Been a lot of press on Obama’s opinion on “homosexual marriage.” The only opinion that counts is God’s: see Romans 1:26-28 and Leviticus 20:13. Anyway you slice it, it is sin. Not to mention horrific social policy.

Mr. Gipson is wrong when he states the only opinion that counts is his god’s. As a representative of Mississippi, the only opinions he should be concerned with are those of his constituents. While his particular god may play an important role in his life, it is not his job to impose his beliefs and faith upon the people he represents.

Later, on May 11, 2012 at 11:45am, Representative Gipson responded to criticism of his initial post:

Sorry I’ve been busy and not had a chance to reply. David, in addition to the basic principal that it is morally wrong, here are three social reasons it’s horrific social policy: 1) Unnatural behavior which results in disease, not the least of which is its high association with the development and spread of HIV/AIDS; 2) Confusing behavior which is harmful to children who have a deep need to understand the proper role of men and women in society and the important differences between men and women, and fathers and mothers; and 3) Undermines the longstanding definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, a definition which has been key to all aspects of social order and prosperity. Anytime that definition is weakened our culture is also weakened. And yes, that is also true for other conduct which weakens marriage’s importance in society.

Point by point, we’d like to respond to Gipson’s response:

1. Unnatural behavior which results in disease
   Disease is a ridiculous argument. Being gay does not equal disease just like being straight does not equal disease-free. A heterosexual person with HIV or terminal cancer can still get a marriage license, but a loving gay couple of 20+ years cannot. To argue that disease is a legitimate reason to deny marriage to loving same-sex couples is absurd. Humans spread disease not sexual orientation.The unnatural talking point is a tired and desperate argument since it has no science to back it. It’s clear Representative Gipson hasn’t kept up with biology since his high school days. To be fair, he studied law; it’s very possible biology wasn’t his strongest suit. To suggest being gay or lesbian is unnatural goes against basic science. Homosexuality exists in over 500 species; homophobia exists in one… Which seems more unnatural?
2. Harmful to children
   Research shows children who grow up in households with gay parents have normal self-esteem. Also, churches, governments, and individuals telling children and adults they are unnatural is what’s harmful to children. Love is a simple concept for children to grasp; bigotry and hate are what confuse and harm children (and adults).
3. Culture is weakened:
   A culture divided by bigotry is a weakened culture. When the LGBT community has full equality under the law, our society and culture will be stronger. Our youth will recognize that all Americans are equal and respected by our government. It’s really quite simple.

Mr. Gipson needs to realize he represents all of his constituents. He should not cherry-pick which constituents he wants to work for. He should also realize his positions are neither popular nor Republican. LGBT individuals, couples, and families help pay Gipson’s salary. It’s important that he remember that.

If you live in Rankin, Smith, or Simpson country, we urge you to contact Representative Gipson and let him know he represents you. If you choose to contact Gipson, please be respectful. His contact information is below.

• 601-359-3770 (Capitol when in Session)
• gipson.andy@gmail.com
• agipson@house.ms.gov (e-mail)

Screenshot of Gipson's Facebook

– Knol Aust, Chairman, Unity Mississippi

While this changes the dialogue in America, it’s important to remember that his support does not remove the work we must do.

To learn more about President Obama’s evolution on this issue, click here.

As noted, this announcement comes with mixed emotions. We would love to continue OUToberfest, but without financial support, a $10,000+ event is next-to-impossible, especially when the goal is to make it a free event for the community.

By becoming Mississippi Pride, we will be able to do the following: secure marching permits for a parade/march; increase sponsors from national and local businesses; fundraise more; and celebrate National Pride Month.

By making this bold change, we hope to re-energize the festival and the community, and our much relied on donors and volunteers.

Our vision for Mississippi Pride takes the best from OUToberfest and expands it’s potential and reach. The Pride Festival will occur in the first week of June 2012 and serve as a kick-off for Pride Month. We hope to partner with organizations, individuals and businesses throughout the state to ensure that Pride is a success. Throughout the rest of Pride Month, we envision smaller events – from movie screenings to picnics to workshops – happening in the Jackson metro area and statewide.

