NEWSBYBRANDON MILLER

"God."

You normally hear that word used in arguments against same-sex marriage and/or LGBT equality in general. Indeed, it's not a word that we usually hear linked to LGBT issues in a positive form, and it is especially not a word that you hear linked to LGBT issues in a positive way in a government forum. But one amazing Minnesota representative voiced his opinion this week. And according to Rep. Steve Simon, being gay is a gift from God.

The  matter came up because the House's Civil Law Committee has approved a resolution that intends to place a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage before voters. Last week, a judiciary committee in the Minnesota Senate passed the Senate version of the same bill. Somewhere Michele Bachmann is giving an interview, looking into the wrong camera, and smiling.

Late last month, 150 people filled a gymnasium at Our Lady of Lourdes Public School in Toronto. They were there to discuss the new equity and inclusion policy of the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB). The event did little to show that the Catholic community is in support of gay-inclusive schools.

“There is nothing wrong with telling our kids [being gay] is a dangerous lifestyle,” said one unnamed parent, according to gay news outlet Xtra.ca.

“Once you allow a GSA, then [schools] will have to allow everything else," said another parent, Lola Fortino. "The Catholic faith is being undermined. Our children will be so confused."

Many parents demanded that sexual orientation be removed from the equity document, citing false beliefs that their children will be confused. There was also a marked consensus that the "gay lifestyle" would be "normalized" by this policy. Forget that the proposed policy is intended to focus on efforts to keep schools safe and students free from bullying.

The proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage advanced last week in Minnesota, clearing a Senate judiciary committee. The bill is also in front of the State House. Recognizing the inequality and injustice at hand here, a collection of law professors in the state have now gotten together to urge legislators to vote against the ban.

Sixty three professors have signed a letter targeted to lawmakers, urging them to vote no on the discriminatory ban. Minnesota already has a state law that bans same-sex marriage, though some argue that law is vulnerable. If lawmakers approve the ban, the definition of marriage will up for a public vote in 2012.

“The proposed amendment would set in constitutional cement the existing hardships on thousands of families,including children, that many in the legal profession serve,” the group of lawyers wrote in the letter. “Attorneys practicing in such diverse areas as family law, estate planning, real estate, tax, and beyond represent people across Minnesota who confront complex legal challenges because they are currently unable to enter a legally-recognized relationship with a same-sex partner.”

It's a case of "like father, like daughter" for the Clinton clans. It seems that Chelsea Clinton has some fantastic things in common with her ex-President father -- a sense of compassion, a belief in social justice, a will for equality for all Americans. Etcetera.

Both Bill and Chelsea spoke out this week in support of marriage equality - more specifically, of marriage equality in New York State. Though Hillary Rodham Clinton has not jumped onboard the same-sex marriage boat, it is nice to know that Bill's views have evolved over time. In 1996, he signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) into law. Now, after 15 long years, Bill has made it public where he stands today. Better late than never, right?

"Our nation’s permanent mission is to form a ‘more perfect union’ – deepening the meaning of freedom, broadening the reach of opportunity, strengthening the bonds of community. That mission has inspired and empowered us to extend rights to people previously denied them. Every time we have done that, it has strengthened our nation," Bill wrote in statement released by the Human Rights Campaign on Thursday. "Now we should do it again, in New York, with marriage equality."

Ontario Catholic schools are now allowed to host anti-bullying clubs. The catch? Those clubs still can't use the word "gay" in their titles. Nor can they sound "too gay." Apparently, anything with Rainbows is out of the question.

According to Xtra.ca, students at St. Joseph's Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, were told that "Rainbow Alliance" was an unsuitable name for their club as it is "too LGBT-sounding." Clearly, educators have never seen a Lucky Charms commercial! But, I digress.

According to the president of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association (OCSTA), Nancy Kirby, gay-straight alliances are still banned in Catholic schools across the province. She claims that this is because GSAs signal to students that the club's focus is on activism. The OCSTA is forming a committee to decide what to call these umbrella "don't say gay or you will die" groups.

Everybody and their mother supports marriage equality in New York.

Okay, maybe not. But everyone from actor Ethan Hawke to former First Daughter Barbara Bush have made videos in support of the cause. The Good Wife star Julianna Marguiles and hottie husband Keith Lieberthal are additional celebrities who have filmed spots as part of the Human Rights Campaign's New Yorkers for Marriage Equality Campaign.

