One Million Moms Vs A&E

Via email:

A & E's new reality series "Neighbors With Benefits" is a show about neighbors and friends who attend parties as married couples for the purpose of switching spouses and having sex. The premiere is expected to air on Sunday, March 22 at 10:00 pm ET/9:00 pm CT. This inappropriate program glamorizes cheating and having affairs. Why get married if you do not plan on being faithful? This immoral show belittles and makes a mockery of marriage. Take Action: Please contact A & E to oppose the new show "Neighbors With Benefits," and strongly encourage the network to drop all plans to air the program. Let A & E know you and your family will not be watching their network unless they cancel this new show. The only way to avoid seeing the graphic previews for this immoral program is to no longer watch the network at all. Let them also know you are prepared to join thousands of other voices in urging advertisers to place it on their "do not advertise" list.

You can view previews from the show on A&E's site. Below is a local news report from the Ohio neighborhood where the show is filmed.

NPH On Hosting The Oscars Again

"I don’t know that my family nor my soul could take it. It’s a beast. It was fun to check off the list, but for the amount of time spent and the understandable opinionated response, I don’t know that it's a delightful balance to do every year or even again. I didn’t keep up with it obsessively, but it was interesting to see just what people thought landed and didn’t. It’s so difficult for one who’s simply watching the show to realize just how much time and concession and compromise and explanation has gone into almost every single thing. Every joke. Wording of joke. Placement of joke. Canceling of joke. Embellishment for just one line. And I'm not saying that to defend everything I said as if it was the absolute best choice, but it’s also an award show, and you’re powering through 14 acts filled with 20 plus awards. So my job was to try and keep things as light and specific to this year’s set of films as possible. And if people are critical of that, it’s a big giant platform, so I would assume that they would be." - Neil Patrick Harris, speaking yesterday to the Huffington Post.

Scott Lively: Homosexuality Is Worse Than Murder And Worse Than Genocide

Filmmaker & Model Dirk Shafer Dies At 52

Filmmaker and former model Dirk Shafer has been found dead of a presumed heart attack.

The former Playgirl centerfold who came out as gay and made the 1995 mockumentary Man Of The Year about his experiences, has died. Dirk Shafer was found dead in his car Thursday in West Hollywood, law enforcement officials told Deadline. The model, actor and fitness trainer was 52. An autopsy likely will be performed in the next few days, sources say. Police identified Shafer by his driver’s license and his family has been notified. Born on November 7, 1962, in Carbondale, IL, Shafer became an icon in the mid-90s when the 1992 Playgirl Man of the Year announced he was gay to the magazine’s straight female audience.

Shafer also directed the 2001 look at circuit parties, Circuit. In 2012 he returned to Playgirl for a 20th anniversary photo spread.

Todd Starnes: John Boehner Needs To Go

Glenn Beck Turns On Ben Carson

"Goodbye to his presidential career. It's over. It's over. There is no way to recover from that. That just sounds like a lunatic. That is just a ridiculous statement on a million fronts. A ridiculous statement. It's not just that he didn't see [the question] coming. It's that he just thought that was a good answer. That was good enough for him. Just [imagine] I'm at a cocktail party and I'm talking to a friend and they say 'well yeah, you know, you go to prison and you're straight, you get out and you're gay,' don't you look at your friend — I don't care if he's the guy who works at the 7-Eleven and he's not running for president ever - don't you go, 'That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard'?" - Glenn Beck, speaking yesterday on his radio show.

Mark Mothersbaugh Talks To Google Play

Stereogum recaps:

Mark Mothersbaugh was born legally blind. It wasn’t until he was in second grade that he was finally diagnosed with myopia and got his first pair of glasses. In a new animated video made for Google Play, the DEVO member narrates how his discovery of the world led him to want to become an artist. Then, he recounts the first time he saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show and how that made him want to become a musician, too. “We decided we weren’t observing evolution, we were observing de-evolution, and we decided to write music about that,” he explains the start of DEVO’s mission.

Besides his work in Devo, Mothersbaugh has written scores for dozens of movies, video games, and television shows, including the theme song for Pee-Wee's Playhouse.

They Came With Horses And Nightsticks

DOJ To SCOTUS: Yes On Marriage

Eric Holder's promised brief has arrived. Chris Geidner reports at Buzzfeed:

The United States government on Friday urged the Supreme Court to strike down bans on same-sex couples marriages across the country, concluding, “There is no adequate justification for such a discriminatory and injurious exercise of state power.” Specifically, the Justice Department urges: “The marriage bans challenged in these cases impermissibly exclude lesbian and gay couples from the rights, responsibilities, and status of civil marriage. These facially discriminatory laws impose concrete harms on same-sex couples and send the inescapable message that same-sex couples and their children are second-class families, unworthy of the recognition and benefits that opposite-sex couples take for granted. The bans cannot be reconciled with the fundamental constitutional guarantee of ‘equal protection of the laws.’”

Dig into the brief and pull out your favorite parts.

ALABAMA: Civil Rights Groups File Class Action Demand For Marriage Equality

Via press release:

A group of leading national civil rights organizations today filed a motion requesting a federal district court to expand a lawsuit challenging Alabama’s ban on same-sex marriage and to order all county probate judges in the state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The joint motion was filed by the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The request, filed as part of a lawsuit brought by five same-sex couples who previously obtained an order from the same court requiring issuance of marriage licenses in Mobile County, seeks class-action status that would include all same-sex couples in Alabama who wish to marry and have their marriage recognized by the state.

