the state isn't arresting gay people for fucking doesn't mean they also entitled to marriage.

The Brenner plaintiffs claimed that Florida’s marriage laws interfere with their right of intimate association. In Lofton, this Court addressed and rejected the conversion of a negative, private right of intimate association - free from criminal prosecution or some other state-sanctioned punitive measure (discussed in Lawrence v. Texas) - into an “affirmative right to receive official and public recognition.”  The plaintiffs cannot prevail on an intimate association claim.

Read the full appeal at Equality Case Files.

BRITAIN: Prankster Disrupts Church By Screaming "I'm Not Gay No More"

News of COGIC's now legendary "I'm not gay no more" incident has spread to Britain, where a prankster named Nathan disrupted a London church to scream the lines made famous this week. The handful of people on hand watched bemusedly as a security guard very politely asked Nathan to calm down. The police were called and when they spoke to Nathan outside the church, he again repeatedly the lines, only to have the officer calmly suggest he go back inside and "speak to a priest." 

RELATED: The clip is a from a YouTube account titled Trollstation. From their about page: "Our content is intentionally provocative & controversial with the aim to offend and harass the general public in the name of comedic Satire. Trollstation is a collective of social misfits playing mad ASBO games on the public." ASBO stands for the Anti-Social Behavior Order introduced by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998.

SOUTH DAKOTA: Court Denies State's Demand To Dismiss Marriage Case

The above federal court today denied South Dakota's demand for the dismissal of the marriage equality lawsuit filed in late May. The dismissal demand was denied, in part, on the basis of case precedent that the court today ruled as "not controlling." But much more interesting is the Court's statement on last week's ruling by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals:

Most recently, a panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned district court decisions in four states which had struck down same-sex marriage laws. The Sixth Circuit stated that applying the doctrinal developments exception laid out in Hicks “would be a groundbreaking development of its own.” The Sixth Circuit’s reading of the doctrinal developments exception is too narrow and would effectively eliminate that exception by requiring either an explicit or implicit overruling of a prior decision. Furthermore, it is difficult to reconcile the Supreme Court’s statement in Windsor that the Constitution protects the moral and sexual choices of homosexual couples with the idea that state laws prohibiting same-sex marriage do not present a substantial federal question. Thus, the Sixth Circuit’s reasoning is not as persuasive as the reasoning of the Second, Fourth, Seventh, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits on this issue.

Yeah, we've got this one too. Read the full denial at Equality Case Files.

TENNESSEE: National Center For Lesbian Rights Petitions SCOTUS On Marriage

Earlier today Lambda Legal and ACLU filed a demand that SCOTUS hear their appeal of the Sixth Circuit Court ruling in Ohio. This afternoon the National Center for Lesbian Rights and a coalition of local legal firms did the same regarding the Tennessee case. From their petition:

Beyond the many legal protections denied to petitioners, Tennessee’s refusal to recognize their legal marriages continually communicates to petitioners and other Tennesseans that the State regards petitioners and their families as second-class citizens. Mr. Mansell and Mr. Espejo worry that their young children will internalize these messages and believe that their family is inferior and not entitled to the same dignity as other Tennessee families. Drs. Tanco and Jesty also want to protect their newborn child from growing up under discriminatory laws that mark their family as different and less worthy. For Sgt. DeKoe, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Tennessee’s refusal to recognize his marriage to Mr. Kostura is particularly painful because he is denied the very rights — freedom, liberty, and equality - that he risked his life to protect.

Read the full petition.

UPDATE: JMG reader Jason writes to point out that the top-listed attorney, Abby Rubenfeld, is the real life sister of Paul Rubens, aka Pee-Wee Herman.

Tweet Of The Day

Read the responses.

Missouri Changes Its Stripes

Wikipedia's marriage map monitor, who decloaked this week as a JMG reader, has made a change to reflect the complicated situation in Missouri.

MONTANA: Federal Judge Cancels Gay Marriage Hearing, Will Likely Rule Shortly

Via the Bozeman Daily Chronicle:

A U.S. District Court judge has vacated a hearing in a lawsuit filed by four couples who seek to overturn Montana’s ban on same-sex marriage. Judge Brian Morris had originally set a hearing for federal court in Great Falls on Thursday, Nov. 20, after the plaintiffs' lawyers filed a motion for summary judgement in their lawsuit to strike down the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. However, Morris vacated the hearing a week before it was scheduled and will rule on the plaintiffs' motion based on the court documents already submitted. my Cannatta, communications director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana, said Morris asked both the plaintiffs, who are represented by the state’s ACLU legal director, as well as the state, if the hearing was necessary. Four couples, including Bozeman’s Ben Milano and Chase Weinhandl, filed the suit in May.

Montana is the last of the Ninth Circuit states to fall in line. Will they beat Mississippi to the party?

RELATED: Last week GOP Montana Attorney General Tim Fox filed a brief which compares gay marriage to incest and polygamy and make the usual tired procreation argument.