But the videos have been focused mainly on celebrities and politicians. Now business leaders are getting in on the campaiging and are stepping up to support same-sex marriage rights in New York. Last Friday, 26 moguls released a signed letter backing marriage equality in the state. Needless to say, Donald Trump wasn't on the list.

Among the signatories are the CEOs of Goldman Sachs, Con Edison and Thompson Reuters. In the letter, the business leaders claim that not allowing same-sex couples to marry in New York is making it harder to find quality workers. Despite this, New York City remains a haven for many LGBT people and that is why marriage equality is so important there.

Last week, I blogged about the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill, a piece of Tennessee legislation that would prohibit the discussion of sexual minorities in schools before ninth grade.

Well, I have good news and bad news. The good? The bill won't have enough time to pass the House this legislative session. The bad? The same cannot be said for the Senate.

According to Representative Bill Dunn, the sponsor of the bill in the House, the House Education Committee -- the committee responsible for vetting the bill -- has closed for the year. Unfortunately, the bill has already passed its first hurdle in the Senate, clearing a Senate committee hearing last week. There is a floor vote scheduled for Thursday.

“That's all right with me,” Stacey Campfield, author of the Senate bill, said about Dunn's statement. “He always said, 'You pass it first, then I'll pass it.' So, I'll pass it this year and he can pass it next year.”

Campfield did a radio interview recently, stating that being gay is a choice. This comes after his declaration to CNN that his bill is "neutral." Yeah, okay.

“I am deeply offended that during this Holy Week, which is a most sacred time to millions of New Yorkers, Governor Andrew Cuomo is working hard to mobilize elected officials to legalize homosexual marriage in New York," Senator Ruben Diaz Senior, a Democrat and a Pentecostal minister, was quoted last week as saying on advocate.com.

But let's forget about this homophobe for a minute (even though he "rejects" the term homophobe -- this despite having two gay brothers and a lesbian granddaughter that he clearly does not love or support). Let's turn to the big picture: marriage equality in New York. We know it is on the horizon for the state, and that Governor Andrew Cuomo is down with it. But there's still much work to be done, and a new group is stepping up to help out.

New Yorkers United for Marriage sprung up last week, which is what prompted Senator Diaz to make his heinous comments. The group is actually a coalition of several organizations with which many of us are familiar -- Human Rights Campaign, Empire State Pride Agenda, Freedom to Marry, Marriage Equality New York, the New York League of Women Voters, and the Log Cabin Republicans. The group is also backed by the governor, and is expected to raise more than a million dollars for a large media blitz.

It took them some time to get there, but American law firm King & Spalding finally decided earlier this week to pull the firm out of a contract that would see them defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Change.org's Michael Jones created a petition on the issue last week.

“In reviewing this assignment further, I determined that the process used for vetting this engagement was inadequate,” said Firm Chairman Robert D. Hays Jr. “Ultimately I am responsible for any mistakes that occurred and apologize for the challenges this may have created.”

The lawyer hired to defend DOMA has resigned from King & Spalding over the decision, saying that he will take the case wherever he goes. That lawyer, former Bush Solicitor General Paul D. Clement, said the firm had a duty to resist pressures and to complete the task that it was hired to do. You know, that thing about defending anti-gay discrimination. Great task!

“I resign out of the firmly held belief that a representation should not be abandoned because the client’s legal position is extremely unpopular in certain quarters,” he wrote in a letter. “Defending unpopular clients is what lawyers do. I recognized from the outset that this statute implicates very sensitive issues that prompt strong views on both sides. But having undertaken the representation, I believe there is no honorable course for me but to complete it.”

Our Change.org petition on the "Don't Say Gay" bill regarding Tennessee schools, sponsored by the Tennessee Equality Project, has gathered more than 1,000 signatures in less than one week. But that's not enough to halt this homophobic legislation. Let's keep the ball rolling, in the name of equal rights and representation of all sexual minorities and family structures.

Approved by the State Senate Education Committee last Thursday, the proposed bill would ban elementary and middle school teachers from discussing homosexuality in the classroom in any way, shape, or form. Up until the ninth grade, the bill would not allow educators to "provide any instruction or material that discusses sexual orientation other than heterosexuality."

You know that gay uncle, kids? That's just his "roommate."