Minnesota Senate Vote on Marriage Equality: Watch LIVE Today

UPDATE: We're LIVE now. Click HERE.

Later today, Minnesota's Senate will be voting on the marriage equality bill passed by the House last week. Debate is scheduled to begin at 12 pm (1 pm ET). Please join us.

The bill is expected to pass, and would make Minnesota the first midwestern state to legislatively approve marriage equality and the 12th in the nation to offer it.

Over the weekend I posted a few Minnesota-related items. Hell's Kitchen, a Minneapolis restaurant, wants to host the first gay wedding and there's a way you can apply to be that couple.

And fallout from last week's House victory included one lawmaker crying on the House floor, though they weren't tears of joy: "My heart breaks for Minnesota," said a Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover. "It’s a divisive issue that divides our state,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes as she stood on the House floor after the vote. “It’s not what we needed to be doing at this time. We want to come together for the state of Minnesota, we don’t want to divide it."

Churches are split on the marriage bill, KARE reports. Watch their report filed over the weekend, AFTER THE JUMP...

"We are praying for our government leaders and those in St. Paul," says Matt Morrell, senior pastor of Fourth Baptist Church in Plymouth.  "We don't see this as a political or social issue, this is a Biblical issue."

Minneapolis Restaurant Wants to Host State's First Gay Wedding

Hell's Kitchen, a Minneapolis restaurant, wants a piece of the equality:

Anticipating that within the next few days, same-sex marriage will finally be signed into Minnesota law, Hell's Kitchen would like to congratulate our beloved GLBT community with a free wedding celebration for one same-sex couple wishing to marry on Thursday, August 1, the very first day it will finally be possible.

Our wedding for up to 100 guests will include champagne, a beautiful dinner buffet, bartenders, servers (who love to gussy up for weddings), candles, linen-covered tables, live music during dinner, and even free parking. Not wanting to miss out on this privilege, the Pastry Chefs at Angel Food Bakery will provide a gorgeous rainbow wedding cake surrounded by a spectacular array of pride cupcakes on sparkling tiered platters. "But wait! There's more!" Once we've cleared the floor for dancing, DJ Shannon Blowtorch has offered to rock the walls of history with an after-party til 2am.

You're of course free to have the actual ceremony elsewhere at your own expense before your celebration at Hell's Kitchen, but if you want to get married on our stage, we'll even provide the officiants, because not just one, but TWO of our owners (Mitch and Tony) are non-denominational ordained ministers. Trust us, they take this honor seriously.

If you and your future spouse are interested in being considered, please send an email to Weddings@HellsKitchenInc.com by midnight, May 28. No "rules for entering" bla bla bla; just email us a note, and on June first, we will choose from those letters one Minnesota same-sex couple to receive a helluva great celebration on us. And if by chance you want to make further history by being the first same-sex couple married in Minnesota, we'll even host your wedding event at 12:01am.

The Senate has scheduled debate to begin at 12 pm (1 pm ET)  tomorrow on the marriage equality bill.

Marriage Equality Ally Chris Kluwe Cut by Minnesota Vikings

As Chris Kluwe forecast after they drafted UCLA punter Jeff Locke in the fifth round last week, the Minnesota Vikings have released him.

The Star Tribune:

The 31-year-old was given the news Monday morning at Winter Park during a meeting with General Manager Rick Spielman. Kluwe had been anticipating the move, one that became transparent April 27 when the team used a fifth-round draft pick on UCLA punter Jeff Locke.

Locke participated in the team’s three-day rookie mini-camp over the weekend and fared well enough for the Vikings to feel totally secure in selecting him. And that meant kicking the door open and sending Kluwe on his way.

Writes the paper's Chip Scoggins:

Regardless of whether they admit it, the Vikings are jettisoning Kluwe partly because they grew tired of his outspokenness. It’s naive to think the move is based solely on his age (31), salary ($1.45 million) or how he performed last season (inconsistently). Kluwe has become the most visible punter in NFL history because of his social activism. The Vikings deny that Kluwe’s public stance on issues factored into their decision — not that they would ever admit it — but they likely prefer someone who embraces the anonymous life of an NFL punter.
...

Kluwe’s departure will make the Vikings locker room a lot more dull because he is incredibly intelligent, articulate and passionate about societal issues. He’s a fascinating individual in a sport that breeds conformity. The NFL has become so big and so powerful that players often cling to political correctness for fear that a ripple might swell into a tidal wave. Kluwe is that surfer dude on top of the wave, hanging 10 on any issue that stirs his emotion.