MISSISSIPPI: County Clerks Prepare For The Legalization Of Same-Sex Marriage

Via the Clarion-Ledger:

County circuit clerks across the state of Mississippi are preparing for the possibility of potentially thousands of same-sex couples arriving at courthouses to apply for marriage licenses. If U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves strikes down Mississippi's gay marriage ban and does not put a temporary hold on same-sex marriages, county clerks will likely be flooded with long lines and marriage license applications from same-sex couples. "This is all just very interesting," said Barbara Dunn, circuit clerk of Hinds County. "We will just have to take it all in stride and see what the judge rules, but I know that we could work with any rush on the courthouse for licenses." According to 2010 census statistics, 3,484 same-sex couples live in Mississippi, and 417 live in Hinds County. To accommodate a potential rush on the Hinds County Courthouse if Reeves does not grant a stay, Dunn said the only foreseeable major change would be wording on marriage license paperwork, which her office has the authority to change in "under two minutes."

Other clerks interviewed in the above-linked article claim that they will need up to two weeks to change their paperwork.

LA Galaxy Sign Out Soccer Star Robbie Rogers To Multi-Year Contract Extension

Via press release:

The LA Galaxy announced today that the club has signed defender Robbie Rogers to a multi-year contract extension. Rogers, an MLS veteran and former U.S. Men’s National Team member, joined in Galaxy in May 2013 and has made 30 appearances and 22 starts as a member of the Galaxy. “We are excited that Robbie will remain a part of our organization going forward,” LA Galaxy Head Coach and General Manager Bruce Arena said. “He has proven to be a dynamic player in our League and an integral part of our success this year. We look forward to his continued contributions in the years to come.” Rogers, 27, has made 15 appearances for the Galaxy this season in addition to recording two assists. After making the move to defense full-time with a start against Chivas USA on June 8, the Galaxy have gone 10-2-7 in all MLS competitions in which Rogers appeared, including MLS Cup Playoffs.

(Tipped by JMG reader Benjamin)

RELATED: Last month ABC green-lighted a sitcom based on Rogers' life. The show is tentatively titled Men In Shorts.

VATICAN: American Anti-Gay Religious Leaders To Attend Meeting On Marriage

Miranda Blue writes at Right Wing Watch:

Next week, American Religious Right leaders including the Southern Baptist Convention’s Russell Moore, pastor Rick Warren, Archbishop of Philadelphia Charles Chaput, and Latter-Day Saints official Henry Eyring will be joining opponents of LGBT equality from around the world at an interfaith conference on the “complementarity of man and woman in marriage” hosted by the Vatican. The conference follows a synod at which Catholic bishops considered, but ultimately rejected, proposals to soften the church’s stances on homosexuality, as well as those who have been divorced. Although he is not listed as a speaker, another prominent American opponent of LGBT equality will also be attending the conference. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said in an interview on Newsmax TV today that he plans to attend the conference in Rome and expects the Catholic Church to “make a very clear statement that pertains to marriage and what the Church views marriage to be” to provide “clarity” to the confusion coming out of the recent synod.

They must be very worried about something.

VATICAN: Topless Femen Trio Arrested After Simulating Anal Sex With Crucifixes

Via the International Business Times:

Three topless Femen demonstrators have been dragged away from St. Peter's Square after simulating anal sex with crucifixes in a protest against the Pope outside the Vatican. The women crouched on all fours and re-enacted sex with crosses while shouting anti-papal remarks including "a world without religion, a parliament without a pope" and "god is not a magician, pope is not a politician". It is thought the women, who had "the pope is not a politician" daubed across their breasts, were protesting against Pope Francis' planned visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on November 25.

Based in Ukraine, the Femen have previously demonstrated in support of LGBT rights, prompting an all-male anti-gay French group, the Hommen, to spring up in response.

ALABAMA: Lesbian Lawmaker Renames LGBT Rights Bill For Apple CEO Tim Cook

In 2011 openly lesbian Alabama state Rep. Patricia Todd introduced a bill to protect LGBT citizens from employment discrimination. The bill failed, but Todd is trying again and this time she has renamed the bill the "Tim Cook Economic Development Act." According to the governor, state employees are already protected.

In October, Cook — an Alabama native and CEO of one of America’s best-known tech companies — criticized the state’s employment laws in a speech before the Alabama Academy of Honor, where he was being inducted as a member. “Under the law, citizens of Alabama can still be fired for their sexual orientation,” Cook said. A few days after the speech, Cook came out as gay in an opinion piece published in Bloomberg Businessweek. On the day of Cook’s speech, Gov. Robert Bentley told The Anniston Star he wasn’t sure it was, in fact, legal to fire someone based on sexual orientation. He said he’d look into the issue. This week, Bentley’s office released a short statement saying that state agencies, at least, can’t fire people solely because they’re gay. “As it relates to state agencies in Alabama, it would be a violation of Title VII and Sections 1981, 1983 and 1985 of the Civil Rights Act to terminate a person based solely on sexual orientation,” Bentley’s press secretary, Yasamie August, wrote in an emailed statement. August’s statement didn’t address discrimination in private workplaces, and attempts to reach her for further comment Thursday were not successful.

