by Cody Lyon

"Freedom to Marry' founder, civil rights attorney Evan Wolfson, said in a statement that the ABA has "strongly declared that there is no good reason to continue excluding same sex couple from marriage."  

by Cody Lyon
     In the end, despite the joy of Obama's landslide, millions of gay people found themselves feeling let down, left behind, it was as this vote was a referendum on all gay people, as if the inclusive mosaic the election seemed to paint along with the supposed more compassionate and progressive tidal wave the election signaled, did not fully include them.  

As a blogger I get invited to many political events Now as a parent and scientist I can't make many of them, but I still meet more candidates and politicians than the average voter. So I hear lots of political speeches. Usually, since I am meeting similar minded people, I like the speech. But only occasionally do I find the speech to be dead on and exemplary of what ALL Democrats should be shouting from the top of every hill. Things like: Liberal IS patriotic, pro-Choice IS pro-life and marriage equality is about nothing but fairness. Oh, yeah, and how about we have to get out of Iraq. This is what I heard from Steve Harrison, a fairly traditional man running for Congress, and I would like to introduce you to him.

New York City has only one Republican Congressional Rep, Bush Lap Dog Vito Fossella. This guy opposes securing America's ports, flip flops on privatization of Social Security, and has voted to support Bush's Iraq quagmire at every opportunity. Fossella has voted the Bush Republican Party line more than 90% of the time. Hence his designation as Bush Lap Dog. Steve Harrison is the man who can defeat Lap Dog Fossella and actually represent New Yorkers.

Tonight, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 43, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act.

An upstart candidate running in the Democratic primary for Maryland State Senate may be poised to stage a remarkable upset. The candidate, Jamie Raskin is becoming nationally known as an advocate for marriage equality -- and for coining a phrase so important and so memorable that it deserves not only be to be widely quoted -- but considered part of an essential lesson that should be deeply learned by everyone concerned about the rise of the religious right, especially those who hold or aspire to public office at all levels.

Even as gay and lesbian civil rights have dramaticaly progressed in the past few decades, there is no question that the religious right has mounted an organized and often, hate-infused backlash movement. The particular wedge issue for the religous right these days, is marriage equality.

Marriage equality promises to be one of the central issues of our time. I live in Massachusetts, where an antimarriage equality amendment will probably be on the ballot in 2008.  

It will change political life in my state forever.

Anti-gay politics is at the center of American life these days. Some argue that many Republican successes are predicated on the idea of "turning out the base" with this "wedge issue."  While it is not always clear that this tactic is as successful as some say, there is no question that it is taking place. Anti-gay politics is a staple of American life. So, who exactly is behind this?