O&A--When California's John Perez becomes the openly gay Speaker, he won't be the first.

Check out my latest Out & About Illinois magazine Blog--When California's John Perez becomes the openly gay Speaker, he won't be the first:

"Phil Reese, February 12, 20010 -- Two months ago, Assemblyman John Perez became the first openly gay person selected for state House Speaker in history, but when he gets sworn in on March 1, he will be the second openly gay person to assume that position.

Yesterday, The Rhode Island House of Representatives selected and swore in Majority Leader Gordon Fox as the 222nd Speaker of one of the oldest legislatures in the nation. The legislature of predominately Catholic state of Rhode Island--which is only one of two New England states without marriage equality, and the only state to never have passed a marriage equality bill--is now being led by an openly gay African American. In March, 4% of state legislatures in America will be led by out and proud gay folks.

This is real progress.

In 1989 Republican US Senator Mark Hatfield's political career was nearly ruined when he was outed by Michael Petrelis at a fundraiser as he was supporting anti-gay legislation proposed by Jesse Helms. At that time, being openly gay was a death sentence for a political career. Barbara Jordan, the first southern African American woman to serve in the United States House of Representatives, remained closeted for her entire life, despite her life-long partnership with Nancy Earl.

When Wisconsin Republican Steve Gunderson was outed in 1996 on the House Floor during the debate for the Federal Defense of Marriage Act..."

Want to read the rest? Please check out When California's John Perez becomes the openly gay Speaker, he won't be the first on outandaboutillinois.com.

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Chris Geidner: In Iowa, judges are ousted.

Via Chris Geidner's Poliglot blog at Metro Weekly:

"

In Iowa, which declared Iowa's marriage ban unconstitutional under the state's constitution in 2009, the National Organization for Marriage got one of its first electoral victories this year. The judicial retention elections appear to have resulted in the replacement of all three justices up for a vote this year.

Here, as of 3:35 a.m. and with 1767 out of 1774 precincts reporting, are the Iowa Secretary of State's election results:

Supreme Court Justice David L. Baker
Yes 443437 45.75%
No 525865 54.25%

Supreme Court Justice Michael J. Streit
Yes 442459 45.6%
No 527921 54.4%

Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus
Yes 437118 44.99%
No 534486 55.01%

The court was unanimous in its 2009 ruling that Iowa's constitution required marriage equality."

HEY #p2!--CALLING ALL PROGRESSIVE ALLIES!

-HEY #p2! (Progressives).

We can't do this alone.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans have been fighting for over half a Century to have basic Civil Rights. We have so much to do, and we are such a small group. Without an army of Progressive allies, we can't win. Our rights as American citizens are constantly being compromised, despite life-time service to our nation as good, contributing citizens. We can't wait any longer. We need our Progressive allies to step up and go to bat for us TODAY.

We must demand Progressives have got to make LGBT rights a top priority in 2010, or we will keep being put on the back-burner.

There will ALWAYS be something more important than LGBT equality affecting America--issues like Health Care Reform and the Economy effect LGBT people too! However, when we are discriminated against under the law every single day, we can't give our all to fixing these problems. We are long overdue to be counted as equal citizens. That&#…

WHAT. THE. HELL? NEW HAMPSHIRE??? (and a prop 8 update)

Okay, first let me just say CALIFORNIA can breathe easy for a few more days as San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsome convinced the Supreme Court to hold of on releasing their decision on Prop 8 a few more days until the 30th anniversary of the White Night Riots is passed. We're probably going to see it Tuesday, the following Thursday or THAT following Monday.
NOW: WHAT THE HELL, NEW HAMPSHIRE HOUSE?!?!?!?!???!?!?!?!????!
The NEW HAMPSHIRE House, which on May 6 APPROVED Marriage Equality by a vote of 178-167, has now stalled the REWRITTEN BY GOVERNOR JOHN LYNCH bill 188-186--That's right, folks, two votes. 25 members did not vote at all, and opponents of the bill failed to kill it in a 173-202 vote, but this STILL means we're waiting on NEW HAMPSHIRE to GET ITS SHIT TOGETHER! The House passed a resolution to continue negotiating with the Senate by a vote of 207-168. If that same number votes for the 're-re-renegotiated' bill in the next two weeks it will pass, but …

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