A California federal appeals court ruled against the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage known as Proposition 8 (Prop 8).  The three-judge panel of the ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declared the ban unconstitutional because it directly discriminates against gays and lesbians. Although a split decision, the ruling found Prop 8 denied the right to a civil marriage and violated the LGBT community’s fourteenth Amendment rights.

Equality for All (Photo from www.NoOnProp8.com)

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Many people were inspired to speak out against the statements initially made last week by Cynthia Nixon in a New York Times article about her gayness.  And that includes our same-sex activist Michael Faltum who wrote an amazing articles yesterday:  It Takes All Kinds.  We also enjoyed reading Frank Bruni‘s response:  Genetic or Not, Gay Won’t Go Away.  What a great perspective!

That has long been one of the rallying cries of a movement, and sometimes the gist of its argument.  Across decades of widespread ostracism, followed by years of patchwork acceptance and, most recently, moments of heady triumph, gay people invoked that phrase to explain why homophobia was unwarranted and discrimination senseless.

Love, Honor & Freedom (Photo by Alfred Green)

Lady Gaga even spun an anthem from it.

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Doing what’s right isn’t always easy.  Putting your neck out on the line politically in direct opposition to your constituents doesn’t happen as often as it once did.  With Senate Bill 6239 and House Bill 2516 calling for marriage equality, this is exactly what Washington state lawmakers are doing.

Once State Senator Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, agreed to support same-sex marriage in Washington, lawmakers had the required votes necessary to push the bill forward and call for a vote.  The Senate committee will take up the issue this week while the House committee will begin as early as next week.  Governor Chris Gregoire had already committed to signing the bill once it reaches her desk.

Governor Chris Gregoire Strongly Endorses Marriage Equality (Photo from Office of the Governor, Washington State)

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I don’t do resolutions.  Their only goal is to set us up for failure and then hold the paddle as we beat ourselves up over it.  Do you want to lose weight?  I do.  Do I want to make more money?  Of course.  These are things I want to do all the time and not just because a new year approaches.

This year is different.  Just in case those Mayans who ran out of rock really did mean for the world to end in 2012, I decided to jump on the band wagon and make some resolutions for the upcoming year.

Michael Faltum's 2012 New Year's Resolutions (Photo from www.xtremeperformancetraining.com)

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Do yourself a favor…if you want to be president but can’t answer an eight year old boy, drop out.

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The holidays are in full swing and for many of us they foster a sense of togetherness and joy.  Yet for some in the LGBT community the holidays usher in a sense of anxiety and stress.

Hmmmm.... a little stress! (Photo from Meet The Parents)

What could be stressful for LGBT members during the most wonderful time of the year?  Family.  Yes, family.  I’m not referring to our own families – which we all know could be a handful – but I’m referring to your first holiday with your partner’s family.  As a gay or lesbian couple, the decision to spend the holidays with one’s family immediately brings up a series of questions.

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