Marriage Equality News - Matt Baume

Lots to cover this week, including the big news from NY.

HomoQuotable - David Mixner

"The man [Obama] has done an enormous amount and I’m supporting him for president. But I would be more than delinquent if I didn’t say that I’m more disappointed than I thought I would be with his handling of marriage tonight. I didn’t come with any expectations that he would support marriage. But it was awful, it was embarrassing, and as soon as he reached that point, it was like he couldn’t wait to get off the stage. [snip]

"This is one of our big nights of celebration – I mean, we’re going to win this I think tomorrow, but we know this issue could go either way. This was a room full of people waiting to be jubilant. I knew he wasn’t he going to support marriage, but there were so many different ways he could have let us know that he understood this moment for us and how happy he was for us. I support him. After all, who wants President Bachmann?" - Longtime activist David Mixner, speaking to Equality Matters at last night's Obama fundraiser in NYC.

Outside Obama's NYC Fundraiser

March With Us This Sunday!

The NYC Digital Activists will march in NYC Pride for the third year this Sunday. If you would like to march with our group, we step off at 1PM, on 37th Street between 5th Avenue and Madison. Find Section 11, Group 13. All are welcome! Look for our banner. And join us!

GetEQUAL To Obama: Evolve Already

RELATED: According to rumors circulating on Twitter this afternoon, President Obama will not endorse marriage equality at tonight's LGBT fundraiser in Manhattan.

TONIGHT: GetEQUAL To Protest Obama At New York City LGBT Fundraiser

With a demand that the president complete his "evolution" on same-sex marriage, tonight GetEQUAL will stage a protest at an Obama reelection fundraiser in Manhattan.

Tomorrow In Albany!

The Folks Who "Glittered" Crazy Eyes

Or tried to, anyway. I think this whole "glitter-bomb" thing is expired, folks. Mildly interesting the first couple of times, not so much anymore.

Netroots Nation Notables

I'll add more photos to this slideshow as the week goes on.

Tim Pawlenty Gets Glittered

Gaga Tweets For New York Marriage

She has ten million Twitter followers.

Netroots 2011 LGBT Conference Begins

Mike Rogers is at the podium kicking off today's Netroots 2011 LGBT Conference. In the room: Pam Spaulding, Jeremy Hooper, Michael Crawford, Rod McCullom, Jillian Weiss, Jarrod Chlapowski, Jerame Davis, Fred Sainz, Corey Johnston, Chris Johnson, Phil Reese, and about 100 more hard-working LGBT activists.

Outside Yesterday's NYC Hate Rally

State Dept Condemns Moscow Arrests

The U.S. State Department has issued a letter condemning the arrests of gay activists in Moscow over the weekend.

STATEMENT BY MARK TONER, DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON

Concern about Freedom of Assembly in Russia

We note with concern that in Moscow on Saturday, May 28, a peaceable demonstration of Russians advocating for the rights of gays and lesbians, joined by international supporters, was forcefully disrupted by counter-protesters, and that Russian security forces then detained people from both groups, including American citizens. Some protestors were seriously injured according to media reports.

Freedom of assembly is a fundamental right all members of the OSCE committed to, including in the Moscow declaration and as recently as the Astana summit. As nationwide legislative elections approach, constraints on the ability of Russian citizens peacefully to gather and express their views will be closely watched in evaluating the integrity of the electoral process. We call on Russian authorities to work with municipal officials to find better ways to safeguard these fundamental freedoms.

HomoQuotable - Peter Tatchell

"We witnessed a high level of fraternisation and collusion between neo-Nazis and the Moscow police. I saw neo-Nazis leave and re-enter police buses parked on Tverskaya Street by City Hall. Our suspicion is that many of the neo-Nazis were actually plainclothes police officers, who did to us what their uniformed colleagues dared not do in front of the world’s media. Either that, or the police were actively facilitating the right-wing extremists with transport to the protest.

"During the Second World War, Mucovites stood against the Nazis. Now the Mayor of Moscow is colluding with neo-Nazis. He gave the neo-Nazi groups permission to stage a protest calling for violence against gay people, while denying Moscow Gay Pride a permit to rally for gay equality." - Famed British activist Peter Tatchell, reporting from yesterday's demonstration in Moscow.

More Video From Moscow Pride Protest

Dan Choi Shouts "GLASNOST!" As Moscow Police Arrest Him At Pride Protest

RUSSIA: Dan Choi Among Activists Arrested At Moscow Pride Protest

UK Gay News is running a live blog from the pride protest in Moscow. Here are the latest entries at this writing:

14:00. Andy Thayer is confirmed as having been arrested, along with Dan Choi and Louis-Georges Tin, Anna and three other Russian gay activists.

13:40. Report just in that four Russians participats in Pride have been arrested outside Moscow City Hall.

13:31. Dan Choi and Louis-Georges Tin both confirmed as having been arrested.

13:29. "All participants of Moscow Pride at Alexandrovski Gardens was been "brutally arrested", Chad Meacham has just reported. The arrest were made as participants arrived at the Gardens. One person, Louis-Geroges Tin was allowed to give an iterview with the world's TV and press. No names of those arrested are not known, apart from Anna.

Equality Maryland Faces Shutdown

Shortly after the failure of Maryland's marriage equality bill and a gender identity measure, Equality Maryland is facing shutdown over financial problems. Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly:

Equality Maryland could shut down operations at the end of June if it does not collect $20,000 to $25,000 in donations to cover operating expenses, according to members of the statewide LGBT-advocacy organization's board. Those expenses include rent for its Baltimore office headquarters, as well as salary for current staff. Equality Maryland has two full-time staff members, while interim Executive Director Lynne Bowman earns roughly $7,000 per month, employed as an independent contractor. Charles Butler, board president of Equality Maryland Inc., the lobbying arm of Equality Maryland, says the organization had ''gotten away from engaging the community as far as fundraising goes to cover operating costs'' under past leadership.

Yesterday Equality Maryland issued a plea for donations.

MINNESOTA: Join The Fight

A website has been already been launched to fight Minnesota's 2012 ballot referendum to install a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.