Keeping track of gay marriage legislation is a complicated endeavor. While Wikipedia [1] and Freedom to Marry [2] have great maps, a new site just launched that keeps track not only of the current legislation, but also the views of the state’s lawmakers. Statesthatallowgaymarriage.com [3] launched recently and has information on all 50 governors, 100 United States senators, and 435 United States representatives and their positions on gay marriage.

[4]

The site’s founder Michael Zuyus said, “We want to make it easy for people to get the information they need in order to support candidates who will vote for marriage rights in their state.”

New York state senator and Pentecostal minister Ruben Díaz [5] is running for reelection, but Fight Back NY [6] is trying its hardest to ensure that Diaz does not succeed. Fight Back called Díaz “New York’s most notoriously anti-gay state senator.”

[7]

To campaign against Díaz, Fight Back is looking to hire political researchers to search through Ruben’s “murky past,” in an effort discover information about the senator that would discourage voters from selecting his name on the ballot.

Two of Díaz’s brothers are gay, as is his granddaughter. Díaz was one of the 38 senators who voted against same-sex marriage [8] in NY, and is adamantly opposed to homosexuality, but he says he still loves his gay family members.

Díaz was forced to resign from the Civilian Complaint Review Board when he suggested that the Gay Games would spread HIV; in 2003 he tried to shut down Harvey Milk High School, a NY public school safe haven for LGBT students.

CBS, embarrassed by its low score on the GLAAD ratings [9], is adding more gay characters to its shows.

“We’re not happy with ourselves,” said CBS president Nina Tassler. “We’re adding a few characters this season because we’re very disappointed in our track record so far.”

[10]

GLAAD gave CBS a failing grade [11] for two consequtive, with 7 percent LGBT-inclusive hours of primetime programming.

Tassler announced gay characters will be added to The Good Wife, S*** My Dad Says and Rules of Engagement.

CBS is also starting a new talk show hosted by celebrity moms, including lesbian Sara Gilbert [12].

A thousand people in Enid, Okla. celebrated Pride earlier this month. Enid Pride [13] started in 2009 with a turnout of 300 people, the largest first-time turnout for a Pride in Oklahoma. Approximately 48,000 people reside in Enid, but the Pride events were targeted to all of northeast Oklahoma.

The second Enid event had over three times the number of festival-goers as it did last year.

The week of celebrating included a vigil, forums and discussions, film screenings, an interfaith service, and of course, the festival. While the gay community in Enid used to rely on small-town gay bars, the community now flocks to its new community center. Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays hosted the event.

Oklahoma has a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, but Tulsa [15] recently adopted an anti-discrimination policy for city employees, and a transgender [16] woman is running for a state senate seat.

Only 10% of the 400,000 surveys [17] distributed by the Defense Department were returned. The surveys ask servicemembers their opinions on permitting gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, in an effort to explore troops’ views on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. The deadline for the return of the surveys is August 15.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Samesex_marriage_in_USA.svg
[2] http://www.freedomtomarry.org/states/
[3] http://www.statesthatallowgaymarriage.com/
[4] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-states-that-allow-gay-marriage-site-top.jpg
[5] http://www.365gay.com/news/bronx-democrat-sets-sights-on-ruben-diazs-seat/
[6] http://fightbackpac.com/closet/
[7] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-ruben-diaz-headshot-top.jpg
[8] http://www.365gay.com/blog/withers-looming-marriage-battle-in-new-york/
[9] http://www.glaad.org/nri2010
[10] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-cbs-logo-3-top.jpg
[11] http://www.glaad.org/page.aspx?pid=1563
[12] http://www.365gay.com/news/thurs-watercooler-beck-is-relying-on-miracles/
[13] http://www.enidglbt.org/index.html
[14] http://www.365gay.com/wp-content/uploads/news-enid-pride-pavillion-oklahoma-top.jpg
[15] http://www.365gay.com/news/tulsa-now-protects-gay-employees/
[16] http://www.365gay.com/news/transgender-candidate-in-oklahoma-faces-socially-conservative-opponent/
[17] http://www.365gay.com/blog/072210-blogger-takes-dadt-survey/

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