Rep. Todd: "If you ask people on the street, they’ll say of course you can’t get fired. They think we’re a protected class, but we’re not." (Tipped by JMG reader Jeremy)

Today In Open Carry Crazy People

Arizona-based trucker and devout "lover of Christ" Rob Kinnison, whose YouTube channel is laden with obscenity-heavy anti-gay rants, is very angry with the gun control group Moms Demand Action. Via Wonkette:

Rob Kinnison is probably not the kind of spokesperson open carry advocates would select for themselves, but that’s not how it works anymore. How it works now is you just yell really loud and threaten people on the internet. That’s what Rob Kinnison did when he learned that the group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is pushing Kroger grocery stores to revise their policy of letting people like Rob Kinnison go shopping with locked and loaded assault rifles on their persons. But really, isn’t it about time you met Rob Kinnison, your new most despicable person of the hour, who legally owns several guns and loves to walk around with them in grocery stores such as Kroger because there’s something or some things wrong with him?

Wonkette suggests turning down your speakers.

MAP: What EU Nations Are Worst At

The categories for France, Denmark. and Romania are really dumb compared to the seriousness of the others. Visit Thrillist for a breakdown. A huge version of the map is here. (Via JMG reader Aaron)

OHIO: Lambda Legal And ACLU Jointly Petition SCOTUS For Marriage Review

Lambda Legal and the ACLU are first in the coming wave of demands that SCOTUS review last week's ruling by the Sixth Circuit Court.  From their Ohio petition:

These cases are about love, from birth to death. The relationships at the heart of each case involve the love spouses share, with each other and with the children they jointly raise, and the love that survives the death of a spouse. This enduring love has prompted this Court to hold that “choices about marriage” belong to the individual and are “sheltered by the Fourteenth Amendment against the State’s unwarranted usurpation, disregard, or disrespect.” Yet, despite this Court’s unequivocal insistence that the Fourteenth Amendment encompasses a fundamental right to marry “for all individuals,” Ohio singles out the lawful marriages of lesbians and gay men and treats them as invalid, turning members of these committed families into legal strangers. By disrespecting their marriages, Ohio has done more than deny petitioners basic legal rights to which they are entitled. It has treated Petitioners as second-class citizens whose most intimate relationships have been denied the dignity and respect they deserve.

Read the full petition.

Darth Vader, Evangelist

Darth Vader lays the Holy Word on errbody.

Blind Link

No excerpt, no post labels. Just go read this.

FLORIDA: Gay Couple Might Lose Their Driver's Licenses Over Name Change

Via Orlando's ABC affiliate:

A same-sex couple living in Florida who used their marriage license to change their names on their drivers' licenses just received a letter from the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles warning them that they are both in danger of losing their licenses. The warning came in the mail after Channel 9 did a story on how Daniel and Scott Wall-Desousa managed to legally change their name with an out-of-state marriage license. "It informs me and notifies me that my driving privileges will be canceled indefinitely as of Nov. 22," said Daniel Wall-Desousa. The Wall-Desousas successfully changed their names at the DMV by showing their marriage license. When Channel 9 reported on the name change, Scott Wall-Desousa said the clerk was told to not ask questions if the license was issued to a same-sex couple and simply grant the name change. "It is a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy, and I guess we have been told, 'Here is the repercussion,'" said Scott Wall-Desousa.

The couple has already changed their names on their Social Security cards and says they will sue the state over the driver's license issue. (Tipped by JMG reader Win)

Happy Purple Marriage Map

JMG reader Jay Sheckley has sent us an alternative map to the Wikipedia version posted here several times a week in recent months. Embiggen for the details.

KANSAS: NOM Petitions Governor To Order Clerks To Disobey Supreme Court

See the full petition.

Underoos Are Back (In Adult Sizes)

Cosplay costume alert. Via IO9:

Right now, Hot Topic is selling seven sets — Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Captain America, He-Man and Skeletor — for just under $20 each (new Batman Underoos definitely exist, but they seem to be sold out online). Happily, besides being for kids and adults, that's a 50/50 split of characters for guys and gals. I suspect — and I certainly hope — that this is just a trial run to see how they sell, and that more will come. If so, given how many licenses Hot Topic carries, do you know what we kind of Underoos we could possibly get if we're lucky? Deadpool! Transformers! Supernatural! Halo! Harry Potter! Rocky Horror Picture Show! THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS AND AWESOME.

The brand first launched in 1977.

HARLEM: Activists To Fundraise For Ali Forney In Response To Hate Church

On December 3rd, Harlem Against Violence & Homophobia will hold a fundraising event for the Ali Forney Center in response to the continuing attacks on the LGBT community by crackpot Pastor James David Manning, whose church is on the same street as Ali Forney's drop-in center for homeless LGBT youth.

“We can’t sit back and ignore the hateful words on the ATLAH sign,” said Harlem resident Stacy Parker Le Melle, organizer for Harlem Against Violence, Homophobia and Transphobia, the community group comprised of local residents working together to resist ATLAH’s hate speech. “We are trying to help those easily hurt by ATLAH’s messaging, the youth who have been pushed out of their homes due to family rejection, much of it religious-based,” said Le Melle. “We want a neighborhood safe and welcoming for all.”