It’s time for us to unify and take our state’s movement to the next level. To do so, we need your commitment. Whether you are an individual, a non-profit, a GSA, a local business, or a national corporation, there are several ways you can pledge your support:

• Get involvedonline
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mailing List
• Sponsor Mississippi Pride, early. With early resources, the festival can become bigger and better! Sponsor levels and opportunities will be announced in September on the site, Facebook, Twitter, and through our email list.
• Participate – march, present, perform, vend, table, host, attend, market, etc. Look for ways to get involved very soon.
• Volunteer your services, time, venues, and other opportunities to fundraise and raise awareness. Email volunteer@mississippipride.com to get involved.

This is not the end… It is a new beginning.

Now is your opportunity to help our festival evolve and grow by getting involved. Together, we will take another step towards increased visibility, growth, acceptance, and equality in Mississippi.

With Pride,

Knol Aust
Chairman, Unity Mississippi

But the movement’s success here could prove difficult to replicate. Twenty-nine states have constitutional bans on same-sex marriage, while 12 others have laws against it. And many of those states where support for same-sex marriage is high have already acted on the issue.

Continue reading the article at NYTimes.com

Attorney General Eric Holder said President Barack Obama has concluded that the administration cannot defend the federal law that defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. He noted that the congressional debate during passage of the Defense of Marriage Act “contains numerous expressions reflecting moral disapproval of gays and lesbians and their intimate and family relationships – precisely the kind of stereotype-based thinking and animus the (Constitution’s) Equal Protection Clause is designed to guard against.”

The Justice Department had defended the act in court until now.

“Much of the legal landscape has changed in the 15 years since Congress passed” the Defense of Marriage Act, Holder said in a statement. He noted that the Supreme Court has ruled that laws criminalizing homosexual conduct are unconstitutional and that Congress has repealed the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

At the White House, spokesman Jay Carney said Obama himself is still “grappling” with his personal view of gay marriage but has always personally opposed the Defense of Marriage Act as “unnecessary and unfair.”

Holder wrote to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, that Obama has concluded the Defense of Marriage Act fails to meet a rigorous standard under which courts view with suspicion any laws targeting minority groups who have suffered a history of discrimination.

The attorney general said the Justice Department had defended the law in court until now because the government was able to advance reasonable arguments for the law based on a less strict standard.

Read more at HuffingtonPost.com.

Participation is voluntary and minimal risk is involved. Your participation will consist of a 1 ½ to 2 hour interview with John F. Marszalek, Ph.D., LPC, NCC,  at your home, another private location of your selection, or his office in Columbus, MS.

For additional information, please contact John via email or phone at:

John F. Marszalek, Ph.D., LPC, NCC

Core Faculty and Program Coordinator
M.S. in Mental Health Counseling Program
School of Counseling and Social Service
Walden University
john.marszalek@waldenu.edu or john.marszalek@gmail.com
Direct line: 662-889-8850

Engel reports that “these studies show a relative if not positive outlook, at least an accepting outlook.”

Said Engel: “The findings are that for most soldiers, and this wasn’t the sum total of all soldiers, it wasn’t that big of a deal…The majority — the number one answer, first answer was ‘I don’t care.’ That’s significant.”

Engel adds: “A key thing this study kept coming back to is that it’s very important about the chain of command. What commanders say. How far commanders act. What tone they set. The marines were the most negative out of the services. They had the most people who were — with negative responses. And the marine corps leadership has taken a stance and has been very vocally against this issue. And the study found that most soldiers and sailors and all different service members follow a chain of command. So if the chain of command accepts this as the law, the data is that so will the soldiers.”

The park was filled with hundreds of smiling faces from every walk of life. The crowd was, by far, the most diverse we’ve seen ranging from families, kids, teens, and tweens to seniors, young adults, and even a few Great Danes. Everyone had a great time with over 6 hours of live music, a space jump, art projects, vendors, organizations, and much more.

