A recent poll shows a huge shift in American attitudes toward gay marriage, from a 32 percent approval in 2004 to 53 percent today. I am one of those people who changed their minds.

MEMPHIS, Tennessee - Long-forgotten photos that show James Earl Ray being brought to jail after his arrest for assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. were unveiled Wednesday to commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the civil rights leader's death.

In many ways, the hearing led by Senate Democrats on Tuesday was the dramatic antithesis of one House Republicans held earlier this month on homegrown Islamic radicalism.

This is a phenomenal video of the immigrant rights community in southern Arizona & their battle last summer against Governor Jan Brewer's draconian legislation regime....

In truth, there should be no problem for these children. That is, until some legislative body somewhere passes a birthright bill that would revoke automatic citizenship to anyone born in this country whose parents weren't U.S. citizens.

What is evident is that the police had a deliberate and blatant disregard for citizens civil rights, their conduct toward protesters and detainees was brutally violent and merciless.

here's Boehner's absurd criticism of Obama: "A spokesman for Boehner's office criticized the administration change of position.

Radio Report and News Article: Obama Declares Defense of Marriage Act Unconstitutional - NPR All Things Considered:

Wielding knives and guns, seven white men get out of the car, according to Taylor and witnesses from a state investigation of the case. One shoves Taylor in the backseat; the rest squeeze in after her and ride off.

After parking in a deserted grove of pecan trees, the men order the young wife and mother out at gunpoint, shouting at her to undress. Six of them rape Taylor that night. Once finished, they drive her back to the road, ordering her out again before roaring off into the darkness.

...if Republican elected officials* in Iowa get their way:

A crucial reminder that myths are precisely that: halfway between fact/truth & lies/falsity! As Joan says:

The case sparked national outrage. Advocacy groups Change.org and Color of Change launched ambitious online campaigns that have already gotten thousands of signatures.

At least now we know that the right-wing extremism isn't just reserved for violating the civil rights of immigrants: LGBT & DV victims are now(?) included in the list of victims of the state's culture wars.... Or as a native has put it on the comments page:

You don't need to read the 46-page Missouri Supreme Court decision to determine that this Guatemalan mother's due process & maternal rights were infringed upon: it's common sense!

"Alarming trends" is the understatement of the day!

In a statement today, Political Research Associates condemned the murder and demanded an end to "the export of homophobia to Uganda by American conservatives."

An Ohio mother of two was sentenced to 10 days in jail and placed on three years probation after sending her kids to a school district in which they did not live.

David Kato knew he was a marked man.

The judge, Patricia Cosgrove, says that prosecutors refused to consider the lesser, misdemeanor charges & forced her to rule on the felonies:

Christopher Drew is a 60-year-old artist and teacher who wears a gray ponytail and lives on the North Side. Tiawanda Moore, 20, a former stripper, lives on the South Side and dreams of going back to school and starting a new life.

We definitely need to heed Tim's advice to put away "the safe & sanitized version of this man & his compatriots" & "awaken from the stupor" which our "Ambien-induced haze" has cast upon us in order to deal with the legacies of injustice which MLK against which he spent his life f …

"Count to ten; & take a deep breath!"

Devout Christian hotel owners who refused to allow a gay couple to share a double room acted unlawfully, a judge at Bristol county court ruled today.

A second time around, this expose on the culture of corruption & secrecy that allows Border Patrol officials literally get away with murder was even more rewarding & meaningful: it is an absolute must-read, regardless of your political persuasion.

A fairly decent rundown on the 287g controversy in Tennessee: a must-read if you care about the ensuing civil rights struggle in this country! When was the last time you were indefinitely detained because of the color of your skin?

Another brilliant piece on the rising anti-immigrant states-rights extremists being accepted into the mainstream discourse of American politics just as they are being elected into the mainstream offices of American jurisprudence (however unprudently) leaves me wondering if the Ut …

According to a memo obtained by Fox News with information compiled by the Department of Homeland Security and released to state law enforcement officials, Jared Loughner, the alleged shooter of Congressman Gabrielle Giffords, may have been influenced by a pro-white racist organiz …

If David Bahati succeeds in passing the death penalty for homosexuals in Uganda, we need to pray for our own deliverance in the United States. [...]