For their second benefit night, the Harlem residents group will screen Brother Outsider, an award-winning documentary of the life of marginalized civil rights titan Bayard Rustin. Special guests include filmmakers Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer, and Mr. Rustin’s longtime partner Walter Naegle.

"Bayard Rustin spent his life working to build bridges between communities. He sought to heal racial, ethnic, and religious division and he did so in the spirit of love and reconciliation," said Walter Naegle. "Today, our world is still plagued by such strife and thus his work and message is more relevant than ever in seeking to build a just and equal society. 'No Time for Hate,' is a perfect opportunity to carry forth this message."

Hit the link for more information and tickets to the screening.

UPDATE: "I'm Not Gay No More"

The Church of God In Christ (COGIC) has released a statement about the young man whose renouncement of his gayness went wildly viral this week:

A video, which is now viral, of a young man stating his deliverance from a particular lifestyle does not, in any capacity, speak to all of the remarkable things that transpired during this great church convention. We believe that we should reflect the love and compassion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in all that we do. We do not in any way compromise our biblical position against same sex unions or in favor of biblical teaching on matters of sexual conduct. At the same time we expect that our clergy and laity will be civil and considerate as they speak to men and women regarding issues related to our Christian faith. We love all people, regardless of their faith or moral standards. When we fail to express ourselves with love and humility we contradict our witness to the world Furthermore, the Church of God in Christ wholly condemns acts of violence against and the subjugation of any person to verbal or physical harassment on the basis of their sexual stance. Such actions violate entirely the Christian’s obligation to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The Church of God in Christ will have no further comment on this matter.

A local television station has investigated and notes that the young man was arrested for insurance fraud earlier this year. From CBS Atlanta:

"Well, my conclusion is he's a con artist, he's a scam artist," says internet talk show host Thaddeus Matthews. Matthews interviewed Caldwell Tuesday and said other things about him do not add up. "He says that he's going to medical school online," said Matthews. "Where do you go to medical school at, online?" Caldwell was also arrested back in May on charges of “fraudulent insurance." WMC Action News 5's Jason Miles briefly spoke with him on the phone before he quickly put his manager on the line. Both firmly disputed that anything was set up. Caldwell also claimed he hasn't made a dime from his "deliverance." Porter of Memphis handed him a $100 bill following the testimony. Bishop Porter's church referred WMC to COGIC public relations. They issued a statement and said it would be the only comment.

RELATED: In addition to the numerous response and parody videos, the incident has now been animated.

Headline Of The Day

Chris Geidner reports at Buzzfeed:

In a statement published Thursday and joined by Scalia, Thomas complained that, while the court has generally heard cases when federal or state laws have been found to be unconstitutional by lower courts, the justices “have not done so with any consistency, especially in recent months” — specifically pointing to the various marriage cases that the justices have declined to hear. [snip]

Thomas went on to explain, writing that the Supreme Court has “recognized a strong presumption in favor of” hearing appeals when federal statutes have been held unconstitutional. “States deserve no less consideration. … Indeed, we often review decisions striking down state laws, even in the absence of a disagreement among lower courts,” Thomas wrote, noting, among other cases, the court’s decision to hear the appeal of California’s Proposition 8 marriage ban — an appeal that the court ended up dismissing in 2013 on the technical grounds of standing.

Then, turning to the Supreme Court’s current term, Thomas noted, “But for reasons that escape me, we have not done so with any consistency, especially in recent months” — citing the court’s decision to deny the marriage case appeal requests out of Utah, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Wisconsin at the start of the term and the stay requests denied since in marriage cases pending in Idaho and Alaska.

Hit the link for much more and a copy of the statement.

Jimmy Somerville - Travesty (Fan Video)

A Jimmy Somerville fan has compiled the below video to accompany his latest release. As a challenge to hardcore disco heads, let's see who can name all of the artists that appear. Some of them are extremely well-known, but there are a few fairly obscure acts too. I think I count 21 in total.

RELATED: The  single and 12" are available today on iTunes.

Gay Blood Ban May Be Partially Lifted

Via Bloomberg News:

A U.S. advisory panel recommended for the first time that the 31-year ban preventing gay and bisexual men from donating blood should be partially ended, placing the nation’s policy in line with other countries. Men who had sex with men anytime since 1977 are barred from giving blood in the U.S., a policy that dates back to 1983 because of concern that the AIDS virus could be transmitted through blood transfusions. Groups like the American Red Cross say that risk is infinitesimal in many cases, not enough to justify a full ban that prevents much-needed donations. Doctors and blood-donation advocates who advise the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services voted 16-2 today to suggest that men who have had sex with men should be able to give blood after being abstinent for one year. Their recommendation will be considered by a group of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration in a Dec. 2 meeting. While the FDA doesn’t have to follow either panel’s advice, their recommendations are considered influential.