The motion requests that the federal district court expand their lawsuit to cover all county probate judges in the state. In Alabama, probate judges are responsible for issuing marriage licenses. Today’s filing requests the federal district court order to require all probate judges to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The Alabama Supreme Court on Tuesday halted same-sex marriages in the state despite the U.S Supreme Court’s refusal to stay a lower court’s decision invalidating the ban. “If Alabama officials thought we were going to sit back and allow them to deny same-sex couples their constitutional right to marry, they thought wrong,” said Ayesha N. Khan, legal director of Americans United. “We are going to fight for these couples.

See the full filing.

Fox News Hires Alveda King

Fox News president Roger Ailes today announced the hiring of viciously anti-gay activist Alveda King.

“Alveda has brilliantly carried the legacy of the King family to the next generation and has been a source of inspiration for many Americans," Ailes said in making the announcement. "Her passion and mission for social change will be a valuable contribution to our network.” King is a prominent anti-abortion activist and serves as director of African-American outreach at Priests for Life. She has also courted controversy by speaking out against LGBT rights, proclaiming in 1998 that "God hates homosexuality" and comparing gay marriage to genocide in a 2010 speech.

Alveda King has been married three times and has had three abortions, but she's somehow against same-sex marriage and reproductive rights. She also bandies herself as Dr. Alveda King, even though hers is merely an honorary degree from a tiny Catholic school in rural New Hampshire. King has participated in many anti-LGBT campaigns, perhaps most notably when she robocalled against same-sex marriage for a Maryland hate group.

DOJ To File Multiple Corruption Charges Against Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)

Via USA Today:

The Justice Department is expected to bring criminal charges against Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., involving his relationship with wealthy donor Salomon Melgen and accusations that the senator improperly advocated for the business interests of the Florida eye doctor in return for gifts, according to a person familiar with the matter. The charges are expected within the next few weeks, said the person who is not authorized to comment publicly. Menendez has previously denied wrongdoing. Asked Friday whether he authorized corruption charges against the New Jersey senator, Attorney General Eric Holder said: "I can't comment on that." CNN first reported the development Friday afternoon. News of a federal investigation first surfaced in 2013. In 2012, Melgen gave $700,000 to Democratic senators, including Menendez. Additionally, Menendez received free flights to the Dominican Republic in 2010. Menendez has been accused of assisting Melgen in a dispute the Florida ophthalmologist was engaged in with health care officials in the U.S. regarding Medicare payments, as well as urging Dominican Republic authorities to make good on a contract with a port security company of Melgen's.

Breitbart horcrux Matthew Boyle, whose 2013 claims about Menendez hiring Dominican prostitutes were thoroughly debunked, is taking credit.

New York City Winter Umbrella Cam

Taken yesterday afternoon just before everything turned to garbage-strewn piles of black muck.

Joe Biden Endorses Federal SOGI Rights

Via press release from the HRC:

Today, Vice President Joe Biden affirmed his support for federal non-discrimination protections for LGBT people while giving remarks at the Spring Equality Convention for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization. Addressing the tremendous progress made for the LGBT community – from marriage equality to open and honest military service by gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members – the Vice President highlighted the challenges that remain, including the need for federal non-discrimination protections that protect all LGBT people.  "We have to pass the federal non-discrimination legislation, and we need to pass it now,” said Vice President Biden. Later this spring, a sweeping LGBT federal non-discrimination bill will be introduced in Congress—a bill that is expected to include protections in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, education, jury service and federal funding. “In most states in this country, a couple who gets married at 10 AM risk being fired from their jobs by noon, and evicted from their home by 2 PM simply for posting their wedding photos on Facebook,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The time has come in this country for full federal equality, nothing more, nothing less.”

If you think the failed ENDA battle was ugly, just wait.

UPDATE: The Hill reports that Biden's speech include a jab at Ben Carson.

"Eight, 10 years ago — even two years ago — homophobic statements would have been, if not embraced, not viewed as having generated any political liability. Look what's happening in the other party today," Biden said in a speech at the Human Rights Campaign in Washington. "Seriously, don't misread the political trends in history here. Now, every ridiculous assertion — from Dr. Carson on. ... I mean Jesus, God," Biden said to raucous applause. "I mean — oh, God," Biden said. "It's kind of hard to fathom, isn't it?" Biden cited the incident as indicative of a broader change in acceptance for gay people and others across the country. "Think about the universal ridicule. That wouldn't have happened two years ago, five years ago. It matters, it matters. It shocks the conscience that at this moment in American history, 29 states in America, people are denied basic dignity because of who they are or who they love," Biden said.

CNN On Gays Living Under ISIS Rule

In a report on the ISIS executions of allegedly gay men, CNN today interviewed a gay couple who fled Syria just before ISIS took control. CNN reports that gays still living in ISIS-controlled regions are living in terror.

HomoQuotable - Dan Savage

"Dear Dr. Carson, If being gay is a choice, prove it. Choose it. Choose to be gay yourself. Show America how that's done, Ben, show us how a man can choose to be gay. Suck my dick. Name the time and the place and I'll bring my dick and a camera crew and you can suck me off and win the argument." - Dan Savage, in a posting made Wednesday before Carson offered his flaccid apology. Savage's message has given wingnuts the vapors, with Porno Pete today demanding that the SPLC label him a "hateful extremist."