In an interview with the ultra conservative American Family News Network's OneNewsNow, [Dr.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said in a recent interview with Big Think that he believes the country is at a point where it will soon be acceptable to elect a gay president.

In 1948, the idea of interracial marriage in the United States was almost unimaginable. The few polls on this topic at the time showed that Americans were nearly unanimous in their disapproval of it.

One of my personal heroes, Rosa Parks changed the face of a Nation by saying "No More!". She was not a public figure, not famous, just a hard working American. This is proof every one of us has the potential to change the world, even just our small piece of it!

As much as $19 billion is stolen from American workers annually in unpaid overtime and minimum wage violations and through the human trafficking of legal immigrant workers.

Looking forward to changes to the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell policy?” Don’t hold your breath. The Wall Street Journal’s Laura Meckler reports today that the drive in Congress to repeal the policy appears all but lost for the fores …

Two articles / videos: President Obama Films 'It Gets Better' Video To Combat Gay Bullying

O'DONNELL: A federal judge recently ruled that we have to overturn Don't Ask Don't Tell. There are a couple of things we need to say about that. First of all, judges should not be legislating from the bench.

If all you ever read about gay people in Africa is in the western media (including gay media), you would be forgiven for thinking it's one endless horror story.

...[Tyler] Clementi's death last month, following suicides by several other homosexual teens in recent weeks, has also prompted a sharp debate in religious communities, a discussion that includes an unusual degree of soul-searching in addition to the more typical defensiveness.

"Dr. Burns's Quest for Truth "A New York opthalmologist collects and shares millions of photographs in what he sees as a mission "to help and to heal." [Note: Many of these photos are quite upsetting]

An extraordinary online campaign by Michigan assistant attorney general Andrew Shirvell against the University of Michigan's openly gay student assembly president Christopher Armstrong came to light this week, raising calls for AG Mike Cox to take action and fire Shirvell.

After a series of jokes about conservative that sounded -- and were received -- more like a stand-up act then a political speech, Coulter told the assembled (and predominantly wealthy) conservative gay crowd why they should oppose same sex marriage, adding, "I should warn you: I' …

Hospital Video shows Randle Miles Getting Beaten Randle Miles went to a Chicago hospital after getting stabbed. When he felt neglected, he became *mouthy* and the cops were called. What happened next is what Police Brutality stories are made of.

Social conservatives tend to talk about issues like abortion and gay rights, stem-cell research and the role of religion "in the public square"

Sunday, Adam was arrested by the Metro Vegas PD earlier today for "obstructing". The bail amount is $640 but Adam indicated prior to being transported that he did not want people to bail him out but that if they're so-inclined they can make calls on his behalf.

As a gay diplomat seeks US asylum, Saudi Arabia seems torn between wanting a civilised image and appeasing traditionalists

Prominent Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders held an extraordinary "emergency summit" meeting in the capital on Tuesday to denounce what they called "the derision, misinformation and outright bigotry" aimed at American Muslims during the controversy over the proposed Is …

A recent case in Texas points out one of the problems that arise when one state won't recognize the marriage laws of another:

When I first started this series of presenting history's greatest Liberals, I knew that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s entry would be made on August 28th, the anniversary of his famed "I Have a Dream" speech, which was delivered nearly fifty years ago in 1963. Dr.

(CNN) -- Law enforcement officers may secretly place a GPS device on a person's car without seeking a warrant from a judge, according to a recent federal appeals court ruling in California.

A federal judge Monday ruled that Missouri laws restricting protests near funerals are unconstitutional.

Former Democratic U.S. senator and presidential candidate John Edwards is a "faggot," according to conservative provocateur and author Ann Coulter some years back.

This week, the Iranian regime completed its ridiculous and unjust show trial of seven Baha'i leaders and sentenced them to 20 years in prison. -- all upstanding Iranian citizens whose only crime is that they belong to the Baha'i community.

In the late 1700s, something disturbing happened to marriage in Western societies: It began to change. Young people had revolutionary new ideas about the institution and what it meant to them.

The theory that minorities exaggerate the hardships they face in the modern world has become a rather prevalent one in recent years, and it stems from people not understanding the full impact that racism has had on our society through the decades and centuries.

