Support for Marriage Equality Hits New High at 58 Percent: POLL

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll reveals that support for marriage equality is at a new high:

The poll shows that 58 percent of Americans now believe it should be legal for gay and lesbian couples to get married; 36 percent say it should be illegal. Public attitudes toward gay marriage are a mirror image of what they were a decade ago: in 2003, 37 percent favored gay nuptials, and 55 percent opposed them...

...Among young adults age 18 to 29, support for gay marriage is overwhelming, hitting a record high of 81 percent  in the new poll. Support has also been increasing among older adults, but those aged 65 years old and up remain opposed, on balance: 44 percent say same-sex marriage should be legal; 50 percent say illegal...

..A slim majority of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents under 50 years old now support gay marriage. Nearly seven in 10 of those aged 65 and up oppose it, although that is down from more than eight in 10 just four years ago.

Adopted Son of Gay Dads Writes Powerful Letter on Marriage Equality to SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts: VIDEO

Daniel, the 12-year-old son of the Leffew Family in Northern California (you may have seen some of their videos online), wrote a powerful letter to Chief Justice Roberts about the Prop 8 and DOMA cases, after reading that Roberts has two adopted children of his own.

Watch Daneil read his letter, AFTER THE JUMP...

Last week National Organization for Marriage Chairman John Eastman smeared Justice Roberts and his family by calling adopted children "second-best".

Panel of Notorious Homophobes Advised Mark Burnett on The History Channel's 'Bible' Mini-Series

While the Obama-esque image of Satan from Mark Burnett's History Channel mini-series The Bible is making headlines this morning, it's worth noting that the religious consultants on the project, at least the ones named in a TV Guide article on it, are a "Who's Who" of notorious evangelical homophobes:

Burnett and Downey approached History and struck a deal, which included a sizable CGI budget to bring state-of-the-art realism to the Great Flood, the parting of the Red Sea, God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and other Bible ­stories. The duo then formed an ­advisory board with some of America's top spiritual leaders.

"We weren't qualified to teach the Bible, but we knew plenty of people who were," says Burnett, whose interfaith panel included pastors Joel Osteen, Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes, Bishop Michael Sheridan, Focus on the Family president Jim Daly and Rev. Samuel Rodriguez.

These advisers were also supposed to appear on screen, since the original plan was to make The Bible a docudrama — reenactments peppered with lots of talking heads. But things went so well during the nearly six-month shoot in Morocco that the miniseries took a different course.

That's Osteen, who said "I don't believe homosexuality is God's best for a person's life" and called it "sin" many times, Prop 8 supporter Rick Warren who compared homosexuality to poison and compared acting on gay urges to assaulting someone, TD Jakes who has called homosexuality a "brokenness" despite his son getting arrested in a sex sting, Bishop Michael Sheridan who has called homosexuality "intrinsically evil" and told Catholics who vote for gay marriage that they can't receive communion, and Samuel Rodriguez, who teamed up with NY state senator Ruben Diaz to rally opponents of same-sex marriage, and Jim Daly, the head of virulently anti-gay Focus on the Family.

A reader to Towleroad writes:

It's worth noting that not only does every member of that panel have a distinctly anti-gay history, but that the panel is entirely conservative. Mark Burnett has made quite a bit of cash on the backs of gay contestants on his various shows, so I'm curious why any progressive or GLBT voices are suddenly lacking when he's looking for perspective this time around? It's 2013, and I thought the media was improving at least a little bit in thinking that the only religion that exists anywhere is right-wing religion, but apparently not in this case. And why--particularly- did Burnett seek out Focus on the Family for this, when FOF is not a church, last time I checked, but a thinly-veiled anti-gay organization?

Yes Sir, That's a Tribute to Marriage Equality: VIDEO

The New York duo Missy Mister (Sarah Kilborne and Ryder Cooley) celebrates equal love and the freedom to marry with a joyous old-school accordian jam ahead of the Supreme Court marriage arguments.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via david mixner)

Former Senator Jim DeMint Invites You to March Against Gays: VIDEO

Former Senator Jim DeMint, who resigned in December to head up the homophobic Heritage Foundation, appears in a new video asking people to join him at the anti-gay 'March for Marriage' before the Supreme Court on March 26.

Says DeMint in the video: "Let's stand and defend the institution of marriage, which existed long before government to provide children with mothers and fathers..."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

NOTE: You can counter DeMint's call for bigots by finding a local action at United for Marriage or join in the rally in D.C. on March 26th and 27th.

Greece Bans Footballer Giorgios Katidis for Life After Nazi Salute: VIDEO

Giorgios Katidis, a Greek footballer who gave a Nazi salute after making a game-winning goal over the weekend has been banned for life from representing Greece in the game, the NYT reports:

The Hellenic Football Federation met Sunday in response to the incident and decided to ban the player, who has previously captained the national team in youth competitions. “The player’s action to salute to spectators in a Nazi manner is a severe provocation, insults all the victims of Nazi barbarity and injures the deeply pacifist and human character of the game,” the federation said as Greece marked the 70th anniversary of the deportation of thousands of Greek Jews to Nazi death camps.

Reuters adds:

The 20-year-old, a former captain of Greece's Under-19 team, made the gesture in celebrating his winning goal in a 2-1 Super League victory over lowly Veria on Saturday. Katidis apologized and asked to be dropped from AEK's first team.

"I would like to confess that I am totally unacceptable and I feel terrible for those I upset with the stupidity of my act," Katidis said in a statement. "I made the mistake so I will be the one to pay for it, AEK is not responsible. So that is why I have decided to put myself out of the team because I have now realized how much I have offended the history of the club. Also, I understand fully the reasons for the decision made by the Greek Football Federation to which I owe a huge apology as it has helped me to get where I am in the professional game."

Katidis reiterated that he was not a fascist or racist.

Watch the video, AFTER THE JUMP...