From The Alliance Defending Freedom

ADF crackpot Joe LaRue has been battling activists Zack Ford and Carlos Maza on Twitter today. Follow the bile here. (Tipped by JMG reader Erik)

Brian Brown Has The Kansas Super Sadz

"We call on Governor Sam Brownback to reject the idea that Kansas must abandon marriage because out of control federal judges say so. We urge Governor Brownback to use his authority to order local clerks to refuse to issue marriage licenses in violation of state law, as affirmed by the Supreme Court, in recognition that the state courts are not bound to reach the same judgment about the constitutionality of their laws as the lower federal courts. Although this obviously creates a lack of 'harmony' between the state and federal courts on the subject, Kansas has every right to insist that this conflict be resolved by the Supreme Court, not an activist lower federal court. We encourage the Kansas Supreme Court to remain firm in upholding state laws, especially in light of the fact that numerous federal judges have upheld state marriage amendments like Kansas' including the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, as well as district courts in Louisiana and Puerto Rico. We urge Governor Brownback and state Attorney General Schmidt to aggressively press their appeal to the US Supreme Court." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, via press release.

KANSAS: Marriages Commence In Four Counties As State Continues To Fight

Marriage licenses are being issued today in a handful of the 103 Kansas counties.

Judges in at least four Kansas counties were issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples a day after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling allowing them to wed. Clerks in other counties were giving applications to gay couples but requiring them to abide by the state’s three-day waiting period before they can get a license. As of midmorning Thursday, Douglas County District Judge Robert Fairchild had waived the waiting period for three couples and said he would consider similar requests on a case-by-case basis. A different judge had agreed to preside over the wedding of one of the couples after the courthouse closes at 5 p.m. CST. Couples received licenses in Sedgwick County, while judges in Cowley and Riley counties each had issued one marriage license to same-sex couples.

Gov. Sam Brownback and Attorney General Derek Schmidt continue to contend that yesterday's ruling only applies in two Kansas counties.

Kirk Cameron: It Was Really Pagans That Stole Christmas From Christians

From the Christian Post:

"I'm making 'Saving Christmas' because I love Christmas, I love everything about it," Cameron told The Christian Post before rattling off several Christmas traditions such as roasting chestnuts, drinking hot chocolate, and enjoying Christmas stockings, stories, trees and food.  "I'm a sucker for all of it, and of course the nativity, and there's a lot of people who really want to put a big wet blanket on the celebration," Cameron continued. "It starts this time of year. You have people who want to pull down nativity scenes, you have lawsuits showing up in schools that can't have Christmas performances ... it has to be winter break or holiday break or sparkle season ... they want to take that out of Christmas so they don't offend people who hate Christmas. And then we have a new group who are telling us, convincingly, that Christmas is actually a celebration of paganism." The "Growing Pains" star dismisses theories that Christmas is derived in the pagan celebration of Winter Solstice in "Saving Christmas," offering viewers a Biblical reference to items such as the Christmas tree instead. Furthermore, the film reveals Cameron's take on Santa Claus, the three wisemen, and why Christmas is celebrated on Dec. 25 each year. "We don't know this stuff, we kinda drink the Kool-Aid and believe pagans when they tell us they have ownership of these things," Cameron explained.

Cameron doesn't tell the Christian Post where the bible mentions Christmas trees. The movie opens on Friday.

Duck Dynasty, The Musical

Yes, this is going to be a thing.

Undertaking one of the more audacious theater projects in recent years, the Robertsons — known for their long beards, duck-hunting merchandise and occasional inflammatory remark — are moving to expand their Louisiana-based multimedia franchise with “The Duck Commander Family Musical.” The 90-minute show, with actors playing the family members from A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” as they celebrate the family’s long history from rags to riches, hopes to open in February at the Rio hotel and casino, where the Chippendales show and Penn & Teller are now running.

Even before rehearsals start, the show is courting controversy. Several Broadway producers, many of whom are liberal, gay, or both, are aghast that colleagues would work with a family whose patriarch, Phil Robertson, has compared homosexuality to bestiality. Gay rights leaders are also eyeing the show with concern, while evangelical Christians — many of whom admire the Robertsons — might be hesitant to go to a Las Vegas casino and see whether New York artists have fairly rendered the family.

The show is being produced by Michael David, the same guy that brought you the multiple Tony-winning Jersey Boys. The show's gay-married director Jeff Calhoun, who won the Tony for Newsies, says that he and the Duck Dynasty clan have "agreed to disagree" on gay issues.

Viewer Question For Pat Robertson

Porno Pete: The Government Should Stop Promoting The Use Of Condoms

"The question is, if we know what behavior is causing these diseases, why don't we encourage people not to practice the behaviors? Homosexuality, especially among men, is vastly overrepresented in HIV cases, so the government should be taking steps to discourage men and boys from practicing homosexual behavior.  We're in a situation now where the government is encouraging groups to pass out condoms at homosexual clubs, as if that's going to stop the disease. I mean, basically, we've done everything but publicly discourage men from practicing homosexuality. Instead the CDC goes around talking about stigma and 'homophobia.' This is really a politically protected class of disease because of its association with homosexuality, and that's wrong." - Peter LaBarbera, quoted by the American Family Association site OneNewsNow.