Unemployment Hits Seven Year Low

Via the New York Times:

The economy gained fresh momentum last month as the Labor Department reported on Friday that employers added 295,000 workers in February, far exceeding expectations, and the unemployment rate took another dip. But wage gains continued to lag, rising only 2 percent from a year earlier. The unemployment rate fell to 5.5 percent, its lowest since mid-2008, down from 5.7 percent in January. Last month, wages rose just 0.1 percent, according to the Labor Department, a disappointment coming off an increase of 0.5 percent in January.  Despite the disappointing wage numbers, the report prompted a new round of optimism about the economy’s recovery and spurred more talk on Wall Street that the Federal Reserve might raise interest rates at its June meeting rather than wait until September. The news prompted a rise Friday morning in the yield on 10-year bonds and a dip in the stock market, where investors fear that higher interest rates will take a bite out of corporate profits.

New Campaign Seeks To Replace Andrew Jackson On $20 Bill With Famous Women

Via The Week:

If the organizers of Women on $20s have their way, you won't be seeing Andrew Jackson's face on the $20 bill much longer. Instead of the seventh president of the United States, this new group would like to see Eleanor Roosevelt, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, or Susan B. Anthony staring back on the $20. They're targeting this particular bill because 2020 will mark the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, and also because they aren't fans of Jackson and his authorization and enforcement of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, along with other controversies. Susan Ades Stone, executive director of Women on $20s, told The Washington Post that Jackson wasn't even fond of paper currency, and preferred gold and silver. "The guy would be rolling in his grave to know that every day the ATM spits out bills with his face on it," Stone said.

The group is gathering petition signatures at their website.

Jimmy Somerville - Some Wonder

Jimmy Somerville's disco tribute album Homage will be released on Tuesday and today we get the first production video. I interviewed Somerville back in November and you can check out a great fan video from album's glorious first single, Travesty.

Todd Starnes: NYC's Muslim School Holidays Discriminate Against Christians

Starnes and Tony Perkins are claiming that Christmas and Easter are not recognized as Christian holidays on the NYC school calender. Outrage! Except that Right Wing Watch points out that Easter falls on a Sunday and is therefore not a school holiday and that Christmas is indeed named on the calendar.

Wikipedia Map Introduces Purple States

The editors of Wikipedia's marriage equality page today introduced purple-shaded states to reflect the "complicated" situations in Kansas, Missouri, and Alabama.

Most counties in Alabama had issued same-sex marriage licenses for several weeks after a federal court legalized same-sex marriage, but all have stopped in response to a conflicting order by the state supreme court. However, the state court did not nullify same-sex marriage recognition. Many jurisdictions in Kansas issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but same-sex marriage is not recognized by the state government. Same-sex marriage licenses are issued by three jurisdictions within Missouri. Legal same-sex marriages are recognized by the state government. The state's same-sex marriage ban has been overturned, but the decision is stayed indefinitely.

What shade of purple should we call this? Pansy?

Matt Baume On "Religious Liberty" Laws

GOP Leaders To SCOTUS: Yes To Marriage

From Time Magazine:

The amicus brief, organized by former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, was filed for the four same-sex marriage cases the Court will hear on April 28 that could legalize the unions nationwide. In 2013, Mehlman marshaled a similar effort for the case that overturned California’s Proposition 8, which had banned same-sex marriage in the state. Among the signatories are 23 current and former Republicans members of the House of Representatives and Senate and seven current and former Governors. Sens. Susan Collins and Mark Kirk have signed onto the brief, as has Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. Other notables include former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal and billionaire GOP mega-donor David Koch. The 2013 brief included 131 signatures, featured many former top aides to Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, including his general counsel and two senior advisors. The list has now grown to 303 signatories.

Mehlman, of course, was running the GOP show when 21 states enacted constitutional bans on same-sex marriage. He finally came out in 2010.

Producers Of The Fosters Defend Kiss Between Show's 13 Year-old Characters

Via TheWrap:

“If people want to judge it I think maybe they should watch and see how carefully, delicately and chastely it was handled,” co-creator Peter Paige tells TheWrap. ABC Family’s “The Fosters” drew both praise and criticism this week for a daring gay kiss scene between two 13-year-old male characters. But, the show’s creators said they were merely staying true to their story. “If people want to judge it, I think maybe they should watch and see how carefully, delicately and chastely it was handled. We are not here to sensationalize or exploit anyone,” Peter Paige, the drama’s co-creator, told TheWrap. The kiss between Jude (Hayden Byerly) and Connor (Gavin MacIntosh), conceived of in the early days of Season 1 had been a long time coming. But the executives said that ABC Family, while tremendously supportive of the idea, had asked them to slow down the relationship and shelf the kiss for Season 2. Ultimately, both creators felt the network’s note was a smart one. “I’m glad we took more time to invest in the friendship of these two guys,” co-creator Bradley Bredeweg said. “It allowed for this moment to feel as earned as possible.”

Anti-gay groups have been relatively quiet (so far) about the kiss, but outrage is flowing on sites like Free Republic. And anti-gay activist Michael Brown has vented on Townhall, calling the kiss "heartbreaking." The Fosters is executive  produced by Jennifer Lopez.

Drama At Germany's Eurovision Contest

The BBC reports:

The winner of the search to find Germany's Eurovision Song Contest entrant turned down the chance to represent his country on live TV. Andreas Kummert initially thanked the public for selecting his song Heart Of Stone as Germany's entry. But, shortly afterwards, he took the microphone from presenter Barbara Schoneberger and said: "I'm really not in the right shape to accept this." Instead, he said, "I give my title to Ann Sophie", the 24-year-old runner-up. Ann Sophie looked visibly confused by the turn of events; while many in the studio audience booed. After being confirmed as the winner, the singer turned to the audience and asked them "do you even want this?" Finally accepting her fate, she launched into her song, Black Smoke.

Kummert's folksy entry is here. The first clip below is subtitled and the default winner's entry is after that.

