Obama's LGBT Fundraiser and NY Marriage Equality Dominate Nightly Cable News Shows: VIDEOS

The nightly news talk shows were lit up with the issues of Obama's LGBT fundraiser and marriage equality in New York. Check out coverage on five of the major shows, below.

CENK UYGUR: Lt. Dan Choi and Brian Ellner from the Human Rights Campaign face off on Obama's accomplishments.

LAWRENCE O'DONNELL: Freedom to Marry's Evan Wolfson talks about the OBama LGBT fundraiser.

RACHEL MADDOW: Obama's LGBT fundraiser discussion with former New Paltz Mayor Jason West, who illegally married couples in his town in 2004.

ANDERSON COOPER: Obama's LGBT fundraiser and progress with Wolfson and legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.

Finally, HRC's Fred Sainz and blogger John Aravosis talk with Ron Reagan on Hardball.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

Watch: Julianne Moore Appears in First Ad in HRC Series of New Yorkers for Marriage Equality

In July I posted about a new effort by the Human Rights Campaign toward marriage equality in New York. The Campaign for New York Marriage, headed by Brian Ellner, has just launched the first in a series of ads intended to lobby public support for the issue.

The NYT reports:

"The timing of commercials is deliberate, and revealing: With the front-runner in the governor’s race, Andrew M. Cuomo, the Democratic attorney general, pledging his support for same-sex marriage, and the Legislature in Democratic hands, advocates are pushing for a new vote early next year. 'We want to build excitement and momentum in advance of that,' said Ellner...As part of that strategy, the Human Rights Campaign and its allies are spending heavily to oust three New York state senators — all Democrats — who voted against the marriage bill last year and who face opponents in the primary on Tuesday: William Stachowski of Buffalo, Shirley L. Huntley of Queens and Rubén Díaz Sr. of the Bronx."

Along with Moore, the ads will feature  Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg,  Rev. Al Sharpton Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Whoopi Goldberg, Fran Drescher, Tom Colicchio,  and Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, the widow of Arthur Ashe.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

HRC Hires Brian Ellner to Head NY Campaign Opposing Anti-Gay Lawmakers

The Human Rights Campaign has established a new group whose goal is to defeat state legislators who opposed marriage equality, and they've hired Brian Ellner, who was shut out of the head position at the Empire State Pride Agenda just recently, to head it, the NYT reports:

"Brian Ellner, who until this week worked for the New York City Department of Education, will oversee the Campaign for New York Marriage, which is to be financed by the Human Rights Campaign, a lobbying group for gay rights based in Washington. Mr. Ellner’s appointment will be announced by the group on Friday. It represents a vindication of sorts for Mr. Ellner, who was the top candidate to run the state’s leading gay rights group last month. He abruptly withdrew from consideration after some gay advocates questioned his links to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, a major donor to the Republican Party. 'I view this as an opportunity to build on solid work that has come before, and strengthen and expand the coalition that is necessary to secure marriage equality,' Mr. Ellner said in an interview."

The HRC campaign's goal mirror those of philanthropist Tim Gill's Fight Back PAC, which launched in February and has been targeting New York lawmakers, like ousted state senator Hiram Monserrate, since that time:

"The campaign’s organizers said they would work closely with several existing efforts to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, including the Empire State Pride Agenda and Fight Back New York."

News: Dracula Fish, GENDA, Gary Coleman, Cape Town

Outrage over GMHC relocation.

Gender Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) gets major boost in New York.

Dracula fish makes Top 10 list of new species.

Nick Jonas brings new panty-creaming excitement to Les Miserables in London.

Young gay republican challenges out Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox: "Erich Sturn, 24, is hoping to unseat Fox, who was elected to succeed state Rep. William Murphy (D-West Warwick) in February. He is a political novice, but he told EDGE he feels the time is right to throw his name into the ring due to the state’s double-digit unemployment rate and dire economic conditions."

Blog 4 Equality: Up-and-coming bloggers can win a trip to Netroots Nation in Vegas from Freedom to Marry.

Report: Gary Coleman on life support. UPDATE: Sadly, Coleman has died.

