Top Chef Host Colicchio Speaks Out on Marriage Equality After Contestants are Asked to Cook at a Heterosexual Wedding

Top Chef's Tom Colicchio spoke out for marriage equality following an episode this week in which contestants were required to cook for a wedding. Lesbian contestant Ashley voiced anger at being forced to cook for a wedding when same-sex couples are not allowed to marry. Another lesbian contestant, Preeti, was not as angry even though she's been with her partner for 13 years.

Said Colicchio in a blog post: "I’m going to go out on a limb and say a few words about same-sex marriage: First of all, part of the problem with the issue is that it is framed by opponents as a discussion of whether gay people should get special rights. This is specious – yes, special legislation or court decisions grant them the right to wed in a particular state, however this is done to ensure that they share equal protection under the law by finally being able to avail themselves of the same rights as everyone else.  They are not seeking special treatment, just equitable treatment. Second, religion has no business being part of the discussion. When a couple is wed in a house of worship, the officiant may be performing a religious rite, but as far as the law is concerned, that officiant has been authorized to perform a civil function, plain and simple. And even were same-sex marriage to be legalized by the state, no one would be holding a gun to the heads of the clergy to require them to perform a ceremony that their faith or personal creed does not condone.  Just as some rabbis would not perform my marriage to my wife because I wasn’t Jewish, clergy can decline performing same-sex marriages; gay couples can either find clergy willing to officiate or can be wed in a civil setting. The idea that religious leaders are continuing to shape state law is just wrong. The institution of marriage should be available to all. The idea that you can have a life-long partner and not make decisions for them in a hospital, not share in insurance benefits, not automatically have parental rights unless you are the birth parent, is just flat-out wrong."

Watch the segment of the show with Ashley's complaint, AFTER THE JUMP...

Conservative to Jewish Man at Las Vegas Town Hall: 'Heil Hitler!'

A Jewish man talking to the press about health care reform at a Las Vegas town hall was confronted by a woman who yelled "Heil Hitler. Conservatives claim there is no anti-Semitism on display at town hall meetings.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Cristiano Ronaldo's Vegas Massage: Down a Little Further

Cristiano Ronaldo has some work done poolside in Las Vegas. More, AFTER THE JUMP...

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Lambda Literary Awards handed out in New York.

Quincy, Massachusetts Church of the Presidents has its rainbow flag stolen for the fourth time in nine months: "The flag was stolen last August, and again last September. Two months later it was burned, and this week it was stolen yet again. It’s a symbol of the congregation’s support for equal rights for [GLBT] persons."

Candy Spelling: Tori Spelling killed my husband.

Mixner: On becoming a civil rights movement.

Get a new free Pet Shop Boys song here.

St. Petersburg, Florida vetoes unmessaged rainbow flag: "They say the flag does not meet St. Petersburg's street banner policy, which states all banners must carry a written message."

Orlando Bloom celebrates Burberry Day!

New Yorkers plan weekend rally to pressure state senator George Onorato, who continues to refuse to meet with his constitutents on same-sex marriage.

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Mom saves the day.

British soap EastEnders to feature gay Muslim storyline.

Gay Times: Cristiano Ronaldo is the sexiest man alive.

Pennsylvania court rules in favor of an accountant whose license was revoked following a hate crime conviction: "The panel, in a 2-1 ruling, ordered the board to impose a lessor punishment on Kevin Allen Ake, who was convicted of a felony in Chicago for leaving messages on the answering machine of a lesbian he believed had him kicked out of the YMCA for trying to start a Bible program."

Fred Hochberg sworn in as 23rd president of the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

Porn actors Damien Crosse and Francesco D'Macho get married.

Senator David Vitter does not support the Uniting American Families Act.

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Harrah's Casino hopes you don't boycott Nevada because of its Domestic Partner bill-vetoing governor.

Schwarzenegger parole board appointee rejected for anti-gay comments: "Douglas Drummond, a former Long Beach City Council member, had been censured by the council for voicing support of Fidel Castro's sequestering of gays in Cuba, applauding the fact that same-sex couples don't reproduce and saying about gay political activity: 'How do we deal with it short of killing them?'"

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Presbyterian leaders in Kentucky vote to allow gays and lesbians to be ordained as pastors, elders and deacons.

Abraham Lincoln's watchmaker carved a secret inscription to the president on the inside of his pocket watch. The watchmaker's memory of it is nicer than the reality: "The first gun is fired. Slavery is dead. Thank God we have a President who at least will try."

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Florida judge orders school board to allow Gay-Straight Alliance to meet at Yullee High School near Jacksonville.

Center Square: San Francisco reading of one-man play about Paul Lynde halted by "cease and desist" letter.

Gay man picked to head Sundance Film Festival: "Actor Robert Redford, who founded the Sundance Institute in 1981, said [John] Cooper 'brings to the position an infectious enthusiasm as well as a deep understanding of the Sundance brand and culture. Forward thinking, he is a natural choice of succession to lead the Festival into the 21st century.' In recent years, Cooper has been involved in distributing short films on platforms such as iTunes, XBox360, and Netflix. He's also recently spearheaded the Art House Project, an initiative of 18 art houses from across the country designed to connect regional audiences to the Sundance's films and filmmakers."

It's probably best not to give a woman-beater a Kids' Choice Award.

Oh, just kiss and get it over with.

Three new biographies explore authors who were gay (or struggled with it).

Trial to begin over anti-gay killing in Brooklyn's Crown Heights. Killer thought victim was flirting with him.

Philippines military opens recruitment to gays. Commanding officer: "I don’t have anything against gay people but I am still in the dark, I cannot imagine how they will perform and discharge their duties once they are accepted in the military"

Boston Gay Men's Chorus to tackle kd lang's "Big Boned Gal" in next concert. Somebody please send a video.

Apparently, Sean Penn's suit from Milk is a Mormon magnet.

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Clay Aiken to present GLAAD award to Tyra Banks.

Gambling regulators in Las Vegas recommend $50,000 fine and a 6-month suspension of a slot machine license for city's oldest gay bar Snick's, over public sex complaint.

In praise of Sonny Bill Williams.

Google to increase user surveillance: "Google’s influence over our lives is set to grow further after it anounced today that it will track millions of people as they move through the internet in order work out what their interests are. Using that information, it will then provide targeted advertising to suit users' individual tastes."

Former UFC Fighter Arrested for Fight at Gay Vegas Nightclub

Former UFC fighter "War Machine" was arrested over the weekend at Krave nightclub in Vegas, TMZ reports:

"Former 'Ultimate Fighter' badass Jon Koppenhaver, who goes by the aforementioned MMA nickname, was picked up by Las Vegas PD for misdemeanor battery Saturday morning after allegedly getting into a tussle at Krave Nightclub -- a place described by one of their reps as 'gay ... but very straight-friendly.' Cops tell TMZ security at Krave was escorting War Machine out of the club after a little brouhaha -- when he allegedly turned on security and starting punching them. Security made a citizens arrest until Las Vegas PD could show up."

According to Deadspin, "Koppenhaver was released by UFC in September of last year for speaking ill of the then-recently deceased Evan Tanner He was dropped from Bellator for disparaging remarks he made on his MySpace blog about Barack Obama. Ever the charmer, Koppenhaver wrapped up that infamous blog entry with: 'P.S.: Fuck an Obama, fuck a Disney, fuck an ESPN and fuck the Bellator Fighting Championship.'"

Details on the reason for the altercation were not available.