Voter Turnout: Lowest In 72 Years

From the New York Times:

The abysmally low turnout in last week’s midterm elections — the lowest in more than seven decades — was bad for Democrats, but it was even worse for democracy. In 43 states, less than half the eligible population bothered to vote, and no state broke 60 percent. In the three largest states — California, Texas and New York — less than a third of the eligible population voted. New York’s turnout was a shameful 28.8 percent, the fourth-lowest in the country, despite three statewide races (including the governor) and 27 House races.

Over all, the national turnout was 36.3 percent; only the 1942 federal election had a lower participation rate at 33.9 percent. The reasons are apathy, anger and frustration at the relentlessly negative tone of the campaigns. Republicans ran a single-theme campaign of pure opposition to President Obama, and Democrats were too afraid of the backlash to put forward plans to revive the economy or to point out significant achievements of the last six years. Neither party gave voters an affirmative reason to show up at the polls.

Colorado and Oregon, two states with voting by mail, had double the voter turnout of New York, which has no early voting. Maine, which allows early voting, had the highest turnout in the nation at 59.3%.

Viral Video Of The Day

Over 1.7M views on the first day of the below ad from Britain's Sainsbury's supermarket chain. The Guardian rips it to pieces:

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? Not only the monstrous anger of the guns nor the stuttering rifles’ rapid rattle, but now an epic four-minute, eye-wateringly expensive commercial for a supermarket chain. There is no disputing that the new Sainsbury’s ad is, on its own terms, a masterpiece. The cinematography is breathtaking. Without saying a word, the young cast conveys a startling array of emotional depth within a few short minutes. The simple narrative, built around the near-mythical Christmas truce between the trenches of 1914, has just the right blend of poignancy and sentimentality to bring a tear to the most cynical eye. [snip] Exploiting the first world war for commercial gain is tasteless. This, however, is not what disturbs me most. The really upsetting details are the stunning shot of the robin on the wire, the actors’ trembles as they cautiously emerge from the trenches, half expecting a sniper’s bullet, the flicker of understanding in the eyes as the young soldiers reach into their pockets at the end. The film-makers here have done something to the first world war which is perhaps the most dangerous and disrespectful act of all: they have made it beautiful.

(Tipped by JMG reader Gerard)

FLORIDA: Miami-Dade County Advances Trans Rights Despite Wingnut Outrage

In a 3-1 vote, a committee for the Miami-Dade County Commission yesterday advanced a transgender rights bill over the usual screaming of Christianist activists.

Raw emotion and invocations of biblical damnation over a proposed ban on discrimination against transgender people dominated Wednesday what was perhaps the fiercest debate Miami-Dade County Hall has seen this year. Advocates of a more inclusive society, including transgender men and women who spoke of how difficult it can be to find public acceptance, were outnumbered by conservatives who, in a show of force, assailed the legislation as immoral and a threat to public safety. Two likened South Florida to Sodom and Gomorrah. What proponents called a civil-rights issue was boiled down by opponents to a mundane task that blurred the divide between men and women: going to the bathroom. A law protecting people like him, a transgender man said, offers the “dignity to pee in peace.”

Among the groups pushing for the law were Equality Florida, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Anti-Defamation League. Leading the campaign against were the Christian Family Coalition, which opposed adding “sexual orientation” to the human-rights ordinance in 1998, and People United to Lead the Struggle for Equality, or PULSE, an African-American group led by socially conservative black clergy. Earlier Wednesday morning, Circuit Judge Daryl Trawick threw out a lawsuit that eight individuals, apparently acting on behalf of the opposing groups, filed last week against [commission chairwoman Rebecca] Sosa in an attempt to stop the hearing from taking place. The plaintiffs argued Sosa broke the law by assigning the legislation to a more favorable committee. But commission rules give the chairperson discretion to set agendas.

Last week opponents of the bill accused Sosa of being a communist and declared that transgender rights are officially endorsed by the Communist Party. The full commission will hear the bill next month.

(Tipped by JMG reader Michael)

TRAILER: Visage's Orchestral

From Visage frontman Steve Strange:

Founding fathers of the New Romantics and pioneers of the 80s sound Visage, return with a new album “Orchestral” in Winter 2014. In March 2014 Visage were asked to perform at the closing ceremony of the World Ski Jumping Championships in Prague. Sensing an opportunity for grandeur, Steve Strange – the illustrious leader of Visage – joined forces with the Czech Synthosymphonica Orchestra. Headed by Armin Effenberger, their speciality is mixing classical music arrangements and full orchestras with classic synthesizer sounds.

RELATED: Former Visage member Midge Ure co-wrote and produced the mammoth (and for many, cringe-inducing) 1984 charity singe, Do They Know It's Christmas, which will be re-recorded this weekend by Bono, Chris Martin, One Direction, and others as a benefit for ebola relief. With sales of over 12M copies, the original is among the twenty greatest-selling singles of all time.

Mississippi Paper: Federal Judge Very Likely To Overturn Gay Marriage Ban

From the Clarion-Ledger:

If U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves doesn't grant the preliminary injunction sought against Mississippi's gay marriage ban, it will surprise most of the people in his courtroom on Wednesday. Reeves grilled the state's defense of its gay marriage ban on almost every issue raised during the roughly five hours of arguments presented in a hearing for Campaign for Southern Equality v. Phil Bryant. At the same time, he appeared sympathetic to the plaintiffs who want the ban overturned. The hearing ended around 3:30 p.m. with Reeves saying he will take the matter under advisement and rule as soon as possible. He has two main decisions before him: Whether or not to grant the preliminary injunction and, if so, whether or not to issue a stay of that injunction.