The Amityville Horror house is on sale for $1.15 million. Takers?

Ian McKellen went into acting to meet other gay people: "I'd heard that a lot of professional actors were gay. Acting seemed like a chance for me to meet like-minded people.  You know, at that time same-sex love in Britain got you into prison. Homosexuality was being completely hushed up. Gay teachers, politicians or firemen - that was something unthinkable.  When I was young I thought I was the only gay Brit. That's why I was glad to find people like me in the actors guild."

Hugh Jackman: just like the rest of us.

Manhattan gets girthy in subway map overhaul.

Marc Jacobs got a hair transplant. "I was starting to thin on top, see. I can’t dye it for a while, so this is my natural colour.”

Minnesota non-profit Christian ministry tied to Michelle Bachmann praises Muslim call for executions of gays in America: “Muslims are calling for the executions of homosexuals in America. This just shows you they themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible of the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than even the American Christians do, because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination.”

How wealthy were all the Presidents?

Matt Lauer in transgender infidelity scandal.

Rand Paul: U.S. should stop granting citizenship to children of illegal immigrants.

Cagney & Lacey, together again.

Cape Town declared gay capital of Africa.

Did Uganda lie to Germany to continue receiving aid? "Uganda has reassured Germany it does not support a bid by one parliamentarian to outlaw homosexual acts, in order to win an extension of existing aid payments, German officials said Friday. The German development aid ministry said in Berlin it had cleared pledges totalling 120 million euros (148 million dollars) to Uganda over the next three years."

Does Daniel Craig's fab penthouse make him gay? How about his real estate agent?

22nd annual Lambda Literary Awards handed out in NYC: Winners.

Gay City News on the shutdown of Brian Ellner's appointment to the Empire State Pride Agenda: "Nearly everyone who spoke to Gay City News — both advocates and foes of Ellner — cited the adamant opposition to him from board member Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, one of the city’s most progressive labor leaders and a tough critic of Bloomberg. Appelbaum declined comment to Gay City News."

Empire State Pride Agenda Names New Executive Director

Well that was fast. Less than a day after Brian Ellner withdrew his name as a candidate for the top spot at Empire State Pride Agenda, the group today named Ross Levi as its new executive director. Levi had previously been the group's Director of Public Policy & Education.

ESPA has issued a press release about the appointment:

"Ross D. Levi, Esq., was today unanimously named by the Board of the Empire State Pride Agenda as the Executive Director. The Pride Agenda is the largest statewide organization working to achieve equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) New Yorkers. Levi has been with the Pride Agenda for more than 10 years based in the Albany office and has been a part of every statewide legislative victory ever achieved by the organization. In the role of Director of Public Policy & Education since 2006, Levi has been responsible for developing the policy priorities and public positions of the Pride Agenda."

Read the the rest of the press release AFTER THE JUMP.

Ellner Withdraws Candidacy As Head Of Empire State Pride Agenda

Brian Ellner withdrew his name as a candidate for executive director of ESPA, a day before he was set to go before the gay rights group's board for approval, amid criticism from LGBT advocates. Ellner was expected to be easily approved for the job.

The New York Times reports:

"Several influential gay advocates objected to Mr. Ellner’s decision to take a job at the Board of Education under Mr. Bloomberg, whom they have never accepted as fully committed to their cause. While the mayor supports same-sex marriage, some advocates have not forgiven him for appealing a 2005 court decision that supported same-sex marriage and for backing Senate Republicans opposed to the unions."

"The advocates cited what they said was Mr. Ellner’s criticism of the mayor in 2005, when Mr. Ellner ran for Manhattan borough president."

“Brian Ellner could not be trusted with the rights of L.G.B.T. people, when he has a history of taking care of Brian Ellner and securing employment at the expense of ideals,” said Allen Roskoff, an advocate and the president of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, an influential group in gay politics. The club had threatened to cut ties with the Empire State Pride Agenda if it appointed Mr. Ellner."

Ellner's response to his withdrawal: “It didn’t work out, and I wish them the best.”