News 7/09/10: Buh - Bye DOMA

(2nd President of the United States, author of the Massachusetts constitution, "obnoxious and disliked" John Adams in Gilbert Stuart's 1823 portrait.)

• A federal judge yesterday ruled that the so - called Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. Not just unconstitutional mind you, the ruling states that DOMA doesn't even survive rational basis scrutiny. Joe My God has aggregated lots of thoughtful reaction and is covering the whole thing with his usual wit.

• A little additional digging this morning reveals the Federal district judge's ruling in Mass. has not been staid. In other words all married couples in that state are now married under both state and federal law.

• Today Show changes policy, will allow gay couples to enter wedding contest.

• Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams proves more than willing to sacrifice gay clergy for the larger good of keeping the Church of England free to humiliate and discriminate against queers. Next on C of E's agenda: Are women human beings?

• They say it is going to be 92 degrees in Portland, OR today. What's the weather like for you?

News 6/13/10

(Today in hair: Spit Curls.)

As many as 75,000 Uzbek refugees flee ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan.

(Insert clever Andromeda Strain quote here.) Japanese probe Hayabusa scheduled to return to Earth with samples from asteroid.

Slovak Nationalist Party leader Jan Slota unhappy with his nation's election results. "Homosexuals and Hungarians will begin to rule in this state, so thank you very much."

4th annual Trans March will take place in Minneapolis on June 26th, 2010.

Candidates for Mass. Governor march in Boston's Gay Pride parade, in the pouring rain. Incumbent Democrat Deval Patrick seems to be the favorite, while Republican candidate Charles D. Baker (who has a gay running mate and a gay brother and who does not support trans equality) had a little trouble winning hearts and minds. Said one attendee: "We need more than lip service."