ACLU Urges 'Modern Family' Producers to Marry Mitch and Cam

A new initiative of the ACLU, ACLU Action, has launched a campaign urging Modern Family writers to marry Cam and Mitch.

They write:

"The freedom to marry is being advanced in American living rooms as much as in court rooms," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. "As we wait for the Supreme Court to rule, we want to keep this issue on the minds and screens of Americans everywhere."

ACLU Action aims to activate the ACLU's 750,000 online supporters to have a political impact through social media and new grassroots organizing tools, and to reach out to new audiences, with its message of equal rights for all. By calling on Americans to "RSVP" that they will watch Cam and Mitch get married, the campaign will let the "Modern Family" producers know that a wedding episode would be a ratings hit. The campaign will put marriage equality before new and younger audiences through social media channels.

ACLU Action plans to deliver the "guest list" created by this RSVP to the producers of "Modern Family," Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd. The delivery will be timed to capitalize on the energy arising out of the landmark Supreme Court cases to be decided this summer, as the writers and producers are scripting the next season of "Modern Family."

Should you wish to join that list, you can do so here.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson reacted to the campaign via Instagram: "Love this! Thank you ACLU! Maybe once Prop 8 is overturned"

'Modern Family' Star Joins Illinois Lt. Gov. For Marriage Push

Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon are planning a fashion-forward action this week to push for marriage equality in The Prairie State.

On Wednesday, they're encouraging voters to call lawmakers and tell them to support marriage equality. Then, on Thursday, they're organizing Bow Tie Lobby Day at the General Assembly to get equality passed before the end of the current session. Supportive lawmakers have vowed to do just that.

More details, from The Southern Illinoisan:

Simon and Ferguson will be joined by marriage equality advocates to encourage Illinoisans to contact their legislators on Wednesday and join a Bow Tie Lobby Day in Springfield on Thursday that urges the General Assembly to pass marriage equality legislation during the January legislative session, according to a news release from Simon's office.

"It is our responsibility to ensure that everyone is treated equally under the law, and right now we have a group of citizens that we are treating as second-class," Simon said. "Bringing marriage equality to Illinois is the right thing to do."

...

"Justin and I are thrilled to be participating in Springfield's Bow Tie Lobby Day. Drawing attention to the importance of marriage equality at this level is exactly why we developed Tie The Knot," Ferguson said. "We are also excited to see how the citizens and legislators of Illinois do with their bow tying skills."

Tie the Knot, for those of you who don't know, is Ferguson and fiance Justin Mikita's (pictured) organization that designs original bowties and donates a portion of the proceeds to marriage equality causes.

If Illinois' lawmakers make good and pass equality, it will be the 10th state to let same-sex couples marry. That's one-fifth of the country - not enough, but a solid base.

Golden Globes Nominations Announced For 70th Annual Awards

Hollywood's awards season is officially underway, and the Hollywood Foreign Press joined the party by announcing its Golden Globe nominations for best picture, best actor, best actress and all the other categories among cinema and television's 2012 crop.

The biopic Lincoln garnered seven nominations, making it the leader. Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained received five nominations, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Christopher Waltz against one another for best supporting actor, while Les Misérables has been nominated in three categories, including best supporting actress for Anne Hathaway (congrats, babe!) and best supporting for Hugh Jackman.

In the realm of television, Girls, Modern Family and the underrated Showtime series Episodes were nominated for best comedy, while Downton Abbey, The Newsroom and Breaking Bad are among the dramas singled out for consideration.

I've included the entire list AFTER THE JUMP.

Matthew Broderick and Ty Burrell Have a Nipple-to-Nipple Moment and a Kiss on 'Modern Family': VIDEO

Matthew Broderick guest-starred on Wednesday's Modern Family as a gay friend of Cam's who met Phil, a fellow Bulldog alum, at the gym and mistakenly thought he had been invited over for a date. Phil, of course, had just invited him over thinking they were just going to have a few drinks and watch some football.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Jesse Tyler Ferguson Launches Attack Ad on Eric Stonestreet for Stealing Acting Jobs from Gay Americans: VIDEO

Jesse Tyler Ferguson is not taking Eric Stonestreet's Emmy win sitting down, labeling him a lying, ass-kissing clown in a new attack ad, and accusing him of stealing jobs from gay Americans.

Watch the ad and Ferguson's full interview, AFTER THE JUMP...

'Modern Family' And 'Homeland' Top Emmys, While Chick-Fil-A Plays Villain: VIDEOS

Showtime's Homeland and ABC's Modern Family were the big winners at the Primetime Emmy Awards last night, taking home the comedy and drama honors for their series and actors, including Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, Julie Bowen and Eric Stonestreet, the actor who plays gay Cam on the ABC comedy.

Julianne Moore also grabbed the spotlight after winning for her portrayal of Sarah Palin in Game Change, while Louis CK stayed humble after taking home the best comedy prize for his eponymous FX series and Aaron Paul again was honored for his role on Breaking Bad.

This was all well and good, but two other characters, one real and one imagined, were also on display last night, at one point crossing paths in a pre-recorded skit: Chick-fil-A and little adopted Lily from Modern Family.

Chick-fil-A first figured into host Jimmy Kimmel's opening act, in which the late night talker said that watching Downton Abbey gives viewers a good idea of what it's like to live in Mitt Romney's house and later remarked, "Being a Republican in Hollywood is like being a Chick-Fil-A sandwich on the snack table at 'Glee.'"

The franchise, stained by CEO Dan Cathy's homophobic remarks and its funding of conservative agendas, was also later used as a plot point to convince us all that Lily, played by 5-year old acting genius Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, is actually a diva monster from hell, one that flaunts her callous fast-food choices.

"Did you get that where I think you got it?" recently engaged co-star Jesse Tyler Ferguson asks of her chicken sandwich lunch, to which Lily replies, perfectly, "Yup. This is what I'm going to eat at my wedding. What are you going to eat at your wedding?"

Another fun moment: Ellen DeGeneres giving him the pants off her legs. You can watch clips from those bits, as well as see a complete list of the winners AFTER THE JUMP.