Trial Concludes In Gaye Estate Vs Thicke

The children of the late Marvin Gaye are suing Robin Thicke for the profits of Blurred Lines, which has sold 15 million copies, earning $5M each for Thicke and its songwriter Pharrell Williams, who testified yesterday as the trial ended.

Williams said after the song was released, he saw similarities between "Blurred Lines" and Gaye's work but said that wasn't a conscious part of his creative process. Richard S. Busch, who represents the Gaye family, asked Williams whether he felt "Blurred Lines" captured the feel of the era in which Gaye recorded. "Feel," Williams responded. "Not infringed." The case opened last week and featured testimony from Thicke, who told jurors that he took a songwriting credit on "Blurred Lines" despite Pharrell doing most of the work. Thicke brought a bit of showmanship to a trial that has focused on minute details of chords and sheet music. He performed elements of "Blurred Lines" and hits by U2 and The Beatles to show how different songs can include similar-sounding musical elements. Williams did not perform any music during his more than hour of testimony, and complained that audio comparisons of "Blurred Lines" and "Got to Give It Up" had been created in a way that made them sound similar.

Criticized by some as an endorsement of sexual assault, Blurred Lines topped the charts in dozens of countries and spent twelve weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, making it the biggest hit of 2013. Gaye's single topped the pop, R&B, and disco charts in 1977.

This Is An Ad For Something

AdWeek names this their "Ad Of The Day:"

Air France embarks on a lavish flight of fantasy in this trippy 45-second global commercial by BETC Paris. Directed by film collective We Are From LA (which also directed Pharrell's "24 Hours of Happy" video, as well as Evian's "Baby & Me," also by BETC), the action takes place inside an oversized, ludicrously stylized airplane cabin where legroom is absolutely no problem. Colorful images of French culture and taste play across the screen. We're treated to ballerinas, the Tour de France, a high-fashion photo shoot, pastries, young lovers and more. Most of the performers ride swings dangling from the ceiling for some reason. (And you thought the Delta guy enjoyed being on a plane.) The visuals are a tad confusing but also riveting. You keep watching in an attempt to figure out what the hell's going on.

The music is a new version of 2011's Warm In The Winter by the Portland, Oregon duo Glass Candy and is a take on John Paul Young's 1978 global smash Love Is In The Air, which remains a staple at disco oldies parties.

Major New Poll: 56% Back Marriage

Via the Associated Press:

In the late 1980s, support for gay marriage was essentially unheard of in America. Just a quarter century later, it's now favored by clear majority of Americans. That dramatic shift in opinion is among the fastest changes ever measured by the General Social Survey, a comprehensive and widely respected survey that has measured trends on a huge array of American attitudes for more than four decades. Support for a right of same-sex couples to marry has risen 8 percentage points in the past two years and jumped 45 points since the question was first asked in 1988, when only 11 percent of Americans said they agreed with the idea. The survey now finds that only a third of Americans are opposed to gay marriage.

The General Social Survey is conducted by NORC, an independent research organization based at the University of Chicago, with funding from the National Science Foundation. It is a highly regarded source of data about social trends because of its long-running and comprehensive set of questions about the demographics and attitudes of the American public. Data from the 2014 survey was released this week, and an analysis of its findings on gay marriage was conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the General Social Survey. The survey found that 56 percent of Americans overall now agree that gay and lesbian couples should have the right to get married, up from 48 percent who said so in 2012.

The survey also showed that nearly 75% of those ages 18-34 support same-sex marriage. Read the full brief.

Maggie Gallagher Turns On Ben Carson

"Apparently the pounding from CNN led Dr. Carson not only to apologize but say he supports the right of states to choose gay marriage: 'I support the right of individual states to sanction gay marriage, and I support the right of individual states to deny gay marriage in their respective jurisdictions.' Only Dr. Carson knows why he chose to apologize. But this is a significant concession on his part substantively on marriage. But it is also true the Christian Right has not yet settled on a realistic legislative objective it wants candidates to support. Nor has it invested in building substantive political organizations to fight for these legislative objectives on marriage. We are witnessing the results of years of failed models of orthodox Christians engaging in politics, as well as not a single Christian billionaire who is investing, as the Koch brothers have done, in building an intellectual/cultural powerhouse like the Cato Institute." - Maggie Gallagher, in a sideways slam at NOM, which she once headed. (Via Good As You)

TEXAS: Alabama Judge Roy Moore To Headline Anti-Gay Marriage Rally

From the press release: "The purpose of this rally is to protect and preserve Biblical marriage. The Texas legislature and state legislatures around the country can stop the federal courts' encroachment on states' rights to determine the definition of marriage. Rep. Cecil Bell and Rep. Charles Perry have introduced legislation that would prohibit and state or local government employees from issuing marriage licenses in violation of the Texas Constitution. It would also prohibit the expenditure of taxpayer dollars for that purpose." (Via JMG reader MGGM)

Tony Perkins Slams NYC Mayor De Blasio Over Muslim Holidays For Public Schools

"In New York City schools, kids are learning Rs: reading, writing, and Ramadan. Thanks to the far-Left priorities of Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), city schools have added two Muslim holidays to the school calendar -- a concession that took even Big Apple parents by surprise. While the largest religion in the country fights to even be recognized, 'NYC schools will now close for Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha -- making (it) the largest school district in the nation to recognize the two holidays on the official school calendar.' Although families already had the option of taking excused absences for these days, Mayor de Blasio took it upon himself to close school for 1.1 million students in the single largest display of political correctness the district has ever seen. The reality is, America wasn't founded on Muslim principles -- but Christian ones. That doesn't mean ignoring other religions -- but it also doesn't mean surrendering our identity to a small minority either." - Hate group leader Tony Perkins, via email.

