Methodist Clergy Pledge to Marry Same-Sex Couples in Minnesota

A group of Methodist clergy have come together in support of same-sex marriage, WJON reports:

"During their annual conference in St. Cloud, about 40 Minnesota United Methodist clergy have signed a statement saying they would marry any couple who came to them, including same-sex couples. Reverend Bruce Robbins of the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis read the statement yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon. He said he initially had about a dozen of his colleagues sign the statement, by last night that number had grown to 40. The statement was a voluntary action and not a part of the annual conference."

Bishop Sally Dyck noted that "church discipline does forbid same-sex marriage, and clergy who perform them could lose their conference membership, or clergy credentials."

News: Sydney, Mexico, Jury Duty, Ke$ha, The Sun, Conan

700 couples have wed in Mexico City since marriage equality came to that city last year.

Lily Tomlin joined hundreds of thousands of LGBT supporters for Sydney's gay Mardi Gras parade in support of marriage equality.

Gay man gets out of jury duty by pleading inequality.

Somehow I'm not that surprised that the TSA failed to detect that a Jet Blue passenger boarded a flight with box cutters in his carry-on.

Rachel Maddow beats almost everyone in the ratings.

Miss New Mexico mysteriously pulls out of an LGBT awards show.

Ke$ha wants to be the face of safe sex.

Support to reverse the recent rejection of a gay/straight alliance at Flour Bluff High School in Texas swells.

Ed Westwick suits up in leather.

Human rights organization demands that hateful Serbian bishop apologize for calling gays and lesbians the "stench and poison littering capital Belgrade."

Lionsgate releases the official web poster for the new Conan the Barbarian remake - and it doesn't sit still.

Scientists are calling a video shot in China that shows what appear to be two suns an optical refraction.

Promo photos for the new Dancing with the Stars released.

Focus on the Family pastor speaks in California, draws protesters.

The Earth could be on its way to a sixth mass extinction: "The new threat is man-made, inflicted by habitation loss, over-hunting, over-fishing, the spread of germs and viruses and introduced species, and by climate change caused by fossil-fuel greenhouse gases."

More of the same: Mitt Romney slams President Obama in New Hampshire speech.

FOX News regurgitates old news and broadcasts it as new.

Madonna Commands Gym-goers in Mexico City to Get Hard

Check out the lobby (above) of Madonna's flagship Hard Candy Fitness gym in Mexico City, which she opened today.

The gym appears to be much like any other pricey facility, except for the gigantic Mr. Brainwash portraits at its entrance, demanding you eat less, lift more, work harder, and do it again.

Vatican Prelate Compares Gay Marriage to Decaffeinated Coffee

Father Gonzalo Miranda used a new metaphor to describe gay marriage at a press conference on Wednesday, On Top reports:

“A gay relationship is like decaffeinated coffee, you do not wake up."

On Top:

"The marriages of gay and lesbian couples are an imitation, the bishops said, Mexico's El Universal reported. Miranda, along with Monsignor Elio Sgreccia, president emeritus of the Pontification Academy for Life in the Vatican, are in Mexico participating in a series of academic conferences commemorating the 20th anniversary of the founding of the School of Bioethics at the Universidad Anahuac in Huixquilucan state."

Added Miranda: What just happened in California is very significant. On two occasions people spoke out against the legal recognition of gay marriage and twice a judge changed the popular vote with a ruling. In Mexico, I don't know well the mechanism used, but the people were not consulted, there's wasn't a referendum either.”

(image source)

400 Same-Sex Marriages in Mexico City in Six Months

The Latin American Herald Tribune reports that Mexico City has seen the marriage of more than 400 same-sex couples since gay nuptials were legalized there in March:

"A total of 398 marriages have been registered, of which 53 percent were between men and 47 percent between women. In these six months, 41 foreigners have joined the Mexicans – mostly Europeans, followed by South Americans, citizens of other North American countries, and Central Americans. In the same time frame, there have been four weddings for couples between 71 and 90 years of age. Most of those who got married are between 30 and 40, followed by those between 21 and 30 years old. March was the month with the greatest number of matrimonies with 94, followed by April and June with 64 marriages each, while May was third with 60."

During that time, the Mexican Supreme Court has ruled the law constitutional and also ruled that all Mexican states must recognize the marriages.

The Mayor of Mexico City sued the Bishop of Guadalajara for defamation after the Catholic leader claimed the Supreme Court justices were bribed for their pro-equality position.

Another Catholic leader, Cardinal Norberto Rivera, slammed the Court's position, calling gay marriage "evil" and "inherently immoral".

The newly crowned Mexican Miss Universe, Jimena Navarrete, has come out in support of marriage equality, saying, "I am absolutely against discrimination and, well, what can I say. I have many friends who are homosexual and I adore them. And they are equal folk: There is no reason we should want to set them aside, there is no reason why we shouldn't let them enjoy what they want to enjoy with their partner."

Miss Universe Jimena Navarrete Supports Marriage Equality

Andrés Duque at Blabbeando translates an interview with the recently-crowned Miss Universe, Jimena Navarrete of Mexico. Navarrete is asked her opinion about same-sex marriage:

"I believe that every person in this world has the right to profess the beliefs they have and I am in agreement. We have to respect what each human being decides to do with their lives, no? Clearly, there are limitations, of course, also, as there also are with heterosexual couples, no? Better said, there are limitations for any of the two - if they are heterosexual or homosexual - but I believe we have to learn to be respectful because they are people who are the same as us. There is no difference. And I don't believe it's just to discriminate somebody based on the gender they prefer, no? Based on the partner they choose to select, if it's a man or a woman. The truth is that I am absolutely against discrimination and, well, what can I say. I have many friends who are homosexual and I adore them. And they are equal folk: There is no reason we should want to set them aside, there is no reason why we shouldn't let them enjoy what they want to enjoy with their partner."

As you may recall, the Mexican Supreme Court recently declared Mexico City's marriage equality law constitutional and ruled that all Mexican states must recognize same-sex marriages.