AJ Clemente, Fired for 'Gay' F-Bomb Gaffe, Appears on 'Today' Show: VIDEO

AJ Clemente, whose first day news anchor gaffe went around the world earlier this week, appear on the Today show this morning after being feted as David Letterman's Top Ten subject last night.

Clemente discussed the gaffe, and reiterated that he wasn't saying the word 'gay', he was trying to pronounce Tsegaye Kebede, the winner of the London Marathon, and got panicked, and that's when the cursing came out.

Added Clemente: "I would never use that slur. I definitely want to make sure people know that."

Watch the segment, and Letterman's Top Ten, AFTER THE JUMP...

Rookie North Dakota News Anchor Begins First Broadcast with 'Gay' F-Bomb: VIDEO

NBC North Dakota Anchor AJ Clemente did not have an auspicious first day on the job, beginning his broadcast with the words "gay... f**king... sh*t". On the bright side, North Dakota viewers finally got to see something interesting on the news.

Watch (warning: language), AFTER THE JUMP...

Clemente has been suspended by the station:

To all of you who are writing in...I want to apologize for an incident that occurred prior to our early newscast this evening, when one of our employees used profanity on the air.

He did not realize his microphone was on, but still, that's no excuse. WE train our reporters to always assume that any microphone is live at any time. Unfortunately, that was not enough in this case. WE can't take back what was said. The person involved has been suspended until we resolve the situation. All we can do at this point is ask for your forgiveness, and I can offer my personal assurance that I will do my best to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again under my watch.

UPDATE: AJ explains himself on Twitter.

"Tough day, Thanks for the support,We all make mistakes. Im truly sorry for mine. I'll try my hardest to come back better and learn from this...I just want to say that I did not say the word gay, I was trying to pronounce the London Marathon winners name Tsegaye Kebede...I would never disrespect anybody in that matter. Once again I'm truly sorry."

UPDATE II: AJ was fired.

Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) Comes Out for Marriage Equality

Senator Heidi Heitkamp has come out for marriage equality:

“In speaking with North Dakotans from every corner of our great state, and much personal reflection, I have concluded the federal government should no longer discriminate against people who want to make lifelong, loving commitments to each other or interfere in personal, private, and intimate relationships.  I view the ability of anyone to marry as a logical extension of this belief. The makeup of families is changing, but the importance of family is enduring.”

Joshua Boschee Hopes to Be First Gay ND Lawmaker: VIDEO

Joshua Boschee will become the first out gay lawmaker in North Dakota in November if he wins his race in District 44 for the state House of Representatives.

Valley News Live reports:

"I'm humbled," says Boschee, of his place on the list, which is right next to Wisconsin U-S Representative Tammy Baldwin, the high-profile candidate for Senate who would be the first openly gay Senator elected. "But I think the impact we're making isn't just that I'm a gay candidate, but that I've been out there working, reaching out to voters, talking about what's important, trying to connect with voters since June."

Boschee is running against two longtime Republican incumbents -- Blair Thoreson, who's been in the House since 1999, and Don Clark, who's been there since 2005. It could be an uphill battle for Boschee in a state that boasts a Republican Supermajority in Bismarck, and who's looking also at potentially sending three Republicans as its U-S Congressional delegation for the first time in about three decades. The Democratic candidate says that his experience as a gay man has given him perspective on leadership that is valuable.

"My experience as an LGBT person has taught me the importance of listening to people," says Boschee. "Everyone has a story."

Watch their interview with Boschee, AFTER THE JUMP...

Fargo, North Dakota Paper Rejects Gay Marriage Announcement

The Fargo Forum, a North Dakota paper, is conducting a review of its policies regarding same-sex engagement and marriage announcements following outrage after Allison Johnson posted the rejection she received after submitting a notice about marrying her wife in New York.

The Minn Post reports:

The blowback, which includes subscription cancellation threats and an online petition that gained 1,300 names in under a day, prompted editor Matt Von Pinnon to announce a policy review via Facebook late Monday night, followed by a Tuesday story.

Allison Johnson, who plans to marry Kelsey Smith in Aug. 1, said the couple placed the ad on Saturday and received a Monday morning rejection from "Celebrations" editor Dianna Baumann...

...Johnson says coverage from competing Fargo media has been favorable — local station Y94 even placed the marriage announcement on their website. Ultimately, she says, "This is really just a matter of wanting to express love in way so many other people take for granted. It should be allowed and available, to anyone in love who wants to share their love."

Gay North Dakota Couple of More Than 20 Years Denied Marriage License: VIDEO

Tired of waiting and being denied equal rights, Lenny Tweeden and Wayne Rosell, a Fargo, North Dakota couple who have been together for more than 20 years, decided to request a marriage license yesterday even though they knew their request would be rejected. They did it to make a statement, Valley News Live reports.

Watch the couple take their request to the courthouse, AFTER THE JUMP...

The Grand Forks Herald reports:

The end result was not in doubt: North Dakota law does not permit Sandvik or her staff to even provide a marriage application to same-sex couples such as Tweeden and Rosell.

“I hope you understand,” Sandvik told them.

After she turned them down, Sandvik told Tweeden she had received a call from someone in Grand Forks who wanted to express their support for the couple. “I wanted to pass that on to them,” Sandvik said after rejecting Tweeden and Rosell’s request.

Outside the courthouse, a handful of people made signs in support of the couple, while nobody showed up in opposition to gay marriage. Inside, former Fargo Mayor Jon Lindgren, a friend of Tweeden and Rosell, was waiting with bouquets of flowers for the pair before they arrived.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...