Same-sex marriage now legal in South Africa
via CNN.com

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — With the deputy president’s signature on a new law, South Africa on Thursday became the first country in Africa and only the fifth in the world to legalize same-sex marriages.

The Civil Union Act entered into force on the eve of a December 1 deadline set by the Constitutional Court for the government to change its marriage legislation to ensure full equality for gays and lesbians.

Gay rights groups have welcomed the law, although they criticized provisions allowing clergy and civil marriage officers to turn away gay couples if their consciences prevented them from marrying them.

“There will be a huge response from same-sex couples who have waited such a long time for their relationship to be recognized,” predicted Melanie Judge of the lesbian and gay project, OUT.

Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka signed the law in her capacity as acting president because President Thabo Mbeki is in Nigeria.

South Africa recognized the rights of gay people in the constitution adopted after apartheid ended in 1994, at a time when leaders were determined to bury all kinds of legal discrimination a thing. The constitution, the first in the world to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, provides a powerful legal tool for gay rights activists even though South Africa remains conservative on such issues…

savvyplanners.com composer-in-residence
JOSHUA RICH featured in today’s Washington Post!

Helping Couples Put Their Love to Music
By Sue Anne Pressley Montes, Washington Post Staff Writer
(Photo by Michael Robinson Chavez — The Washington Post)

“If you look at it from a spiritual point of view, here’s two people who have come together, they love each other just like a straight couple loves each other, and they want to celebrate it,” he said…

This Month’s
FEATURED COUPLE

We are honored to introduce you to our most recent featured couple…

The parents of three, it was time for a long overdue romantic and relaxing getaway for just the two of them.

Expect another action-packed Dinah featuring DJ Kimberly S, Lisa Pittman, and DJ Sysco. More celebrities, performances and literally thousands of women from all over the planet. Find out more at our all-new Web site thedinah.com »

2007 Sundance Film Festival Announces Independent Film and World Cinema Competitions— some gay themes present.

Risky Business Blog

Here’s the 2007 Sundance Film Festival press release: Park City, UT—Sundance Institute announced today the line-up of 64 films selected for the Independent Film and World Cinema Competitions for the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. The premier showcase for the best new work by American and international independent filmmakers, the Sundance Film Festival’s competitive categories provide audiences with opportunities to discover the most innovative new dramatic and documentary films from today’s emerging independent filmmakers. In addition to the Competition categories, the Festival presents films in five out-of-competition sections, to be announced tomorrow. The 2007 Sundance Film Festival runs January 18-28, 2007, in Park City, Sundance, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, Utah. The complete list of films is available at Sundance.org.

“We are witnessing a broadening of the traditional independent arena. In this year’s Festival there is a breadth of subject matter, vision and innovative storytelling that is transforming the old idea of the American indie film,” said Geoffrey Gilmore, Director, Sundance Film Festival. “This year’s American Competition reflects a newfound awareness and self-expression that results in an engagement by the work that is both political and personal, a collective voice fueled by a steadfast optimism and hope for the future.”

For the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, 122 feature films were selected including 82 world premieres, 24 North American premieres and 10 U.S. premieres representing 25 countries with nearly 60 first or second-time feature filmmakers. These films were selected from 3,287 feature submissions composed of 1,852 U.S. feature films and 1,435 international feature films. These numbers represent an increase from 2006 when 1,764 U.S. feature films and 1,384 international films were considered…

Hey gays: You’re not being discriminated against, because your straight friends can’t enter a same-sex marriage either!
via Good as You

“In an attempt to explain why a Maryland judge was wrong to rule the state’s one man/one woman marriage law unconstitutional, Focus on the Family‘s CitizenLink quotes a Baltimore attorney by the name of Matt Paavola (pic.) as saying:

The law doesn’t violate equal-rights protections because it burdens both genders equally, he said.

“A man can’t marry a man,” said Paavola, “and a woman can’t marry a woman.“

So basically, following Mr. Paavola’s argument (which is basically the same as the state’s), equal-rights protections begin and end at gender. He’s saying that since NO man or woman can marry each other, then everyone is discriminated against equally. Which might be kind of sort of logical if everyone in the world were born in the mold of a white heterosexual man or woman. But they are not. Equal rights protections, by their very nature, are designed to protect the rights of EVERYONE equally!

To see the flaws in Mr. Paavola’s argument, one only needs to harken back to the fight for interracial marriage. What if it had been determined that marriages between folks of different races should have been banned because “A man can’t marry someone of another race and a woman can’t marry someone of another race?” It would still be the folks who WANT to marry someone of another race that are being discriminated against! You can’t negate that something is discrimination by pointing out one particular…

President-elect of Christian Coalition of America declines the job Church head resigns on principle(s)
(AP/IHT)

ORLANDO, Florida: The president-elect of the Christian Coalition of America has declined the job, saying the organization would not let him expand its agenda beyond opposing abortion and gay marriage.

The Rev. Joel Hunter, who was scheduled to take over the socially conservative group in January from Roberta Combs, said he had hoped to focus on issues such as poverty and the environment.

“These are issues that Jesus would want us to care about,” said Hunter, a senior pastor at Northland Church in Longwood, Florida.

Hunter announced his decision not to take the job during an organization board meeting Nov. 21. A statement issued by the group said Hunter left because of “differences in philosophy and vision.” Hunter said he was not asked to leave

“They pretty much said, ‘These issues are fine, but they’re not our issues, that’s not our base,’” Hunter said. ..

Panel Rejects Lesbian Fire Chief’s Resignation Deal—Forced out?
(Story/Photo: AP via AOL news)

MINNEAPOLIS (Nov. 29) – A city panel recommended Tuesday that officials fire Bonnie Bleskachek, the nation’s first openly lesbian big-city fire chief, in the wake of firefighter lawsuits accusing her of harassment and discrimination.

Bleskachek had earlier agreed to step down. But the city’s executive council unanimously rejected a negotiated deal after a closed-door meeting.

“She was pretty stunned because it was a complete surprise,” said Bleskachek’s attorney, Jerry Burg.

Mayor R.T. Rybak had announced the agreement in a letter to the city’s executive council in which he wrote that he no longer had confidence in Bleskachek as chief. Neither Rybak nor City Council members would immediately explain why the deal was blocked.

Bleskachek, 43, was hailed as a trailblazer when she was promoted to the top job two years ago, but her tenure has been troubled.

Three female firefighters have sued, alleging various acts of discrimination and sexual harassment. Two of the lawsuits were settled, but this month a male firefighter brought another lawsuit alleging he was denied advancement because he is male and not gay…

Maryland supreme court to offer Webcast of same-sex marriage case arguments (The Advocate)

The Maryland supreme court plans to offer live Webcasts of its oral arguments in time to broadcast arguments in a challenge to the state’s same-sex marriage ban on December 4, the Baltimore Sun reported Monday…

CBC Satire of anti-gay people
who defend “traditional” prejudices
(Nod to Towleroad)