Eurovision 2015: Greece's Entry

Via Eurovision:

In tonight's programme from the Enastron Music Hall in Athens. The hosts presented the five songs that were in contention for EuroSong 2015, a 50/50 mix of Jury and televoting determined that Maria-Eleni Kyriakou would represent Greece in the First Semi-Final of the Eurovision Song Contest on Tuesday the 19th of May. Maria-Eleni Kyriakou is of Cypriot origin, and has had a very successful career in Greece and participated in The Voice of Greece. It has always been a dream of hers to perform at the Eurovision Song Contest. She describes One Last Breath, a song she has co-written, as a pop ballad.

The ending is very Conchita Wurst.

Harrison Ford Injured In Plane Crash

Via Reuters:

Actor Harrison Ford was seriously injured on Thursday in the crash of a small airplane on a Los Angeles golf course, celebrity website TMZ and local media reported. Reuters could not immediately confirm the TMZ report, which said Ford, 72, suffered multiple gashes to his head and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. "We can confirm that there was a plane crash and the male occupant was a 65-70 years old man. He was transported to a local hospital in stable condition," Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Officer Nuria Vanegas said. "The incident was reported at 2:25 p.m., it was mechanical failure of plane, that's what caused the accident," Vanegas said. The Los Angeles Fire Department said that the sole occupant of the plane was in critical condition at a local hospital but declined to identify the pilot.

CNN reports that Ford was "alert and conscious" when first aided by two doctors who happened to be on the golf course. Audio of Ford's mayday call is here.

Nebraska Turns Mustard

BREAKING: Eighth Circuit Court Issues Stay On Nebraska Marriage Ruling

From the order: "Appellants’ Emergency Motion for Stay Pending Appeal has been considered by the court, and the motion is granted. The District Court’s Injunction Order of March 2, 2015 will be stayed pending the disposition of this appeal. It is further ordered that this case be set for oral argument in Omaha, Nebraska on May 12, 2015, together with the three other same-sex marriage cases now pending before the court."  Those other three cases are Missouri, Arkansas, and South Dakota. Marriages had been due to commence in Nebraska on Monday morning.

Tosh O Interviews Crazy Christine Weick

Twitter To SCOTUS: Yes On Marriage

See the full list. Facebook is there too, of course.

GEORGIA: State Senate Approves Bill To Legalize Anti-Gay Discrimination

Via Project Q Atlanta:

The Georgia Senate easily approved a controversial "religious freedom" bill that LGBT critics and faith leaders have derided as an anti-gay effort to allow discrimination. State Sen. Josh McKoon's bill, S.B. 129, passed 37-15 after nearly 90 minutes of debate on Thursday. On Thursday morning, the Senate approved a measure to prohibit amendments to the legislation. McKoon spoke for nearly 30 minutes, defending his legislation against critics that he dismissed as "the professional left" who has contempt "for the people of this state." "It's a simple, modest common sense protection for people of faith, people of every faith," McKoon said. "When we have strong religious liberty, what goes along with that is tolerance for people of every faith and people with no faith at all." McKoon also said the LGBT critics of the legislation have failed to cite a case in which similar legislation in other states has resulted in anti-gay discrimination.

McKoon's bill had been tabled earlier last month but he reportedly slipped it back into play on Monday during a judiciary committee meeting while its chief opponent was in the restroom. McKoon spent today's session battling equality activists on Twitter.

UPDATE: LGBT groups react.

"This bill is a reprehensible attack on LGBT people and their families in Georgia,” said HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse. “It does not address any legitimate problem with current law and creates harmful consequences for businesses throughout the state. It threatens not just the LGBT community, but women, members of minority faiths and other minority classes. All Georgians deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and we need all fair-minded people in the state to help stop this bill.”

"It's disappointing that the Senate voted today for such a divisive and unneeded piece of legislation,” said Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham. “Legal experts from across the political spectrum agree that this bill could open the door for discrimination. And if this is not about creating a license to discriminate, why would they work so hard to prevent language that would clarify that from being added to the bill. The actions today will have a chilling effect on Georgia's reputation and send a message of intolerance to the next generation."

Cardinal Edward Egan Dies At Age 82

Cardinal Edward Egan, a longtime foe of LGBT rights and the former Archbishop of New York, has died at the age of 82.

Egan was pronounced dead at NYU Langone Medical Center at 2:20 p.m. after going into cardiac arrest, Archdiocese officials say. Joseph Zwilling, spokesman for the Archdiocese, told NBC 4 New York Egan seemed fine when he was eating lunch earlier Thursday and showed no signs of illness. He died a short time later. Zwilling said the Archdiocese was in shock. Egan was born on April 2, 1932, in Oak Park, Illinois. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago on Dec. 15, 1957. Egan was consecrated a bishop in 1985. For the next three years, he served as Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar for Education of the Archdiocese of New York. In 1988, he was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport by Pope John Paul II. He was appointed Archbishop of New York in 2000 and made a cardinal in 2001.

Egan is perhaps best remembered for his 2012 retraction of the apology he made in 2002 for sexual abuses that took place under his watch while he was the Bishop of Bridgeport. The New York Times reported on the retraction:

In a interview with Connecticut Magazine published on the magazine’s web site last week, a surprisingly frank Cardinal Egan said of the apology, “I never should have said that,” and added, “I don’t think we did anything wrong.” He said many more things in the interview, some of them seemingly at odds with the facts. He repeatedly denied that any sex abuse had occurred on his watch in Bridgeport. He said that even now, the church in Connecticut had no obligation to report sexual abuse accusations to the authorities. (A law on the books since the 1970s says otherwise.) And he described the Bridgeport diocese’s handling of sex-abuse cases as “incredibly good.” All of which has Cardinal Egan, now 79 and living in Manhattan, drawing fire from advocates who say he has reopened old wounds.

