I know that it would possibly give us more weight, more credibility, more support if I could unequivocally argue that the marriage equality movement is a direct comparison to the civil rights movements of the past, but I can’t.  What I can say is that I have never felt more moved to do whatever it takes to make sure that all of my gay brothers and sisters are treated equally under the law.

Growing up in Mississippi, the belief that race segregation was a thing of the past was essentially a joke.  I can remember hearing stories from my mother about the race riots and efforts for and against segregation.  But in my mind, I asked as she spoke of this “past;” has it ever really changed?  I knew that the African-American community wasn’t dealing anymore with the blatant aggressive attacks of public beatings and dogs being released on them just for speaking up for their desire to be treated equally.  But, there was and STILL IS, segregation.  In the schools, in the neighborhoods, in the friend groups that exist and in the basic places people shop and entertain themselves – individual efforts of segregation cannot be legislated away.

Frank Rich nails the problem with President Elect Barack Obama's choice to deliver the invocation at the inaugural, in his article for the New York Times.

Throughout the campaign my overwhelming fear was that Barack would sell out like so many before him, and with his choice of homophobe Rick Warren to deliver the invocation, my fears began to see the light of day. I hope it doesn't carry that much weight, I hope it was a stupid oversight, but stupid and thoughtless it was, none the less. Barack's lame excuse of "bringing people together" and "welcoming diversity" not only does not apply to this choice, it condescends to all LGBT Americans. Let's hope it's not indicative of things to come. Read Frank Rich's article by clicking on the following link...

NYT - Frank Rich - "You're Likable Enough, Gay People"

Check out what the Fresno LGBT Bars & Clubs are doing on NEW YEARS EVE...(click on images to enlarge...Flyers, in alphabetical order, are DejaVu, The Den, North Tower Circle & The Red Lantern)

DejaVu Website  The Den Website

North Tower Circle Website  The Red Lantern Website

It began on a Sunday morning after he greeted a group of gay rights protesters outside his church. In a spontaneous move, Franklin decided to invite the group into the morning service and asked their leaders to speak to his congregation.

A video from that morning shows Franklin onstage with the protest leaders. "I just want them to know they're not our enemies and I don't feel that from them in that," Franklin tells his congregation.

"As a person who has served on a forum with Pastor Franklin I know his conviction and I know your conviction as a church and I only ask you to respect my same conviction and ask that we work together for a better Fresno," said Robin McGehee with the Gay-Straight Alliance Network.

The next day, Franklin received an e-mail from the man who had threatened him.

"He said, 'I saw what you did by inviting those protesters onstage," Franklin recalled. "Maybe you're not as homophobic as I thought. You're not going to hear from me any longer. And you can tell the mayor I won't bother him either.'" 

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/503597.aspx