Reeves is an Obama nominee and used to work for the ACLU of Mississippi. Oh my yes, the screaming will be loud. Hit the link for some great back-and-forth between Reeves and the attorney for the state.

Teabaggers Fall For Death Panels Story: Dorothy Zborknak Has Been Executed

Politifact has published a "Pants On Fire" response to a story making the rounds in Teabagistan which claims that Obamacare death panels have "executed their first patient." From the story:

According to recent reports, a group of death panels organized under Obamacare ordered their first execution. "Following a hearing by the president’s Patient Resource Efficiency Board (PREB), 86-year-old Dorothy Zborknak has been ordered to death. The reason? According to the administration, she is no longer useful. "Zborknak worked at Fleur de Lis Florist in Chicago for nearly forty years, before she made the decision to retire in 1998. Since that time, she has struggled with a host of health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney failure. Unfortunately, the cost of her care just became too expensive," claims Peter Johnston, a member of the Chicago PREB. "Under the Affordable Care Act, we have the power to make choices about end of life care and I stand by our ruling. I know it will be hard for the family to accept what’s going to happen. But from a financial standpoint, this was a very easy decision."

The story is, of course, from a satire site. It apparently made its first social media appearance in early September on a teabagger Facebook page titled The Patriot. A sample comment there: "This was fore-warned in Romney's political ads. TOO many people didn't want a Mormon in the White house, so they voted in a Muz Slime instead!" And another: "All you OVOMIT voters and stupidly OVOMIT lovers READ THIS. You too WILL GET OLD and when his people decide you no longer useful to the world you too will reap the rewards of your DUMB ASS VOTES you sold out for a free phone and the likes. Enjoy knowing that your time is coming as well as the ones who had more sense than to vote for the evil MUSLIM FOREIGNER."  That post on Facebook has been shared nearly 5000 times. (Tipped by JMG reader David)

The View On Comet 67P

Orlando Loses Iconic Neon Sign

Brooklyn and Philadelphia both lost iconic neon signs this year and today the same happens in my hometown of Orlando.

For decades, the Merita Bread sign acted as a welcoming beacon to downtown Orlando for those traveling eastbound on I-4, just south of downtown. Two years ago, the bread company closed its doors when Hostess, its former parent company, went bankrupt. Tomorrow morning’s commute will be the last time the iconic neon sign greets drivers to downtown Orlando. After more than 50 years, the Merita Bread sign is coming down. The new owners of the former Merita Bread building, Maudlin International Trucks of Orlando, is giving the double-sided sign and the neon letters on the side of the building to the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, which plans to fully restore the sign and add it to their growing collection of historic Orlando signs. The sign will be dismantled in sections and is anticipated to be completely wiped from our skyline by 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13.

The Merita sign was one of the most beloved in Florida, perhaps because just as motorists rounded the downtown curve of I-4, windows would be rolled down as the sign came into into view accompanied by the delicious scent of baking bread. When my friends and I would return from excursions to South Florida, we always said that we weren't officially home until we could see the Merita sign. Heck, back in the 80s we even had a local drag queen named Merita Brioche.

SCOTUSblog On Kansas

Lyle Denniston writes at SCOTUSblog:

The Court has issued a series of orders in same-sex marriage cases over the past eleven months, but the Kansas order marked the first time that members of the Court had recorded dissents. Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas noted only that they would have granted the delay sought by the Kansas attorney general. Kansas officials had attempted to show that their case was different from others that the Supreme Court had chosen to leave undisturbed, arguing that the federal judge’s order was an invalid attempt to second-guess a Kansas Supreme Court order delaying the issuance of same-sex marriages. The federal judge had rejected that claim, but it may have been the one that drew the implied support of Justices Scalia and Thomas. The state still has an appeal pending at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, but that has little promise, because that appeals court has struck down bans in two other states in its region — Oklahoma and Utah. The Supreme Court refused to review those Tenth Circuit rulings on October 6. The Kansas ban is almost identical to those in other states.

KANSAS: AG Derek Schmidt Says Marriage Ruling Only Applies In Two Counties

Via the Associated Press:

The U.S. Supreme Court denied a request Wednesday from Kansas to prevent gay and lesbian couples from marrying while the state fights the issue in court. Schmidt says that decision applies only in Douglas, a northeastern Kansas county, and Sedgwick, in south-central Kansas, where the court clerks are defendants. The American Civil Liberties Union contends the ruling applies in all 105 counties. The legal situation in Kansas is complicated by another case before the Kansas Supreme Court, which Schmidt filed last month. He persuaded the Kansas court to block marriage licenses for same-sex couples, at least while his case is heard. Marriage licenses in Kansas are issued by district court clerks' offices after a mandatory three-day wait. In Johnson County, Court Clerk Sandra McCurdy said about 70 applications from same-sex couples are pending. "Until I hear something from the Kansas Supreme Court, I'm not issuing any marriage licenses," McCurdy said.