The Diocese of Bridgeport ended up paying an estimated $15M to the sexual abuse victims.

LATVIA: "No Homo" Group Blocks Festival Venues For EuroPride 2015 In Riga

Gay Star News reports:

A group of  "no-homo" activists is trying to kill off EuroPride 2015, due to be held in Riga, Latvia. Calling themselves "Anti-Globalists" (Antiglobālisti), the homophobic activists appear to have found a way to ensure the Pride event for Europe will not happen on its scheduled date of 20 June and may not happen at all. When Mozaika, the gay rights group planning this year's EuroPride, turned up to Riga City Council first thing on 20 February - they got a shock. The "traditional values" campaigners had already booked a protest for 'sexual deviations and various perversions, as well as other strange things' at the time and in the locations Mozaika wanted to use. Antiglobālisti had used a loophole to get around the rule that an application to hold an event can only be filed four months in advance. They made their event a week-long festival, starting before and finishing after EuroPride, allowing them to apply before Mozaika.

The Riga City Council plans to appeal to the Ministry of Justice for a ruling. On the "No Homo" website, the group declares, "Homosexuality is a disease. Homosexuality is treatable."

RELATED: EuroPride launched in London in 1992 and has since been hosted by Berlin, Rome, Paris, Copenhagen, and other major European cities. EuroPride 2016 will be hosted by Amsterdam.

NEBRASKA: Marriage Plaintiffs Oppose State's Stay Motion With Eighth Circuit

The plaintiffs in Nebraska's marriage equality case today filed their opposition to the state's demand that the Eighth Circuit Court issue a stay on last week's ruling, which is due to go into effect at 9AM local time on Monday. See the filing at Equality Case Files.

FOTF: We Are A Christian Nation

FLORIDA: Legislature Advances Bill That Would Ban Trans Bathroom Rights

Via the Tampa Bay Times:

After an emotionally charged debate, state lawmakers Wednesday gave their initial backing to a bill that would prohibit transgender men and women from using public restrooms aligned with their gender identity. The proposal is intended to address public safety concerns that its sponsor, Rep. Frank Artiles, R-Miami, said arise from a broad nondiscrimination ordinance passed in Miami-Dade County in December. That ordinance, he said, would permit men to legally enter women's restrooms and locker rooms for the purpose of committing a crime against those women. "I believe that criminals — males — will use this law as the cover to go into the women's locker room," Artiles said. "All they have to say is, 'I feel like a woman today.'" But activists and transgender people speaking before the House Civil Justice Subcommittee on Wednesday argued the so-called bathroom bill would infringe on their civil rights and even their safety by requiring them to use facilities that correspond with the sex listed on their drivers' licenses or passports, rather than their identity.

(Tipped by JMG reader Karen)

Pat Robertson To Parents: Do Not Attend Your Child's Same-Sex Wedding

Bryan Fisher Turns On Ben Carson

Delta Flight Skids Off Runway At LGA

LaGuardia airport is closed at this writing after a Delta flight out of Atlanta crash-landed on the runway, skidding into a snowbank and a perimeter fence.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-88 aircraft skidded during a Thursday morning snowstorm. LaGuardia Airport was closed immediately after the incident occurred. The FAA said the airport is expected to reopen at 6:59 p.m. EST. Port Authority spokesman Joe Pentangelo said the plane went off the runway at around 11:10 a.m. Delta issued a statement following the incident confirming the flight number, and indicating the plane exited LaGuardia's Runway 13 during its landing.

Major Corps To SCOTUS: Yes On Marriage

Hundreds of major corporations have also signed onto the SCOTUS brief I mentioned earlier today. Among those that signed on:

Aetna, Alcoa, Amazon.com, American Airlines, American Express, Apple, AT&T, Barclays, BlackRock, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Capital One, Cardinal Health, Chubb, Cigna, Cisco, Citigroup, Colgate-Palmolive, ConAgra, Corning, Credit Suisse Securities, CVS Health, Delta Air Lines, Deutsche Bank, Dow Chemical, EBay, Facebook, General Electric, General Mills, GlaxoSmithKline, Goldman Sachs, Google, Hartford Financial Services, Hilton, HSBC, Intuit, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, KPMG, Levi Strauss, Marriott, Marsh & McLennan, Massachusetts Mutual, McKinsey, Microsoft, MillerCoors, Morgan Stanley, Nationwide Mutual, the New England Patriots, New York Life, Nike, Northrop Grumman, Office Depot, Oracle, Orbitz, Pandora, PepsiCo, Pfizer, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Procter & Gamble, Prudential, Qualcomm, RBC Capital Markets, the San Francisco Giants, Staples, Symantec, the Tampa Bay Rays, Target, TD Bank, Twitter, UBS, United Airlines, Verizon, Walt Disney, Wells Fargo, and Zynga.

Written by the management-side employment law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, the amicus brief strikes a pragmatic tone. With 37 states allowing gay marriage and the rest banning it, employers face costly uncertainty and administrative complexities, the brief argues. “The burden imposed by inconsistent and discriminatory state laws of having to administer complicated schemes to account for differential treatment of similarly situated employees breeds unnecessary confusion, tension, and diminished employee morale.” Just last fall the Supreme Court sidestepped the gay marriage controversy when it declined to review cases arising from federal appellate panels in Chicago, Denver, and Richmond, Va. Each of those lower courts had ruled that the constitutional guarantee of “equal protection” covers same-sex couples seeking to wed.