Judge Vaughn Walker just released his decision, removing his stay order on last week's Prop 8 ruling. This action allows California same-sex couples the right to marry. This ruling, removing the stay, is in keeping with the Governor and Attorney General's wishes.

"A landmark of sorts was achieved today as CNN just came out with a poll showing a 52 percent majority of Americans agreed with the statement that "gays and lesbians should have a constitutional right to get married and have their marriage recognized by law as valid." Some 46 pe …

I broke up Al and Tipper Gore. And Sandra Bullock and Jesse James. No, I am not a 50-something masseuse or a tattoo model with a thing for Nazi outfits. I'm just a gay man who's about to celebrate his second wedding anniversary. Apparently, my marriage is a menace.

Wow! Conservative lawyer Ted Olson - who won the case finding California anti gay marriage Prop 8 unconstitutional - responds honestly, intelligently and rightly to every stupid question FOX News Sunday host Chris Wallace asks him.

Governor Schwarzenegger wants same-sex marriages to resume immediately!

WASHINGTON — You have the right to remain silent, but only if you tell the police that you're remaining silent.

A federal judge has halted the most controversial elements of Arizona's new immigration law, which had been scheduled to take effect at midnight.

The National Organization For Marriage (NOM) has embarked on a disastrous 23-city "Summer for Marriage Tour 2010," spreading the gospel of one-man-one-woman marriage to tens of supporters and encountering well organized counter protests in almost every city.

Erika Johnson will never be able to see her baby, Mikaela. But for 57 days she couldn't keep her newborn close, smell her baby's breath, feel her downy hair.

A school district in Mississippi has agreed to pay a recent high school graduate $35,000 in damages and adopt a policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, according to a statement released Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union...

J. Christian Adams' accusations that President Obama's Justice Department engaged in racially charged "corruption" in the New Black Panther Party case do not stand up to the evidence.

The lack of support for legalizing gay marriage amongst conservatives is surprising because the push to legalize gay marriage serves conservative aims.

Hawaii governor Linda Lingle (R) vetoed a bill legalizing civil unions between same-sex couples, saying that she prefers the issue be voted on as a constitutional amendment on the 2012 ballot.

British Columbia - Taser manufacturer challenges Braidwood report Lawyers for Taser International will be in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday to challenge the conclusions of the first Braidwood Taser inquiry, including the finding that the stun gun's electric shocks can be fatal.

Dr. Jack Kevorkian has something very specific in store for you when you meet him these days: an education.

June 9, 2010 -- Just last week, the notorious Governor Brewer promoter of the draconian anti- American law SB 1070, which in essence throws the entire civil rights movement into the proverbial garbage was caught claiming that her father had "died fighting the Nazi regime in Ger …

"Don't Tase my Granny!" Grandson Pleads Not only did police taser Lonnie Tinsley's 86 year old granny because she took a 'more aggressive posture in her bed' but according to the complaint, the police also stepped on her oxygen hose, depriving Lona Varner of her oxygen.

A near unanimous Supreme Court today ruled Washington state can release the names of the roughly 138,000 people who signed ballot petitions to overturn a same-sex domestic partnership law.

"The Supreme Court has ruled that human rights advocates, providing training and assistance in the nonviolent resolution of disputes, can be prosecuted as terrorists," said Georgetown University law professor David Cole, who argued the case.

As Judge Vaughn Walker prepares to hear closing arguments today in Perry v.

Five Arizona women painted a picture of abuse, terror, and civil rights violations during a special hearing Thursday before Congress about the impact of a state law that would make it a crime to be undocumented.

Five Years Later, 5 New Orleans Cops Charged NEW ORLEANS - Five current or former New Orleans police officers were charged Friday in the shooting death and burning of a New Orleans man during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

St. Petersburg, Florida--Nearly 90 workers are now out a job. Sunday was the last day workers could stand on street corners in St. Petersburg to sell the Sunday newspaper because of a new panhandler ban that's put the brakes on all roadside collections.

It didn't take long for Kentucky Republican Rand Paul to stumble into trouble.

"One of the key events of the American civil rights movement, it began 50 years ago yesterday."