And on and on it goes.

Audra McDonald Sings Yahoo! Answers

Open Thread Thursday

Share your favorite recipes and if you've got them, photos of the finished products.

JMG Interview With Jimmy Somerville Plus Worldwide Debut Of Travesty Re-Edit

I recently had the privilege of speaking with groundbreaking dance artist Jimmy Somerville about his new album and his history as one of the loudest and proudest gay artists. 

JMG: Hi, Jimmy! Let's start with today and work backwards. Tell us about your coming album, Homage, and its first single, Travesty, which made its worldwide debut on my site last month to much acclaim from my readers. From the first single, this feels like a total throwback to the lush orchestrated disco sound of the 70s.

Jimmy Somerville: That's it, exactly. This is the album I've always wanted to do. This is the album that if it came out when I was 15 years old, I'd have been dancing around my bedroom to it.

JMG: I've been dancing around my bedroom to it and I'm a few multiples of 15 years old. It's been five years since your last album and a decade since one was released in the US. Why the long break? 

JS: Well, it all had to do with money, confidence, and direction. After my contract to London [Records] came to an end - my relationship [with them] was so toxic - it destroyed my belief in myself as a writer and performer. Only in the last two and half years did everything turn in my head. It was like, "I can do this. I'm doing this for me." It's like I'm starting my career all over again.

JMG: Speaking of starting your career, you came out as a proud gay artist in the early 80s when few others would. At that time you publicly slammed artists like Boy George who were still being coy about their gayness. How do you think things have changed for young gay artists today?

JS: It all depends on how you want to further your career, sadly. When it's all about your sexuality that sometimes means it's automatically turned into a negative. You create this smokescreen and that's kind of sad. I was coming from a political agenda and different mindset. I was very much a radical at the front of a political awakening.

JMG: Sam Smith has been out pretty much from the start.

JS: He's out there, he's really successful, and you know what, nobody gives a shit. But even today it's a brave thing to do. I take my hat off to him.

JMG: As to your political awakening, like many gay men my age, 1984's Smalltown Boy was part of my own political awakening. For so many of us, that song was so painfully personal but also truly beautiful. I can't think of any other song that was so simultaneously heartbreaking and empowering.

JS: It never fails to move when I hear that. It never fails to make me tearful. It's not even really my song anymore. It means too much to so many other people.

JMG: When Bronski Beat was touring back then, my friends and I drove hundreds of miles to hear you at Fort Lauderdale's Copa. But when we got there, no Jimmy Somerville.

JS: Yeah, sorry about that. It was just Frank [Bronski] and Larry [Steinbachek] at that point. The club didn't tell you?

JMG: Nope. People were pissed and they let the other guys know it by chanting,  "Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy."

JS: (Chuckles.) I'm sure that went over well.

JMG: Last year you appeared in a wildly viral video in which you seemed to surprise a Berlin street busker as he was singing Smalltown Boy. Was that really just a happy random circumstance?

JS: Um...half and half. He knew I was nearby.

JMG: A Bronski Beat concert is a major plot point in the movie Pride, which is in US theaters right now. How did that come about?

JS: Mark, the main character, was my best friend [in real life]. He kept hitting on my boyfriend. We had a massive fight and then we were inseparable. I wrote For A Friend [Communards, 1987] for Mark when he died.

JMG: Since you mentioned a Communards song, dare I ask if you keep in touch with [bandmate] Richard Coles?

JS:  We keep in touch by email. You know, he's an Anglican priest now and he's written a book. Look it up on Amazon, there's actually a halo on the cover.

JMG: So what's next for you?

JS: Basically I'll just keep writing material for another album. Some touring for this one, but there's no band. I'm not on a label and this album cost hardly anything to do. It was just made with so much love and friendship.

JMG: My San Francisco readers are dying for a concert.

JS: San Francisco! I'd love to play there.

JMG: Thanks very much, Jimmy. Before we go, since your new album is old school disco, I'm wondering what your personal all-time favorite disco song is?

JS: Oh, that's so hard!. There's so many, it's impossible to say, really. But if I had to pick just one...hmm...I'd guess I'd say Divine's Native Love. You just can't hear that without wanting to move.

The single and extended 12" version of Travesty are now available for download. Homage will be released in early 2015. Below is the worldwide debut of legendary Saint DJ Robbie Leslie's eleven-minute re-edit of Travesty.

KANSAS: Gov. Sam Brownback Vows To Keeping Fighting Same-Sex Marriage

Via the Associated Press:

Gov. Sam Brownback isn’t giving up on defending the state’s gay-marriage ban despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling clearing the way for same-sex marriages in his state. The court on Wednesday denied the state’s request to prevent gay and lesbian couples from marrying while Kansas fights the issue in court. The Republican governor supports the ban and has said it is worth defending because voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment to the state constitution against gay marriage in 2005. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the governor issued a statement saying he took an oath to support the state constitution. He added that he would review the decision and consult with state Attorney General Derek Schmidt on “how best we continue those efforts.”

Appeals are continuing in several other states where marriages have already commenced.