Fire up the Boycott Machine!

SCOTUS Sets The Date: April 28th

Equality Case Files has the announcement.

Teabaggers Turn On Ben Carson

The Tea People are not very happy with Ben Carson following yesterday's declaration that he's done talking about gay rights. From the right wing site Hot Air:

Okay, but that’s like Jeb Bush deciding he’s not going to talk about amnesty anymore. It’s one of his pet issues. He’s beloved by his supporters because of his opinion on that particular topic. Ben Carson muting his social conservatism on the most hot-button social issue of the day makes him Mike Huckabee minus the boldness (and executive experience), a major flaw for a guy running as an “outsider.” If you like Carson, chances are you like him precisely because he’s not a politician and therefore more likely to speak candidly about his opinions when asked. He’s the one you turn to for Common Sense that cuts through political niceties. What’s the point of passing on Ted Cruz or Huckabee and rolling the dice on Carson if his attitude towards plainspoken debate with the media on gay marriage going forward is “yeah, pass”?

They're furious over at Free Republic too.

TV Abbreviations For $200

None of the contestants got it right.

Ringling Bros: No More Elephants

Via the Associated Press:

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is ending its iconic elephant acts. The circus' parent company, Feld Entertainment, told The Associated Press exclusively that the acts will be phased out by 2018. Growing public concern about how the animals are treated led to the decision. The circus plans to phase out elephant acts by 2018. Feld's 43 elephants will live at the company's 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation in central Florida. Twenty-nine animals are already there, and the other 14 will arrive as they are phased out from the circus. Elephant acts have been showcased by Ringling for more than a century and have often been featured in its posters. The decision is being announced Thursday.

UPDATE: PETA president Ingrid Newkirk reacts.

David Koch To Sign SCOTUS Brief

Politico reports:

David Koch, the big money political donor and liberal boogeyman, has agreed to sign onto to an amicus brief supporting same-sex marriage at the Supreme Court, the Washington Free Beacon reported. The brief he will reportedly sign in DeBoer v. Snyder, a case that could afford same-sex couples a constitutional right to marry, will host a number of other prominent conservative signatories, including retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former Reagan White House chief of staff Ken Duberstein and former Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman. An attorney for Koch Industries told the Free Beacon that Koch will join the brief in a personal capacity, indicating his support for gay marriage does not necessarily indicate a larger message from the Koch network of donors.

In 2012 Koch backed Romney, who signed onto NOM's anti-marriage pledge.

Wall Street To SCOTUS: Yes On Marriage

Via CNN:

Wall Street's leading banks have signed a "friend of the court" brief pressing the Supreme Court to back same-sex marriage. Major financial firms including AIG, Bank of America, BlackRock, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs JPMorgan, UBS and Wells Fargo signed the brief that will be filed on Thursday. Spokespeople at each of the companies confirmed to CNN that they are named in the brief. Other signatories include a range of small and large companies in a variety of sectors including technology, healthcare and retail. "The brief argues that the existing confused legal landscape places significant burdens on employers and their employees—making it increasingly hard to conduct business," said Elliott Frieder, a spokesman for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, the law firm that will file the brief on behalf of the firms.

A similar banking coalition filed a DOMA brief in 2013.

SOUTH KOREA: US Ambassador Slashed In Face, North Korea Applauds Attack

Via RT News:

North Korea has said the razor attack on the US ambassador to South Korea, Mark Lippert, was “just punishment” for the two countries’ joint military drills. The assault has left the US official’s face slashed, but he is now recovering. Lippert was at a breakfast forum earlier in central Seoul when the attack occurred. During the attack, Lippert was slashed in the face by an unidentified man, a witness told Reuters. Other outlets are reporting that the assailant used a razor. Outlets are reporting that the man yelled, "No drills for war," referencing joint military drills conducted by the US and South Korea.

NEW JERSEY: Appellate Court Dismisses "Prayer" Suit Against Applebee's

From the New York Daily News:

A New Jersey man who suffered burns to his face and legs from a sizzling-hot steak fajita skillet while praying had his suit against Applebee's thrown out. Divine intervention doesn't trump common sense, the state appellate court in Camden, N.J. ruled Wednesday. Hiram Jimenez claimed a waitress at the Westampton, N.J., restaurant did not tell him the skillet was hot during a 2010 visit with his brother, NJ.com reported. When the order arrived, he bowed his head in prayer over the entrée and the skillet splashed him with grease in the left eye and face, according to the suit. Jimenez then knocked the plate onto his lap. A lower court dismissed the case and a two-judge panel agreed. Applebee's was not negligent, they ruled.

The court ruled that it was "self-evident" that a sizzling plate of food would be hot.

Hillary Clinton Responds To Email Flap

AUSTRALIA: Eurovision Entry Named

Well, it's not Kylie.  

Guy Sebastian has been named as Australia's entrant for this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. At an event at the Sydney Opera House, the host broadcaster SBS announced Sebastian would be heading to Austria in May. Australia was offered a wildcard entry to compete in the prestigious competition, while Australians will also be able to vote for their favourite performances for the first time. Guy Sebastian said he was "pumped" to be performing at the competition. "It's Eurovision, it's huge and keeps growing here in Australia which is nice," he said. "It's not every day you get to perform in front of that sort of audience - 200 million - beats the local RSL." He said he was still unsure what song he would sing at the contest, but that he would consider singing a song off his newly-released album or write a new one.

Sebastian was the first winner of Australian Idol in 2003 and has since scored eight multi-platinum singles there. Below is his biggest hit to date.