If you’d like to donate to help keep the fest free and cover the 2010 expenses, click here to make an online donation via PayPal. Every bit counts.

Thanks to the following artists for making OUToberfest possible. Take a moment to become a fan on Facebook and bookmark their official sites.

• Garrison Starr
  Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/garrisonstarrmusic
  Official Site: http://www.garrisonstarr.com/
• Baron
  Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Baron-Officially/135724289781193
  Official Site: http://artistbaron.com/
• Patrice Moncell
  MySpace Fan Page: http://www.myspace.com/patricemoncell
• Jazmen Flowers
  Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000597174435
• Natalie Brooke Long & Clinton Kirby
  Official Site: http://natalielongandclintonkirby.blogspot.com/

Also, a special thanks to the OUToberfest drag performers! Here are links to their Facebook profiles:

• Tori Mattison: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000744692582
• Syrn Mirage: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001573860142
• Josephina Gabanna: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001367573216
• Trinity Starr: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001138689098
• Madison Lashay and Madyson do not yet have Facebook Pages.

Thanks to the following OUToberfest sponsors:

• HRC: http://www.hrc.org/
• Jackson Free Press: http://jacksonfreepress.com/
• Moonlight Video: http://www.moonlightadultvideo.com/gay-lesbian-bisexual-trans-sexual (NSFW?)
• Planned Parenthood: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppse/index2.htm

Thanks to the following vendors and organizations:

• ACLU of Mississippi: http://www.aclu-ms.org/
• Brave New Day: http://unityms.org/directory/hiv-directory/abravenewday.html
• Broadmeadow United Methodist Church: http://www.broadmeadow.org/
• Girl on Girl Concepts: http://girlongirlconcepts.com/
• Grace House: http://www.gracehousems.org/
• Mississippi HeARTs Against AIDS: http://www.mississippihearts.org/
• Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition: http://www.mssafeschools.org/
• Planned Parenthood: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppse/index2.htm
• Rise Above for Youth: http://www.riseabove4youth.org/
• Safe Harbor Family Church: http://safeharborfamilychurch.org/
• Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson: http://www.uujackson.org/

Thanks to the following businesses for supporting the fest through in-kind donations:

• Broadstreet Cafe: http://www.broadstbakery.com/
• Pizza Shack:  http://www.thepizzashackjackson.com/
• Sal & Mookie’s: http://www.salandmookies.com/

If your business or organization would like to be involved in OUToberfest 2011, please email vendor@outoberfest.com… It’s never too early to get signed-up.

Deadline Hollywood reports that the film will air on ABC Family and will be produced by gay producing powerhouses Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Chicago, Hairspray). Ghost Whisperer creator John Gray will write the film’s script and is expected to direct the movie as well.

Read more here.

That’s the message Dan Savage wants to send to LGBT and questioning youth in America who are being bullied, with the launch of a YouTube channel to which he hopes people will contribute.

Writes Dan:

I’ve launched a channel on YouTube—www.youtube.com/itgetsbetterproject—to host these videos. My normally camera-shy husband and I already posted one. We both went to Christian schools and we were both bullied—he had it a lot worse than I did—and we are living proof that it gets better. We don’t dwell too much on the past. Instead, we talk mostly about all the meaningful things in our lives now—our families, our friends (gay and straight), the places we’ve gone and things we’ve experienced—that we would’ve missed out on if we’d killed ourselves then.

“You gotta give ’em hope,” Harvey Milk said.

Today we have the power to give these kids hope. We have the tools to reach out to them and tell our stories and let them know that it gets better. Online support groups are great, GLSEN does amazing work, the Trevor Project is invaluable. But many LGBT youth can’t picture what their lives might be like as openly gay adults. They can’t imagine a future for themselves. So let’s show them what our lives are like, let’s show them what the future may hold in store for them.

Check out the project at YouTube.