Kluwe tweeted this morning:

"So long, Minnesota, and thanks for all the fish!... Thank you to all the fans, my teammates, and the Wilf family for the past 8.5 years. I wouldn't have traded it for anything... And thank you everyone for your support. Remember, one label does not define who you are as a person :)

Is Minnesota Viking and LGBT Ally Chris Kluwe Being Pushed Out for a Punter with Fewer 'Distractions'?

Steve mentioned this briefly yesterday. On Saturday, the Minnesota Vikings drafted UCLA punter Jeff Locke in the fifth round, a move that Chris Kluwe sees as writing on the wall that he may be on his way out, and that the reason for his exit will be "distractions" related to activism for LGBT civil rights, NBC Sports' Mike Florio reports:

Of course, the distractions weren’t a problem when Kluwe was staying up very late playing Guitar Hero and Worlds of Warcraft, or staying out very late on Friday night doing shows with his band.  After Kluwe opted to get behind a controversial social cause while also getting to bed at a decent hour, the team opted to acquire a player who, given that he was selected in round five, will likely have the field tilted in his favor when it comes to determining whether he or Kluwe gets the Water Pik.

Sound  familiar? Florio adds:

Ayanbadejo, after he was cut by the Ravens, suggested that the decision was influenced by his support for same-sex marriage.  Ayanbadejo then retracted that sentiment, perhaps realizing it could keep him from getting an NFL job elsewhere.

Kluwe told Florio: “It’s a shame that in a league with players given multiple second chances after arrests, including felony arrests, that speaking out on human rights has a chance of getting you cut,” Kluwe told PFT via text message.

Poet Rips Michele Bachmann in Amazing Spoken Word Slam: VIDEO

Sierra DeMulder, finalist in the 2013 Women of the World Poetry Slam, performs during the one minute round in WOWPS prelims in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a searing blast of Michele Bachmann.

I transcribed it so you can follow along. You'll probably be watching more than once.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Your husband owns a clinic that offers to cure homosexuality for up to $10,000 a year. So when you, Representative Bachmann, refused to acknowledge the bullying of gay students in your district, this must have been strictly business.

When another gay teenager commits suicide in Minnesota, you consider this free advertising. You buy a new necklace for every hanging, a bottle of Merlot for each overdose, your husband sends 'thank you' cards to their funeral, hand-signed, all referrals welcomed.

How could we expect you to take a stand against bullying when it helps pay for your mortgage, when it puts food in your children's belly? One day, your youngest daughter will ask you why her school supplies feel like they belong to someone else, her pencils write names that are not hers, Samantha, Nick, Aaron, Kevin. Tell her the truth Michele, that blood money is not a metaphor, that your wallet is heavy with those who have untied themselves. Tell your daughter that God is the bully with the biggest fist and you can only hope that he is on your side!

Gay Reporter Fired from Minneapolis Station After 'HOMO Dads' Joke Makes It to Print

Minneapolis KSTP reporter Mark Saxenmeyer was fired this week after a joke he inserted into the web script for a story on a Minnesota gay couple attending the White House Easter Egg roll made it to print. The joke was intended to make his colleague, Katherine Johnson, laugh, and he asked her to remove it before it went to print, and she did — most of it.

Romenesko reports:

The big HOMO dads line was one of those things.

“I said, ‘Make sure you delete that because obviously that would not be funny out of context,’” says the fired newsman. “She deleted most of it. There was one little part she missed when she closed it.”

The story was posted on KSTP.com, then flagged. An editor’s note added to the update said: “Earlier today comments were published erroneously regarding this story. KSTP does not condone the comments. Action is being taken to ensure that this does not happen again.”

The Star Tribune adds:

KSTP news director Lindsay Radford said, “I’m not going to comment on personnel issues.”

Asked about the editor’s note, Radford said, “We had an employee, as a joke, make an inappropriate reference inside that story. It was published with that inappropriate comment. We removed it immediately. That employee has been dealt with.”

Saxenmeyer, who says he's been "out and proud" since he was 25, is contrite:

"Bizarre ironic is what it is. I’m not sorry for me. I’m a big boy; I’ll get over it. I made a profoundly stupid mistake. There’s just no getting around that. I have apologized profusely. It was stupid, inappropriate, irresponsible. It is beyond comprehensible. Make that clear. I don’t want anyone else to suffer repercussions of this. I especially don’t want the gay community to be hurt or offended in any way. They are the last people I would ever want to malign and disparage. When you are gay, you sometimes feel you can say things because they are coming from a place not of disrespect or evil."