Five San Leandro, California teachers cite religious beliefs in their refusal to put a rainbow flag poster up in their classrooms that reads “This is a safe place to be who you are.” The school's gay-straight alliance designed the poster. Well, at least the cards are on the table now and gay students know where it's not safe to go.

Sundance statements: Filmmaker Gus van Sant has spoken out about Brokeback, which he once had on his plate: “That's the one that got away. I dropped the ball. I didn't get the cast I wanted. I wanted big-name actors so I could make a political statement. [Ang Lee's film is] everything I wanted mine to be. I'm not sure it would have happened like that five years ago. It's all come true, and I'm really happy it worked out.”

…and John Waters commented on Heath Ledger and Philip Seymour Hoffman's nominations for playing gay characters: “We're going to have the queer Oscars this year. But I'm still waiting for a gay actor to be nominated for playing a gay man.”

Anti-gay pastor Ken Hutcherson urges his supporters to buy Microsoft stock and then get rid of it in a massive stock dump on May 1st because of its support of the Washington state gay rights bill (which of course it was pressured by gay groups and bloggers into re-supporting a year ago).

Gay ski week in Whistler is cancelled, then resuscitated.

NBC drops The Book of Daniel. The move is immediately lauded by the American Family Association. Chairman Wildmon: “This shows the average American that he doesn't have to simply sit back and take the trash being offered on TV, but he can get involved and fight back with his pocketbook.”

Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Boyd (R) wants to introduce legislation to define marriage as heterosexual. Boyd: “The intent of this is not meant to be discriminatory. This is about the people of Pennsylvania defining what a marriage is and to recognize it as a union between a man and a woman.” 2007 is the earliest an amendment could appear on the PA ballot.

Gay activist and author Betty Berzon has died in Los Angeles at 78.