(Tipped by JMG reader Simon)

David Geffen Donates $100M To Lincoln Center For Remodel Of Avery Fischer Hall

Via the New York Times:

The world of New York high culture was given a surprise dose of glitz on Wednesday, when Lincoln Center announced that David Geffen, the entertainment mogul who has shaped cultural tastes in pop music, art and movies, will donate $100 million to renovate — and rename — Avery Fisher Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic, at Lincoln Center. Mr. Geffen’s gift will help pay for the hall’s gut renovation, which is expected to cost more than $500 million. Although construction is not scheduled to begin until 2019, the building will become David Geffen Hall this September, with the start of the Philharmonic’s 2015-16 season. The hall, built in 1962, has long been viewed as outdated and acoustically problematic. But raising money promised to be a challenge; the family of Avery Fisher had threatened legal action 13 years ago if the concert hall were to be rebuilt or renovated under a new name. That obstacle was overcome in November, when the Fisher family agreed to give up the naming rights with inducements including a $15 million check.

In 2008 David Koch also donated $100M to Lincoln Center and the New York State Theater there now bears his name.

Ben Carson To Sean Hannity: CNN Edited My Comments To Make Me Look Bad

Via Mediaite:

During a radio discussion this afternoon with Sean Hannity, Carson blamed the ordeal on CNN. “It was a 25 minute interview they chopped, and you see what part they emphasized,” he said. “I did learn something very important: For certain networks, never do a pre-taped interview. Always do it live.” In the interview, flagged and cut down into a shorter clip by conservative site The Right Scoop, Hannity agreed with Carson that pre-taped interviews allow for quotes to be taken out context or reshuffled in order to cast them in a certain light. Carson continued: “I simply have decided I’m not really going to talk about that issue anymore because every time I’m gaining momentum the liberal press says, ‘Let’s talk about gay rights.’ And I’m just not going to fall for that anymore.” The problem with Carson’s attempt to play victim here is that, during that sequence of the CNN interview, there were clearly no jump-cuts and no edits — just a straight back-and-forth about whether homosexuality is a choice.

Following that ridiculous lie, Carson issued an non-apology about the comments made on CNN:

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson apologized for commenting Wednesday that prisoners' changes after they leave jail proves being gay is a choice, but said that the science is still murky on the issue. In a statement, Carson said he "realized that my choice of language does not reflect fully my heart on gay issues." "I do not pretend to know how every individual came to their sexual orientation. I regret that my words to express that concept were hurtful and divisive. For that I apologize unreservedly to all that were offended," he added. Carson referenced his medical education and his work at Johns Hopkins Hospital and asserted that the verdict is still out on whether people are born either gay or straight. "Some of our brightest minds have looked at this debate, and up until this point there have been no definitive studies that people are born into a specific sexuality," he said.

The audio Hannity clip is below. Let's see how long it takes before Carson breaks his pledge to stop talking about gay people.

Viral Video Of The Day

Clip recap:

While the vast majority of Americans consider themselves unprejudiced, many of us unintentionally make snap judgments about people based on what we see—whether it’s race, age, gender, religion, sexuality, or disability. This may be a significant reason many people in the U.S. report they feel discriminated against. Subconscious prejudice—called “implicit bias”—has profound implications for how we view and interact with others who are different from us. It can hinder a person’s ability to find a job, secure a loan, rent an apartment, or get a fair trial, perpetuating disparities in American society. The Love Has No Labels campaign challenges us to open our eyes to our bias and prejudice and work to stop it in ourselves, our friends, our families, and our colleagues. Rethink your bias at lovehasnolabels.com.

The clip is by the Ad Council, which produces PSAs for the federal government, non-profits, and NGOs. 1.6M views in one day. Music by openly lesbian pop star Mary Lambert.

Liberty Counsel: All Existing Same-Sex Marriages In Alabama Are Now Void

From the AFA's OneNewsNow:

The founder of Liberty Counsel says it never was legal – and still isn't – for the state of Alabama to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver tells OneNewsNow the latest order from the Alabama Supreme Court brings that to a halt. "This is a game-changer in Alabama – [and] this may be a game-changer throughout the United States," the attorney states. "This is putting the state judiciary up against the federal judiciary or anyone else who wants to come up with some cockeyed view that somehow the Constitution now births some newfound notion of same-sex marriage." As for the marriage licenses already issued to homosexual couples, Staver says they are null and void. "The fact is it wasn't legal to issue the same-sex marriage licenses throughout the state of Alabama in the first place – and issuing them now is not legal," he explains. "So these are void and have no legal effect in Alabama."

SCOTUS will likely have a different opinion.

Editorial Of The Day

From the editorial board of AL.com:

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to provide the final word on same-sex marriage in June; and we believe that Alabama's Supreme Court will find its decision does not hold legal weight. Some have suggested that Alabama's Supreme Court trumps district Federal courts. That until we have a Supreme Court ruling, we should have a temporary stay on same-sex marriages, similar to Michigan and Arkansas. However, the Supreme Court denied Alabama's request for a stay, and that should have been the final word on the matter.

History has demonstrated that, in constitutional matters, federal courts trump state courts. Granade's decision follows the path established by more than 60 federal district judges who have ruled on the same issue since the U.S. Supreme Court knocked down a portion of the federal Defense of Marriage Act in 2013. Since the legal framework of marriage is provided by our governments, these same governments must provide for equality. We continue to believe that, in June, the Supreme Court will rightly hold that the unalienable rights of Americans include the right to marry, for all.

Fischer: Every GOP Candidate Should Be Asked If They Agree With Ben Carson

George Takei: Give Alabama The Finger